Effects Of Exercise Training Alone Vs A Combined Exercise/Diet Intervention On The Sf-36 Health Survey

PURPOSE: Although the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) established diet, exercise and weight loss as the ‘gold standard’ in preventive therapy for diabetes, the contribution of an exercise-only interventions on quality of life is not known. The purpose of this study, part of the Studies Targeting Risk Reduction Interventions through Defined Exercise - Prediabetes (STRRIDE PD), was to compare the effects of different exercise groups vs DPP-like intervention on change in the Physical and Mental Component scores from the SF-36 Health Survey. METHODS: Subjects were healthy 45-75 y, sedentary, overweight/obese, with impaired fasting glucose, randomized as follows: 1) Low Amount/Moderate Intensity (L/M) - equivalent to exercising at 50% of VO2 peak to expend 10 kcal per Kg of body wt per wk; 2) High Amount/Moderate Intensity (H/M) (16 kcal/kg/wk @ 50%); 3) High Amount/Vigorous Intensity (H/V) (16 kcal/kg/wk at 75% of VO2 peak) and 4) Low Amt/Mod Intensity exercise + Diet/weight loss (L/M + D). The SF-36® Health Survey was administered pre and post intervention. This survey measures 8 domains of health, 4 combine to provide a Physical Component score and the other 4 combine for a Mental Component score. RESULTS: The figures below show the effects of each group on change in the Physical and Mental Component scores. The p-values inside each bar indicate significant within group changes. The lines with p-values above and connecting two groups show a significant difference between groups. SUMMARY: All intervention groups experienced highly significant improvements in the Physical Component score. However, only the Low/Mod/Diet group had a significant improvement in the Mental Component score. While these data need to be replicated, the clinical significance of these results suggest that many amounts/intensities of aerobic exercise training can improve self-rated physical function scores, and that exercise plus a weight loss diet improves mental and physical scores.