Effect of resistance exercise on fasting blood glucose and 2 hours after in coronary artery disease patients: a randomized clinical trial

Diabetes is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Besides the emphasis on drug treatments, modifying lifestyle including physical activity and exercise are important for controlling and treatment of these risk factors. Resistance exercise has attracted the interest of the cardiologists. However, there are no much preferences to resistance exercise, but it is recommended for life style modifying and as a no pharmacological treatment in these patients. Thus, the present study investigated the effect of resistance exercise on blood glucose in coronary artery disease patients. In a randomized clinical trial from April 2013 to February 2014, through patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation unit of Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, forty three eligible patients selected through selective sampling and assigned randomly to either intervention or control groups using table of random digit. First demographic characteristics and medical history were collected. Blood samples in fasting and no fasting conditions, were taken for measurement of fasting blood glucose, blood glucose 2 hours after at before, after and 4 weeks after the end of the intervention. The intervention period last 8 weeks included two exercise sessions per week with warm-up, exercise and cool- down sections. In the intervention group, in addition to aerobic exercise, resistance exercise was performed. Study subjects in the control group participated only in aerobic exercise. In the both groups, the mean blood sugar 2 hours after fasting, before, after and 4 weeks after the end of the intervention were significantly different (P<0.05). Mean Changes of fasting blood sugar and blood sugar 2 hours after fasting were not significantly different (P>0.05). Resistance exercise lead to a significant decrease in mean blood glucose 2 hours after fasting. Thus, we can recommend it in coronary artery disease patients for lowering blood glucose along pharmacological treatments.