Effects of 8 weeks aerobic training with omega-3 supplementation on inflammatory responses in type 2 diabetic patients

Objective (s): Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids can alter the inflammatory response in diabetic patients، which may enhance the benefits of aerobic training. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of 8 weeks aerobic training with omega-3 supplementation on inflammatory and metabolic syndrome parameters in type 2 diabetic patients. In this semi-experimental study with pretest–posttest design، thirty diabetic patients (aged 48. 58±7. 4 y) were randomly assigned to omega-3 supplementation only (2000 mg/d)، omega-3 supplementation plus aerobic training or non-exercising control groups. Aerobic training program was performed 50-60 min/d، 3d/wk، for 2 months. Serum levels of CRP، TNF-α and IL-1، body composition and metabolic parameters were assessed before and after the training period. The data analysis showed that omega-3 supplementation in conjunction with aerobic training lead to greater improvements in adiposity indices (p=0. 03)، total cholesterol (p=0. 03)، and triglyceride (p=0. 03). Inter-group comparison (among the 3 groups) showed that there were no significant differences with regard to CRP (p=0. 27)، TNF-α (p=0. 15) and IL-1 (p=0. 12). The results suggest that aerobic training and omega-3 supplementation can have beneficial effects on metabolic indices over a two-month period. Based on the results a daily consumption of omega-3 and aerobic training is suggested for patients with type 2 diabetes.