By Jonathon Stavres MS, ACSM-EP-C
Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a condition in which blood glucose levels are chronically elevated and insulin is inefficient at mediating glucose uptake. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics report (2014), 28.9 million American adults, ages 20 and older, suffer from diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed).
Type II diabetes is what is considered a behavioral, or lifestyle, disease. That means that this disease develops due to improper lifestyle behaviors such as overeating, inactivity, and excess weight gain. This is opposed to Type I Diabetes Mellitus in which the pancreas secretes too little or no insulin.
Treatment for Type II diabetes generally follows a three-pronged approach; pharmacological therapy, diet modification, and implementation of an exercise program.
Exercise Prescription- Circuit resistance training
In prescribing exercise for the purpose of diabetic therapy, physiologists commonly focus on aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming. This is because more calories can be expended during aerobic exercise compared to anaerobic exercise (such as resistance training) when matched for overall session time. However, research suggests that resistance training may lead to improvements in long-term glucose control.
Diabetic patients often monitor their condition by regularly measuring their blood glucose levels. In more recent years, Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) has been used to provide a more comprehensive and long-term depiction of glucose control.
A study by Eriksson et al. (1997) examined how a circuit resistance training program affected HbA1c levels in a group of Type II diabetic patients. Subjects participated in a circuit resistance training session twice a week for three weeks.
Circuit resistance training differs from traditional resistance training, in that it is performed at lower workloads with a higher number of repetitions and often shorter rest periods between sets. This format adds an endurance component to resistance training, which puts more of a focus on caloric expenditure.
Following the 3-week intervention, the result indicated a significant decrease in HbA1c levels (8.8% before training – 8.2% following training).
This study provides good evidence that adding a circuit resistance training program to an existing aerobic exercise program may further improve glucose regulation. It is important that we understand this program is intended to be a complimentary training program and not a supplementary program. That means patients still need to adhere to their pharmacological therapies, their new diet plan, and their existing exercise program. It is also important to review the resistance training modalities with an exercise professional to ensure safe and effective execution of all exercises.
*For more examples of other variations/exercises look under Multimedia-VDF Exercise Tips
**Consult with a physician and/or medical healthcare provider before starting any exercise regimen
Article’s Resources
Eriksson, J., Taimela, S., Eriksson, K., Parviainen, S., Peltonen, J, & Kujala, U. (1997). Resistance training in the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 18(4), 242-246.