Summary: In a pilot crossover study in type 2 diabetes, single-joint and multi-joint resistance exercise sessions both lowered glucose acutely, but neither was superior to a no-exercise control session, with only minimal blood-pressure change.
PICO Summary
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Population | 15 adults with type 2 diabetes (11 women); pilot randomised crossover, Brazil. |
| Intervention | Single-joint (SIN) or multi-joint (MULTI) resistance session: five exercises, three sets of 10–12 RM. |
| Comparison | Non-exercise control session (CON); outcomes pre, immediately, 15 and 30 min after. |
| Outcome | Both sessions reduced glucose immediately (MULTI -17, SIN -29 mg/dL), sustained to 30 min. The control session also fell (-18 mg/dL immediately, -29 at 15 min), so neither exercise was superior to control. Systolic pressure rose transiently after exercise then returned to baseline; overall blood-pressure changes were minimal. |
Single- vs multi-joint resistance exercise in type 2 diabetes
Pilot RCT crossover · type 2 diabetes · single session
Single- and multi-joint resistance sessions both lowered glucose acutely, but neither beat a no-exercise control. The acute drop should not be over-attributed to the exercise itself.
Expert Commentary
This is a small but honest pilot whose most important result is the one easily glossed over: although both resistance protocols lowered glucose, so did simply sitting through the control session, so neither exercise demonstrated superiority over control in this acute setting. That null comparison matters, because it is tempting to attribute the post-session glucose fall to the exercise when much of it may reflect the natural postprandial trajectory or the timing of measurement. The practical question the study poses, whether choosing compact single-joint or larger multi-joint movements changes the acute glycaemic response, was answered with a shrug: the two were broadly similar. I would not over-read any of this. With only 15 participants and a single-session design, the trial is underpowered, measures immediate rather than sustained or chronic effects, and cannot speak to what regular resistance training does over weeks, where the evidence for benefit is actually strong. Can I use this with my patients? Indirectly. It is a useful caution against promising a specific acute glucose drop from a single gym session, while in no way undermining the well-established advice that consistent resistance training improves glycaemic control over time, which remains my recommendation.
References
Delevatti RS, da Silva FD, Braga FL, Pfeifer LO, Sirydakis MEM. Acute glycemic and hemodynamic responses to single- and multi-joint resistance exercises in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a pilot randomized crossover study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025;22(8):1288. doi:10.3390/ijerph22081288