Nitric oxide and blood pressure responses to short-term resistance training in adults with and without type-2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial

Background Type-2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with endothelial dysfunction, increase in sympathetic tone and several cardiovascular disorders, such as systemic arterial hypertension and coronary artery disease. Aims To determine the effects of resistance training (RT) on the responses of nitric oxide (NO) and blood pressure (BP) in individuals with T2D and their controls peers. Methods Randomized controlled trial in which T2D patients and non-diabetic individuals (ND) performed 8 weeks of RT. Participants were 22 women and 12 men (age 62.3 ± 2.5 years) that were randomly allocated into four groups: T2D training ( n = 9), ND training ( n = 10), T2D control ( n = 8), and ND control ( n = 7). NO and BP were measured before and after the whole intervention. Results There were no significant differences in nitrite concentrations between and within groups, with values varying between 1.22 ± 0.15 and 1.45 ± 0.13 Log µM. The T2D and ND experimental groups decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) by 8.1 and 1.4 mmHg, respectively. However, the control groups showed elevation of SBP (3.6 mmHg for T2D and 4.1 mmHg for ND). Although none of these changes were significant ( p > 0.05). In addition, T2D subjects who did not undergo the training increased diastolic blood pressure ( p = 0.030) and mean arterial pressure ( p = 0.054). Conclusions Eight weeks of RT does not increase NO bioavailability, and in turn, does not reduce BP in T2D patients—though it prevented its increase. Trial registration ensaiosclinicos.gov.br (ID: RBR-4d39z9).