Evaluation of Milk Consumption after Resistance Training on the Glycemic Control and Irisin Levels of Type II Diabetic Men: A Quasi-experimental Study

The consumption of high-protein foods after resistance training increases training achievement, which may benefit diabetic patients. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of milk consumption after resistance training on the glycemic control and irisin levels of type II diabetic (T2D) men.  This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 36 male patients with T2D, mean age of 53.6±4.8 years and mean body mass index of 27.1±3.6 kg/m2. The patients were randomly divided into three groups of control, resistance training (RT), and resistance training and milk consumption (RTM). Eight weeks of RT was performed in three sets of 12 maximum repetitions three days per week. The RTM group consumed 500 milliliters of low-fat milk after the exercise. Fasting blood glucose, insulin, HbA1c, irisin, weight, waist-to-hip ratio, muscle strength, and limb circumference were measured before and after the intervention. Data analysis was performed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).  Compared to the RT group, the leg strength (mean±95% CI: -49.80±31.53; P<0.001), arm circumference (mean±95% CI: -3.41±1.97; P<0.001), and thigh circumference (mean±95% CI: -5.16±2.98; P<0.001) improved significantly in the RTM group. However, no significant interaction effects were observed for the other variables between the RT and RTM groups.  Despite more improvement in the muscle strength and circumference, the beneficial effects of RT were not augmented by additional post-exercise milk consumption in the male patients with T2D.