Effects of Acute Resistance Exercise with and without Whole-Body Electromyostimulation and Endurance Exercise on the Postprandial Glucose Regulation in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Crossover Study.

Plain Language Summary

Over 460 million people worldwide suffer from Type 2 Diabetes. Previous studies have found that endurance training combined with resistance training increases insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Due to its ability to enhance physical performance and to save time during exercise sessions, electromyostimulation is becoming increasingly popular in health and recreational sports. Using a randomised crossover design, the study measures the effects of different exercise strategies and intensities on glucose regulation post-prandially. To assess the effect of post-prandial glucose regulation on Type 2 Diabetic patients, six patients performed 20 minutes of resistance exercise with whole-body electromyostimulation, conventional exercise without whole-body electromyostimulation, and endurance exercise. All types of exercise were effective at lowering blood glucose levels, even at a short duration of 20 minutes. Electrical stimulation did not affect the effect of exercise in any significant way. It is therefore necessary to conduct further robust long-term studies on the effects of electromyostimulation and resistance or endurance training on lowering postprandial blood glucose levels. The results of this study can be used by healthcare professionals to better understand the relationship between exercise and glucose regulation, which may be useful when making clinical decisions for people with Type 2 Diabetes or obesity.