Cardiovascular Response Of Diabetic And Non-Diabetic Nigerian Subjects To a Single Bout Of Bicycle Ergometry

Abstract

This study assessed the cardiovascular responses of diabetic and non-diabetic subjects to a single bout of bicycle ergometry. Ten male volunteer diabetics and ten male non-diabetic healthy subjects constituted the study and control groups respectively. The subjects exercised for ten minutes on a bicycle ergometer. Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured pre-and post-exercise. Descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation, and inferential statistics of t-test were calculated. The results of this study showed no significant difference in the age, weight and pre-exercise heart rate of the 2 groups (p > 0.05). Resting systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher for the diabetics than non-diabetic subjects (P<0.05). Resting systolic and diastolic subjects (P<0.05). The 10-minute post exercise heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures for the diabetics were significantly higher for non-diabetics (P<0.05). Significantly higher pre- and post exercise measured parameters were observed for the diabetics than the non-diabetics.



It was concluded that the diabetic patients had lower exercise tolerance and were less well conditioned than their age-matched normal subjects. While exercise therapy has been advocated as part of treatment modalities for the diabetics because of positive roles of exercise in glucose tolerance, the diabetics should be exercised with caution and close monitoring of their cardiovascular system should be ensured.

Nigerian Quarterly Journal of Hospital Medicine Vol. 9, No. 1 (1999) pp. 24-27