ABSTRACT
Background: The process of diabetes control involves a mixture of dietary, pharmacological and physical exercise interventions as therapeutic methods
However there is a considerable risk of hypoglycemia incidence with synchronized supplementation of bitter melon and physical exercise and also the antihyperlipidemic effects of bitter melon was not fully elucidated
Objective: The aim was to investigate the synchronized effects of aerobic training and bitter melon powder supplementation on metabolic control in type II diabetic female patients [Age: 56.89+/-7.48 yrs. Weight: 78.75+/-5.56 kg and Height: 164.54+/-6.71 cm]
Methods: Following to baseline FBS, 2hpp, HbAlc [A[1c]], HDL, LDL, TG and TC measurements, the subject were randomized into four groups [N=12]
Control, Bitter melon, Exercise and Bitter melon-Exercise
The Bitter melon and Control groups received supplement/placebo containing capsules for eight weeks [three meals per day] with dosage of eight mg/kg.bw in a double blind order
The Exercise groups were run on a treadmill at moderate intensity, three sessions per week during this period
Results: Fasting glucose was decreased in Bitter melon, Exercise and Bitter melon-Exercise groups [P<0.05], however there were no between group differences in the amount of deceases [P>0.05]. AIC was also decreased in these three groups with sharp decreases in Bitter melon-Exercise group [P<0.05]
The 2hpp, HDL, LDL, TG and TC levels were only decreased in Exercise groups [P<0.05]
Conclusion: Bitter melon supplementation along with exercise training in accompany with other therapeutic proceedings, could provide sharper decreases in AJC level in well controlled patients as the most important index for diabetes control. However; the merely supplementation with bitter melon has no significant effect on blood lipids
ABSTRACT
There is lack of data about the effects of aerobic training in hypobaric status on metabolic risk factors. Thirty-nine middle-aged sedentary male volunteers with metabolic syndrome [Mets] were randomized into four groups, including the normobaric control [NC], hypobaric control [HC], normobaric exercise training [NT] and hypobaric exercise training [HT] groups. Both aerobic training groups [NT and HT] participated in running exercises on a treadmill [three sessions per week] for six weeks, 30 min per session, at 50% of HR max based on Karvonen's formula. Both the control groups [NC and HC] remained inactive during the six weeks of the study, sitting in the barometric chamber, watching TV or studying. Barometric pressure was adjusted to 3000 meter altitude at hypobaric conditions. In both the NT and HT groups, all the metabolic risk factors [waist circumference, mean atrial pressure, blood sugar, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein and Mets overall z score] and body weight were significantly changed; however the rate of waist circumference decrease was sharper in the NT group [P<0.05]. Hypobaric exposure [HC] also significantly decreased fasting blood sugar and Mets overall z score [P<0.05]. The beneficial effects of inactive exposure to hypobaric conditions on overall metabolic state and blood glucose, indicates its therapeutic properties. However, the effects of hypobaric exercise training were not better than those of normobaric exercise on each metabolic risk factor, findings which confirm that promotion of physical fitness and hypobaric exposure could be instrumental in the control of metabolic risk factors