Aims/introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of low-intensity resistance training with slow movement and tonic force generation (LST) on muscular function and glucose metabolism in older patients with type 2 diabetes.
Materials and methods: A total of 10 patients with type 2 diabetes (age 68.2 ± 9.7 years) engaged in LST training twice a week for 16 weeks. Before the long-term intervention, they were subjected to the measurement of acute changes in blood factors relating to glycemic control as a result of a bout of LST. Body composition, muscular size and strength, and glycated hemoglobin were measured before and after the intervention.
Results: The magnitudes of the acute changes in the blood factors were all small and were not considered harmful for glucose metabolism. The 16-week LST training caused significant increases in thigh muscle thickness and strength, and decreases in body fat mass and glycated hemoglobin. The change in glycated hemoglobin showed a significant negative correlation with the change in the isokinetic knee extension peak torque measured at a high angular velocity (180°/s).
Conclusions: The LST training was shown to be effective for gaining muscular size and strength, and improving glycemic control in older patients with type 2 diabetes. The mechanisms underlying this effect might involve the improvement of contractile function in fast glycolytic fibers.
Keywords: Fast muscle fibers; Glycated hemoglobin; Resistance training.
© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Diabetes Investigation published by Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes (AASD) and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.