Comparative effects of aerobic exercise, resistance exercise and yoga on metabolic profile and cellular ageing in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objectives: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is rapidly increasing worldwide, with over 61.3 million people diagnosed with type 2 DM (T2DM) in India alone, estimated in 2019. Hyperglycaemia can be effectively managed by addressing lifestyle risk factors through physical activities such as aerobic training, resistance exercises (REs) and yoga. This study aims to compare the effects of these exercises on cellular ageing and metabolic profiles in individuals with T2DM. Materials and Methods: The study included 120 patients, aged 25–40 years, diagnosed with T2DM, who were randomly assigned to four groups: Control, aerobic exercise (AE), REs and yoga ( n = 30). Each group participated in 50-minute exercise sessions 3 times a week for 16 weeks. Gene expression of beta-galactosidase (b-Gal), marker for ageing, was assessed through complementary DNA prepared from peripheral blood ribonucleic acid, while metabolic markers – haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG), post-prandial blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and cholesterol were measured at 3 time points: Baseline (week 0), 8 weeks and 16 weeks. Results: The results demonstrated a significant positive effect on metabolic profile and cellular ageing, across all three exercise groups, which led to significant reductions in FBG at both 8 and 16 weeks: Yoga ( P = 0.014, 0.017), resistance ( P = 0.042, 0.029) and AE ( P = 0.041, 0.011); no significant change in the controls. Post-prandial glucose and HbA1c levels also showed clinically meaningful reductions in the yoga ( P = 0.013, 0.017), resistance ( P = 0.020, 0.043) and aerobic ( P = 0.022, 0.015) groups. Lipid profile improvements included significantly reduced LDL and increased HDL in all intervention groups. Furthermore, β-Gal gene expression, analysed through reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, was significantly reduced in all exercise groups at both time points ( P ≤ 0.01 for all comparisons), indicating potential anti-ageing effects. Conclusion: These findings underscore the common benefits of aerobic training, REs and yoga in controlling glucose levels and enhancing metabolic health in individuals with T2DM. All the exercise modalities used in our study were effective in reducing hyperglycaemia, improving overall metabolic function and reducing senescence.