Type 2 Diabetes, Iron, Exercise Therapy, Glycemic Control

Background and aims: Previous research has shown that one of the factors associated with type II diabetes and insulin resistance is impaired iron metabolism; also, one of the elemental keys in type II diabetes is regular exercise. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of moderate intensity body pump training on iron-related indices in women with type II diabetes. Methods: In the present quasi-experimental study, 20 women with type II diabetes were randomly selected and divided into two groups of training and control. Exercises were performed for 12 weeks, three training sessions per week and each training session included 40-80 minutes of body Pump training with an intensity of 55-60% of heart rate reserve. Fasting blood sampling was performed 48 hours before and after the intervention period. For statistical analysis, dependent and independent t-tests were used at a significance level of p≤0.05. Results: The results showed that body pump training significantly reduced glycosylated hemoglobin (p=0.014), insulin resistance (p<0.001), red blood cell count (p=0.020), and serum iron (p=0.017) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Body pump exercises may control blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes by modulating iron stores.