Effects of 12 Weeks Aerobic Exercise with a Diet Regimen on the Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Health of Boys with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of 12 weeks aerobic training with a diet regimen on glycemic control and cardiovascular health of boys with T1DM. The participants (N = 20) were distributed equally into an intervention group (IG) and control group (CG). The IG received 50-minute exercise sessions, thrice a week, with a diet regimen. The CG received their usual care. Body mass, body mass index (BMI), resting heart rate, blood pressure, blood lipids, fasting blood glucose, and HbA1c were measured at baseline and post-intervention. The Shapiro-Wilk test was performed before analyzing the data with parametric or non-parametric tests. Differences of p <= 0.05 and effect size (ES) >= 0.2 were considered significant. There were no differences in HbA1c between the IG and CG at baseline (10.3% (0.9) vs 10.3% (1.2), respectively, p = 0.9353). Mean HbA1c of the IG was lower than that of the CG after the intervention (9.6% vs. 11.4%; p = 0.012, 95% CI = 0.5 to 3.1, ES = 1.36). Resting heart rate, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose were better in the IG than the CG after 12 weeks (p < 0.05, ES >= 0.2). Thus, there is evidence that aerobic training with a diet regimen improves the glycemic control and cardiovascular health of boys with T1DM in 12 weeks.