Aerobic exercise improves blood sugar in patients with gestational diabetes: Study

Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is useful in improving blood sugar control in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), suggests a study published in the Diabetes Therapy.

Aerobic exercise is those activities that increase heart rate by exercising large muscle groups within a certain period of time including swimming, jogging, brisk walking, and cycling.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a form of high blood sugar during pregnancy and accounts for ~ 90–95% of all patients with hyperglycemia during pregnancy. It can affect the normal pregnancy and delivery process, resulting in an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

In pregnant women with GDM, long-term lifestyle interventions are known to improve blood sugar and reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The most basic non-drug intervention for such patients is dietary intervention, while exercise is now getting increasing attention. Previous studies have reported the benefits of aerobic exercise for patients with type 2 diabetes. However, studies on patients with GDM are limited.

Against the above background, Zhao Huifen, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China, and colleagues aimed to investigate the effects of structured moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on blood glucose, insulin, and pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients.

A group of Chinese researchers conducted a study to investigate the effects of structured moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on blood glucose, insulin, and pregnancy outcomes in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

The researchers selected 101 patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), who were randomly divided into a control group (50 cases) and an experimental group (51 cases) in a class 3 first-level general hospital. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients in the control group received a personalized diabetes diet intervention, online education, and routine prenatal care. The experimental group added 6 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in addition to the identical conditions given to the control group. The differences of fasting and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, insulin use, and adverse pregnancy outcomes were evaluated between the experimental and control group after intervention.

The results of the study are as follows:

• Outcomes were available from 89 participants. Compared with before intervention, there were statistically significant differences in fasting blood glucose and 2-hour blood glucose after three meals in both groups.

• There were statistically significant differences in the average fasting blood glucose, the average 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, the insulin dosage, and the utilization rate between the experimental and control group after the intervention.

• Parameters in the experimental group were all lower than in the control group.

• Compared with the control group, the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in the experimental group after the intervention was not statistically significant.

Thus, the researchers concluded that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise can help improve blood glucose control and insulin use in patients with Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). And in the future, long-term follow-up can be conducted for maternal and neonatal infants to evaluate the impact of an Aerobic exercise improves blood glucose levels in patients with GDM: Studyexercise intervention on the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Reference

Effects of Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Blood Glucose Levels and Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial by Yaping W et. al published in the Diabetes Ther.

DOI: 10.1007/s13300-021-01135-6