Osho Oluwaseyi Abigail, Akinbo Sunday, Osinubi Abraham and Olawale Olajide
Background: Nigerians with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) often develop cardiopulmonary complications which necessitates prescription of therapeutic exercises. Progress monitoring post exercise prescription in the management cardiopulmonary complications is paramount.
Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of weight bearing aerobics combined with resistance exercises (WBARE) and non-weight bearing aerobic combined with resistance exercises (NWBARE) on selected cardiopulmonary parameters of Nigerians with T2DM. It also assessed the changes in these parameters at specified duration in the intervention period.
Method: A total of 60 subjects (36 females and 24 males) within the age range of 40-75years were consecutively recruited and randomly assigned into the 12 weeks supervised WBARE (20) or NWBARE (20) or a control group (20). Pre- and post-outcome measures which included cardiopulmonary parameters; resting arterial systolic and diastolic blood pressure (RASBP and RADBP), resting rate pressure product (RRPP), oxygen uptake (VO2max), forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were assessed at baseline and at the end of 4th, 8th and 12th week. Glycosylated haemoglobin level (HbA1c) was assessed at baseline and at the end of 12th week. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Level of significant was set at p<0.05
Results: RASBP, RADBP, RRPP and HbA1c were significantly decreased in WBARE and NWBARE groups (p= < 0.05). VO2max and FEV1 were also significantly increased in both groups (p< 0.05). WBARE recorded significant improvement in FEV1 and FVC values than NWBARE group when compared with control (p<0.05). Significant improvement in RRPP, VO2max and FEV1 occurred as early as four weeks post intervention between the groups.
Conclusion: WBARE and NWBARE improved cardiopulmonary functions in Nigerian adults with T2DM. WBARE may be more effective in the management of pulmonary functions. Assessment of patients post intervention should commence as early as four week.