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

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 ad- vice 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). VO(2max )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.