The Effects of a Period Aerobic Training and Stevia Consumption on Glycemic Indices, Insulin Resistance and Beta Cells Function in Diabetic Rats

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aerobic exercise and consumption of stevia extract on glycemic indices, insulin resistance and beta cell function of diabetic rats. In this study, 35 male Wistar rats with an average weight of 188.86 ± 15.8 g were randomly divided into 4 groups (diabetic control, diabetic exercise, diabetic extract and diabetic exercise with stevia). Aerobic exercises included running on the treadmill, 5 days a week for 6 weeks and the extract receiving was continued for the same period. At the end of the intervention, glucose and insulin levels were measured to evaluate the HOMA-IR and HOMA-β indices. The results showed that the aerobic exercise program and stevia extract significantly decreased glucose levels and significantly increased HOMA-β in the experimental groups compared to the diabetic control group (P <0.05). Insulin resistance levels were lower in the experimental groups than the diabetic group, but this difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). It can be concluded that the aerobic exercise and the consumption of stevia extract alone and in combination with together, can lead to significant improvement in glucose levels and pancreatic β-cells function in diabetic rats. Meanwhile, extract consumption along with aerobic training in comparison to training and stevia extract consumption alone can have greater impact.