Differential Effects of Two Modes of Exercise on Anthropometric Characteristics of Persons with Type-2 Diabetes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine and compare the separate effects of Aerobic Endurance Exercise (AEE) and Progressive Resistance Exercise(PRE) on some Anthropometric features of Body weight (BW), Body Mass Index (BMI), Percent Body Fat (PBF) and Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR) of type 2 diabetics.  Type-2 diabetes outpatient volunteers who registered in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Medical Centre and met the inclusion criteria participated in the study. The randomize Pretest-Posttest Control Group quasi-experimental design was adopted as participants were randomly assigned to each two experimental and one control groups. The study participants in the two experimental groups were exposed to two different exercise modes for 15 weeks while their effects on the anthropometric features were monitored and recorded. Four null hypotheses guided the study, while the descriptive (means, SD and range) and inferential statistics (ANCOVA, eta squared (R²), and SIDAK pairwise multiple comparisons) were employed for the data analyses. Results revealed that all the hypotheses were not supported indicating that the two exercise protocols had significance effect as seen in the mean values differences of the pretest and posttest anthropometric measures.  It was concluded that a twice-weekly session of 15-week supervised circuit type endurance exercise and progressive resistance training protocol at moderate intensity had beneficial reduction effects on physical parameters of body weight body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio and percent body fat. As a result, the two modes of exercise were effective in mediating anthropometric features of person recently diagnosed with type-2 diabetes recommendations were made based on the findings.

Keywords: Type-2 diabetes, Body composition, Obesity, Aerobic Endurance Exercise, Progressive Resistance Exercise.