Effects of high- and moderate-intensity resistance training sessions on glycemia of insulin-treated and non-insulin-treated type 2 diabetes mellitus individuals

Purpose The objective was to analyze the capillary glucose (CG) responses of two resistance exercise intensities in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) individuals undergoing different drug therapies. Methods Twelve non-insulin treated (NIT), and six insulin-treated (IT) T2DM individuals (67 ± 7 years) performed two resistance-training sessions (RT-session) at moderate-intensity (MOD, 3 × 10 reps at 70% of 10-RM), high-intensity (HIGH, 3 × 10 reps at 100% of 10-RM), and a non-activity control situation (CONT). The CG was evaluated before, during, and immediately after the experimental situations. Results Both MOD and HIGH promoted a superior reduction of CG than CONT in NIT (−37 vs. −33 vs. −4 mg/dl, respectively, p < 0.01). Conversely, in RT-sessions, CG reduction was not statistically different when compared to CONT in IT (−51 vs. −45 vs. −20 mg/dl, respectively, p > 0.05). The higher glycemic reduction was found immediately after rather than during the RT session ( p < 0.05). In both RT-sessions, pre-exercise CG levels were directly related to CG reduction ( p < 0.01). Conclusions A single acute RT-session reduces CG, regardless of intensity, in NIT individuals. In IT individuals, the RT-session did not induce an additional effect on CG. Moreover, participants with the highest pre-exercise CG levels were the most benefited ones by RT-session in reducing glycemia.