BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: physical activity is one of the main pillars of diabetes treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of resistance training on blood glucose, blood pressure and resting heart rate in men with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS: This semi- experimental study was conducted on 20 men with type 2 diabetes and the mean ageof 46 ± 3.4 years, whomet the inclusion criteria. The participants were randomly dividedinto the resistance training group (N=10) and control group (N=10). Resistance exercise training program was performed for 8 weeks and 3 sessions per week. Cardiovascular and biochemical parameters were measured before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using T-Tests and the significant level was considered P≤0.05.

FINDINGS: After the 8 weeks, a significant decrease was observed in fasting blood sugar (P=0.002), glycosylated hemoglobin (P= 0.025) and systolic blood pressure (P= 0.022) of the resistance group. Also, there was a significant difference between 2 groups in terms of blood sugar (P=0.003) and glycosylated hemoglobin (P= 0.031).

CONCLUSION: The results showed that the resistance training is an effective way to control blood glucose and blood pressure in men with type 2 diabetes.