A Randomized Controlled Trial to Determine the Impact of Resistance Training versus Aerobic Training on the Management of FGF-21 and Related Physiological Variables in Obese Men with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial with three parallel arms.
PubMed 39228768 · doi:10.52082/jssm.2024.495
What was done
Thirty-six sedentary obese men aged 40 to 45 with type 2 diabetes were matched by baseline FGF-1 levels and randomly assigned to 12 weeks of moderate-intensity resistance training (RT, n = 12; 3 days/week), moderate-intensity aerobic training (AT, n = 12; 3 days/week), or an inactive control group (n = 12). Researchers evaluated changes in FGF-21 levels, glycemic indices, lipid profiles, hormonal markers, maximal strength, and aerobic capacity.
What was found
Both RT and AT produced significant improvements across metabolic and physical variables compared to control. RT demonstrated significantly greater adaptive responses (p < 0.01) than AT in fasting blood glucose (effect size [ES] = -0.52), HOMA-IR (ES = -0.87), testosterone (ES = 0.52), cortisol (ES = -0.82), FGF-21 (ES = 0.61), and maximal strength (ES = 1.19). Conversely, AT showed significantly greater improvements (p < 0.01) than RT in total cholesterol (ES = -0.28), triglycerides (ES = -0.64), HDL (ES = 0.46), LDL (ES = -0.73), and aerobic capacity (ES = 1.18).
Why it matters
This study shows differential metabolic benefits between exercise modalities in type 2 diabetes: resistance exercise more effectively modulates FGF-21 and insulin resistance, whereas aerobic exercise provides superior lipid management.
Limits
The sample size was very small (n = 12 per group) and restricted exclusively to sedentary obese men aged 40–45, limiting generalizability to women, older adults, and other populations. The abstract provides effect sizes but no absolute baseline or follow-up values, and long-term clinical outcomes beyond the 12-week intervention were not evaluated.
Cited by
- contradicts FGF21 levels do not increase following resistance training.