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A recent randomized controlled trial published in latest edition of "Annals of Internal Medicine" found that both aerobic and resistance exercise improved glycemic and blood sugar control for people with type 2 diabetes. The study observed over 250 adults between ages 39 and 70 who were not exercising regularly and had type 2 diabetes. The study participants were divided into four groups: 45 minutes of aerobics three times a week, 45 minutes of resistance training three times a week, 45 minutes each of both three times a week, and no exercise. Each participant was evaluated for changes in their A1C value - a percentage that reflects changes in blood sugar concentrations.
The aerobic and resistance training groups had improved their A1c value by half a percent, the group that used both kinds of exercise improved the value by nearly one percent, and the control group with no exercise had no change in value. An A1C value with a 1% improvement is associated with a 15 to 20 percent decrease in a risk of heart attack or stroke, and a 25 to 40 percent decreased risk of diabetes-related eye disease or kidney disease.
Lead author of the study, Dr. Ronald Sigal claims "There wasn't much known about resistance exercises when we started planning this study. At the time, some thought that resistance exercise is not useful or even dangerous for some people with diabetes. The bottom line is that doing both aerobic and resistance exercise is the way to maximize the effects of exercise on blood glucose control in type 2 diabetes."