Objective: This study investigated the effects of aerobic exercise combined with resistance training on serum inflammatory factors and heart rate variability (HRV) in women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: A total of 30 patients with diabetic cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (DCAN) were randomly divided into a control group (n = 15) and an exercise group (n = 15). The control group was treated with routine hypoglycemic drugs, while the exercise group was treated with routine hypoglycemic drugs + resistance training (AE + RT). The levels of fasting plasma glucose (FBG), two-hour plasma glucose (2hPG), serum inflammatory factors C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured before and after the intervention. The HRV was evaluated by 24-h ambulatory electrocardiogram.

Results: After the intervention, the levels of FBG, 2hPG, serum inflammatory factors, IL-6 and TNF-α in the exercise group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < .05) with no significant differences in serum CRP (p > .05). After the intervention, the HRV time domain and frequency domain indexes in the two groups were significantly improved compared with those before the exercise experiment (p < .01) and with no significant difference in (lnlf) (p > .05). The time-domain indexes, i.e., SDNN and RMSSD, as well as the frequency domain index, i.e., (lnhf), were significantly higher in the exercise group than in the control group, whereas lnlf/lnhf were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < .05).

Conclusions: Compared with routine hypoglycemic drug therapy, combining aerobic exercise and resistance training helped to reduce the level of blood glucose and serum inflammatory factors in T2DM patients with DCAN, and improved autonomic nerve function.