We sought to determine the effects of substituting parts of aerobic training (AT) by resistance training (RT) on metabolic syndrome (MetS) factors. MetS patients (56 +/- 7 years old; BMI 33 +/- 5 kg/m2 and 3.9 +/- 0.8 MetS factors) were randomized to undergo one of the following isocaloric, 16-week long exercise programs: (i) cycling 4 bouts of 4-min at 90% of HRmax followed by 3 sets of 12 repetitions of 3 lower limb free-weight exercises (HIIT+RT group; n = 33), (ii) cycling 5 bouts of 4-min at 90% of HRmax (HIIT+HIIT group; n = 33) or iii) no exercise control group (CONT group; n = 21). We measured the evolution of all five MetS components (z-score), cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max), leg strength and power (leg press 1RM and countermovement jump (CMJ)), fasting blood glucose (FG), insulin (FI) and insulin resistance (HOMA2). Both training groups improved VO2max similarly (170 +/- 310 and 190 +/- 210 mLO2/min; p < 0.001) and z-score (-0.12 +/- 0.29 and -0.12 +/- 0.31 for HIIT+RT and HIIT+HIIT, respectively; p < 0.02). However, only HIIT+RT improved CMJ (p = 0.002) and leg press 1RM above the HIIT+HIIT group (21% versus 6%; p < 0.001). Furthermore, FG only decreased in the HIIT+RT group (5%; p = 0.026, time x group). Our findings suggest that substitution of part of HIIT by leg RT, improves glucose control in MetS individuals.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PubMed
• PDF locator
• publisher