Combined effects of vitamin D supplementation and pilates training on glycemic, lipid, and inflammatory markers in obese women with type 2 diabetes

Abstract This study investigated the effects of a 10-week supervised Pilates training program combined with weekly vitamin D supplementation (5000 IU) on glycaemic control, lipid profile, and inflammatory biomarkers in obese women with type 2 diabetes. Fifty participants (BMI > 30 kg/m 2 ; age, 55.29 ± 4.25 years) were randomly assigned to five groups: Pilates plus vitamin D (EXD), Pilates plus placebo, Pilates only, vitamin D only, and control. Significant time, group, and interaction effects occurred for fasting plasma glucose, insulin, glucagon, interleukin-1, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides (all p < 0.001). Exercise-containing groups showed improvements in several metabolic outcomes; however, no significant differences were observed among exercise-containing groups for fasting plasma glucose, glucagon, or total cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol showed a significant interaction but no significant main effect of group ( p = 0.122). In contrast, the EXD group showed significantly different overall levels for interleukin-1, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides compared with the other exercise-containing groups. Pilates improved metabolic outcomes, and concurrent vitamin D was associated with additional differences in selected markers; however, the findings do not establish a synergistic effect.