Effects of aerobic training on cardiovascular parameters of diabetic patients attending Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, Kano Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of aerobic training on cardiovascular parameters of diabetic patients attending Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, Kano (MMSHK). The population of this study consisted of 522 diabetic patients attending MMSHK. A sample of 24 type 1 and 24 type 2 diabetic patients were purposively selected and randomly assigned into experimental (n=12) and control (n=12) for both types 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. However only 40 of the subjects completed the study 10 each for type 1 and 2 experimental and control groups. The participants in the experimental groups were engaged in run/walk training three times (on alternate days) weekly for 16 weeks. Both experimental and control groups continued their medications. The control groups were advised to continue with their normal sedentary daily life. The systolic BP, diastolic BP, resting HR and Vo2max of all the subjects were measured before and after the 16 weeks training. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the stated hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed a significant reduction in the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, resting HR, while the Vo2max increased significantly after the training among the experimental groups both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. The implication of the findings is that engaging diabetes patients both type 1 and type 2 in regular aerobic exercises will surely assist in the management and control of the illness due to the prevention of obesity which is known factor of diabetes. Based on the findings of the this study, it is recommended among others, that aerobic exercise (walk/run) should be used as an intervention in the management of both type 1 and 2 diabetes