Resistance Training in People at Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes and Their Experience of Health-Related Quality of Life

Background: Research indicates an association between impaired glucose metabolism and overweight, a serious public health problem involving an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, related hypertension, and a reduced quality of life. Aim: The first aim is to assess different dimensions of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in overweight individuals at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to a normal population. The second aim is to examine the impact of resistance training on the pre-post HRQoL dimension scores of the intervention group. Methods: Eighteen participants were randomly assigned to one of the two resistance training groups. Group 1 engaged in supervised maximal resistance training (Bernstein inverted pyramid system: 5× 3 - 4, 60% - 85% of 1 Repetition Maximum (RM)), three days/week over four months, and Group 2 performed endurance resistance training (including lower weight loads and more repetitions over four months). The intervention consisted of eight exercises involving the entire body. The subjects completed the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) on HRQoL. The HRQoL scores of the norm population were higher than those of people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and resistance training seemed to have a limited significant positive effect on the different HRQoL dimensions.

Sense of Humor and General Life Satisfaction in Association with the Biological Effects of Resistance Training in People with Impaired Glucose Tolerance

The aim of the study was to investigate associations between psychological and biological changes due to resistance training in people with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Subjects were randomized into maximal (MRT) versus endurance resistance training (ERT) groups. Intervention periods lasted four months. All subjects had blood work that suggested IGT at the initial screening. The ERT acted as a wait-list control group when the MRT performed their training. Baseline scores on general life satisfaction (LISAT) and sense of humor (SHQ-6: a positive coping resources) were obtained. Potential differences between groups (types of intervention and intervention versus control) were investigated by analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA). Correlations were calculated in each group to estimate the degree of covariance between biological and psychological changes from pre- to post-intervention by Pearson and Spearman coefficients. Sense of humor tended to be correlated with a positive reduction of insulin following MRT as well as with reduction in body fat following ERT. Differences across the intervention groups in changes from pre- to post-training in biological variables (glucose, insulin, muscle mass, and corrected percentage of fat) as well as psychological variables (general life satisfaction and sense of humor) were not significant, whereas differences in BMI and weight were significant. By investigating the intervention groups separately in comparison to the control group, the MRT revealed significant improvement by reduction in insulin, percentage of fat, BMI and weight. The ERT caused significant improvements for insulin and percentage of fat, while general life satisfaction had a significant negative development.