Twelve weeks of aqua-aerobic exercise improve physiological adaptations and glycemic control in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes
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Aqua-aerobic exercise (AE) has been proposed as an alternative mode of exercise in the medical management of type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-wk AE training program on physiological adaptations and glycemic control in older subjects with T2DM. Forty elderly subjects with diagnosis of T2DM were assigned either to the AE group (n=20) or the non-exercise control group (n=20). The AE group performed aerobic exercise in the swimming pool (water temp ~34 to 36°C), which consisted of 3 days/wk at 70% of maximum heart rate for 30 min. The aqua-aerobic training group demonstrated a significant increase in VO2 max, and a significant reduction in body weight, percentage of body fat, blood pressure, and resting heart rate at the 12th week of training (P<0.05). Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), cholesterol, triglyceride, and insulin decreased significantly (all P<0.05) in the AE group compared to the non-exercise control group. These findings indicate that 12 wks of AE training may help prevent complications in elderly patients with T2DM.