Football training improves metabolic and cardiovascular health status in 55‐ to 70‐year‐old women and men with prediabetes

Abstract

We examined the effects of 16 weeks of football training and dietary advice on blood glucose control and health status in 55‐ to 70‐year‐old women and men with prediabetes. Fifty participants with prediabetes (age; 61 ± 6 years, BMI; 29.6 ± 4.7; VO2max 22.3 ± 5.7 mL·min−1·kg−1) were randomized into a football and dietary advice group (F+D; n = 27) and a dietary advice group (D; n = 23). F+D performed football training (twice weekly 30‐ to 60‐minutes sessions) and received dietary advice, while D only received dietary advice. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was completed pre and post the 16‐week period. Body composition, blood pressure, and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) were additionally measured. Both groups demonstrated a decrement (P < .05) in fasting blood glucose (−0.4 ± 0.5 mmol·L−1) and lowered blood glucose throughout OGTT. F+D displayed lower values than D (P < .05) after 60 minutes (9.0 ± 2.7 vs 10.6 ± 2.9 mmol·L−1) and 120 minutes (5.7 ± 1.6 vs 7.5 ± 2.4 mmol·L−1). VO2max increased by 14% in F+D, with a higher (P < .05) change score than in D (2%). Mean arterial pressure declined more (P < .05) in F+D than in D (−8 ± 9 vs −4 ± 11 mm Hg). Fat loss was greater (P < .05) in F+D than in D (−3.4 ± 2.8 vs −1.2 ± 2.0 kg), and the increase in lean body mass was also greater (P < .05) in F+D than in D (0.7 ± 1.5 vs −0.3 ± 1.6 kg). In conclusion, football training combined with dietary advice has broad‐spectrum effects on metabolic and cardiovascular health profile with greater overall effects than professional dietary advice per se for 55‐ to 70‐year‐old women and men with prediabetes.

Recreational football is medicine against non‐communicable diseases: A systematic review

“…Additionally, RF was associated (in middle‐age and older people) with decreased cholesterol and triglycerides levels, plasma glucose and IGFBP‐3 levels (contributing to higher insulin sensitivity), decreased ammoniagenesis, and increased lipolytic activity and IGF‐1/IGFBP‐3 ratio, all indicative of attenuated catabolism . More recently, Skoradal et al also demonstrated that a program of 16 weeks of football training and dietary advice has positive effects on metabolic and cardiovascular health profiles, with greater overall effects than professional dietary advice per se for 55‐ to 70‐year‐old women and men with prediabetes.…”

Long-Term Recreational Football Training and Health in Aging

“…12 weeks of recreational football training (3 × 40 min/week), combined with a calorie-restricted diet, improves metabolic and CV fitness both in middle-aged and in older diabetic subjects, compared to diet group [66]. These positive results are evidenced in another randomized controlled study in which middle-aged and older pre-diabetic subjects performed a 16 weeks intervention (Football training twice weekly 30to 60-min/sessions + Dietary advice, F + D) confirming a greater improvement in metabolic and CV health profile in F + D group compared to Dietary advice group (D) [75].…”

Osteogenic impact of football training in 55‐ to 70‐year‐old women and men with prediabetes

“…Moreover, the plasma D-vitamin levels ranged between 55 and 65 nmol/L during the intervention (see Ref. [27]), which is below the recommendations of 75-150 nmol/L for patients with deteriorated bone quality. In addition, several participants displayed levels <50 (~40%) and <75 nmol/L (~75%) (data not shown) during the experimental period.…”

“…Plasma D-vitamin did, however, not differ between groups or pre-and post-measurements. 27 Peak bone mass is attained in both genders in the second decade of life, but a decrease of approximately 1% annually occurs midlife and onwards with an accelerated decrease in women during the first few years after menopause. 29 Thus, the ~2% increase in leg bone mineral density and ~3% increase in bone mineral content in the present study in only 16 weeks underlines that the osteogenic effects were significant.…”