Effects of 16 weeks of combined exercise on daily living fitness, vascular elasticity, and blood components in elderly women with type 2 diabetes

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 16 weeks of combined exercise training on daily living fitness, vascular elasticity, and blood components in elderly women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Subjects in combined exercise training group (EX: n=13) participated in combined exercise training 30-40 min/session, 4 sessions/wk for 16 weeks, whereas subjects in control group (CON: n=13) were asked to maintain their normal life pattern during the same intervention period. Main results of the present study were as follows: 1) Percent body fat and fat mass decreased significantly in the EX, and there was a significant interaction between group and test in fat-free mass. 2) Arm curl, chair stand, one leg with eyes opened, functional reach, tandem test, 10m walking, and VO2max improved significantly in the EX, and there were significant interactions between group and test in chair sit-and-reach and up & go. 3) No significant changes were shown in all variables regarding vascular elasticity, and diastolic blood pressure increased significantly in the EX. 4) TG decreased significantly in the EX, and there was a significant interaction between group and test in LDL-C. 5) There were significant interactions between group and test in fasting plasma insulin and HOMA-IR. It was concluded that 16 weeks of combined exercise training would be beneficial for improvement of body composition and physical fitness as well as for preventing senile deterioration of blood lipid profiles and insulin resistance in elderly women with type 2 DM.