EFFECTS OF EXERCISE TRAINING MODALITY ON GLUCOSE-TOLERANCE IN MEN WITH ABNORMAL GLUCOSE REGULATION

To determine the effects of exercise training modality on glucose tole rance in men with untreated abnormal glucose regulation, 26 untrained men (age 54 +/- 9 years; mean +/- SD) with either non-insulin-dependen t diabetes mellitus (N = 8), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (N = 12) or hyperinsulinemia with normal glucose tolerance (N = 6) were studie d before and after 20 wk of either strength training (ST) (N = 8), aer obic (treadmill walk/jog) training (AT) (N = 8), or no exercise (contr ol group; N = 10). Plasma concentrations of glucose and insulin were m easured after a 12-14 hr fast and during a standard oral glucose toler ance test (OGTT) before and after training. The ST program significant ly reduced total plasma glucose area (mmol.l(-1).120 min(-1)) under th e OGTT curve (1348 +/- 251 vs 1190 +/- 329, p < 0.05), and plasma gluc ose levels (mmol.l(-1)) at 60 min (p < 0.05), 90 min (P < 0.05), and 1 20 min (p < 0.05) after glucose ingestion. Strength training also lowe red the total plasma insulin area pmol.l(-1).120 min(-1)) under the OG TT curve (60082 +/- 25467 vs 46727 +/- 11273, p < 0.05) as well as pla sma insulin levels (pmol.l(-1)) at fasting (p < 0.05) and at 90 min (p < 0.01) and 120 min (p < 0.05) after glucose ingestion. All men with IGT (four in each training group) normalized their glucose tolerance f ollowing the training. There were no significant differences in OGTT r esults between ST and AT and no changes were observed in the control g roup. Thus, strength training improves glucose tolerance and reduces i nsulin response to glucose ingestion to the same extent as aerobic tra ining in men with abnormalities in glucose regulation.