SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Clinical Diabetes
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1409474
This article is part of the Research TopicIs Insulin Resistance the Eminence Grise of Aging and Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases?View all 12 articles
Effect of nine different exercise interventions on insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients: a systematic review and mesh meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Sports Department, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Textile and Garment, Changzhou Jiangsu 213164, China, Changzhou, China
- 2School of Physical Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
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Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of nine exercise interventions ( resistance training [BT, ball training [BT], resistance + walking [RT+W alk], resistance + running [RT + Running], resistance + cycling [RT + bicycle], running, and Tai Chi) on insulin sensitivity in patients with diabetes. Methods: A systematic search of five databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, and CNKI) for RCTs investigating the effects of exercise interventions on insulin sensitivity in patients with diabetes was conducted. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Manual version 5.1.0 Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (ROB). Data analysis software was used for the synthesis and analysis. Results: This Meta-analysis comprised 21 randomized controlled trials involving 1140 participants. Cycling significantly reduced the fasting glucose index in individuals with diabetes (SUCRA score=90.7%). Resistance exercise exhibited superior efficacy in enhancing insulin sensitivity compared with alternative interventions in patients with diabetes (SUCRA score=71.8%). Furthermore, the combination of resistance exercise and running resulted in a noteworthy decrease in HOMA-IR levels (SUCRA score=64.2%). Conclusion: Cycling, resistance training, and combined aerobic and resistance exercises have been shown to effectively enhance fasting blood glucose levels, insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity in individuals with diabetes. However, additional studies with longer follow-up periods and more rigorous methodologies are required to further validate these findings.
Keywords: Exercise, Insulin Resistance, Diabetes patients, Network meta-analysis, Systematic review
Received: 30 Mar 2024; Accepted: 06 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yikang, Peng, Chunlin and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Liu Chen, Sports Department, Changzhou Vocational Institute of Textile and Garment, Changzhou Jiangsu 213164, China, Changzhou, China
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