Effect of Eight Weeks Aerobic Training and Supplementation of Green Tea on Apelin Plasma Levels and Insulin Resistance in Elderly Women with Type 2 Diabetes

Aging is an important phenomenon. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of eight weeks of aerobic training and supplementation of green tea on plasma apelin levels and insulin resistance in elderly women with type 2 diabetes. In this quasi experimental research with pre–post-test design, 44 subjects were randomly selected from elderly women in Babol Diabetes Association, Iran. They were divided into 4 groups (n= 11 per group): exercise+supplement, exercise+placebo, supplement, and control. The exercise groups were trained for 8 weeks, 3 times per week, every session 60-minutes Nordic walking at 50 to 75% maximum heart rate. Supplement groups used green tea tablets and the placebo group used wheat flour capsules three times a day in a double-blind manner. Blood samples were collected from all subjects in fasting conditions, 48 hours before and after the exercises. The ELISA method was used to measure the biochemical variables. Univariate and multivariate analysis of variance were used for data analysis. Univariate analysis of variance showed a statistically significant effect of the group on glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance (P<0.001) and a non-significant effect on apelin (P= 0.333). Also, based on the effect size, the exercise+supplement showed greater effects on insulin (η=0.39, P<0.001), insulin resistance (η=0.38, P=0.001), and glucose level (η=0.36, P<0.001). According to current findings, the Nordic walking and supplementation of green tea improved insulin resistance and glucose level in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. So, it could be of great benefit in maintaining physical fitness of the elderly.