Compare the Effect of Aerobic and Resistance Training on Inflammatory and Metabolic Sensor of Heart Tissue of Male Diabetic Rats

Cardiomyopathy is one of the complications of diabetes that increases the risk of death in patients. The present study aimed to compare the effect of aerobic and resistance training on the inflammatory and metabolic sensors of heart tissue in male diabetic rats.

Twenty-two male rats with weight (179±22) gr were divided into four groups: healthy, diabetic sham, diabetic with aerobic training, and diabetic with resistance training. Moderate-intensity aerobic training by running on a treadmill and resistance training by climbing a ladder with certain weights were performed 6 weeks and 5 days a week. The amount of SIRT-1 and NF-κB protein was measured by the western blot method, and the ANOVA, Paired-Sample T-test, and covariance analysis statistical methods were used at the P≤0.05 level.

Reduction of blood sugar in the diabetic group with aerobic training from (377±131) to (249±81) mg/dL (P=0.036) and resistance training from (468±70) to (246±83) mg/dL was significant (P=0.040), and the effect of resistance training was greater (P=0.037). NF-κB protein had a significant decrease in aerobic training (1.18±0.007) and resistance training (1.17±0.04) compared to the diabetic sham group (1.88±0.09), (P≤0.001). The effect of both types of training on SIRT-1 protein was not significant.

Resistance training, like aerobic training, has a similar effect on reducing inflammation in the heart and has a better effect on reducing blood sugar. The effect of both types of physical activities on inflammation was more effective than the metabolic factor. Resistance training can be a suitable alternative to aerobic training to reduce blood sugar and inflammation caused by diabetes.