Mixed effects of a six-month supervised exercise program in overweight and moderately obese adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is often associated with overweight or obesity. Clinical practice guidelines recommend that people with T2DM should regularly perform aerobic and resistance exercise and reduce the amount of time spent sitting. However, most adults with T2DM remain inactive and those who start a program are not willing to maintain exercise for the long run. To evaluate the relationship between supervised exercise, glycemic control, fitness and potential body image a longitudinal study with intervention was conducted. Twenty-three T2DM adults were assessed on Body Mass Index, glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), Fitness Index (FI) and Potential Body Image (PBI) at baseline and after completing a six-month supervised exercise program. BMI and Fitness Index were modified by exercise. No group differences were found on HbA1c and PBI. However, significant individual differences in BPI were detected by means of mixed-effects models. A six-month exercise program can affect some biological and clinical parameters as BMI and Fitness Index. High inter-individual variability was observed in PBI. Mixed-effects models should be preferred to the traditional ANOVA's and personalized supervised intervention should be implemented for long-term maintenance of exercise.