OBJECTIVE: To test whether swimming training benefits femoral neck strength in young diabetic rats under insulin therapy. METHODS: A total of 60 male Wistar rats (age: 40 days) were divided equally into the following six groups: control sedentary, control exercise, diabetic sedentary, diabetic exercise, diabetic sedentary plus insulin and diabetic exercise plus insulin. Diabetes was induced with a unique intraperitoneal injection (60 mg/kg body weight) of streptozotocin. Seven days after the injection and after 12 hours of fasting, the animals with blood glucose levels ≥300 mg/dL were considered diabetic. Seven days after the induction of diabetes, the animals in the exercise groups were subjected to progressive swimming training (final week: 90 min/day; 5 days/week; 5% load) for eight weeks. The animals in the insulin groups received a daily dose of insulin (2-4 U/day) for the same period. RESULTS: Severe streptozotocin-induced diabetes reduced the structural properties of the femoral neck (trabecular bone volume, trabecular thickness and collagen fiber content). The femoral neck mechanical properties (maximum load and tenacity) were also impaired in the diabetic rats. Insulin therapy partially reversed the damage induced by diabetes on the structural properties of the bone and mitigated the reductions in the mechanical properties of the bone. The combination of therapies further increased the femoral neck trabecular bone volume (∼30%), trabecular thickness (∼24%), collagen type I (∼19%) and type III (∼13%) fiber contents, maximum load (∼25%) and tenacity (∼14%). CONCLUSIONS: Eight weeks of swimming training potentiates the recovery of femoral neck strength in young rats with severe streptozotocin-induced diabetes under insulin therapy.

Foram investigados os efeitos do treinamento aeróbio em natação com baixa intensidade sobre as respostas do lactato e da glicose sanguíneos de ratos durante teste de esforço. Ratos Wistar adultos foram distribuídos aleatoriamente em dois grupos: sedentário (n = 6) e treinado (n = 6). Todos receberam água e ração ad libitum e foram mantidos em ambiente com temperatura de 22 ± 2ºC e ciclo claro/escuro de 12 horas. O grupo treinado foi submetido a um programa de natação contínua sem sobrecarga, 30 min/dia, cinco dias/semana, por seis semanas. Três dias após a última sessão de treino, as concentrações sanguíneas de lactato e glicose foram medidas em três momentos durante dois testes de esforço de 20 minutos (repouso, 10 min e 20 min), sendo um sem carga e outro com carga (5% do peso corporal), separados por dois dias. Observou-se correlação inversa entre lactato e glicose durante o exercício (ρ = - 0,74; P < 0,001). A concentração de lactato elevou-se do repouso para 10 min (P < 0,05) e estabilizou-se entre 10 e 20 min, em ambos os grupos nos dois testes. No teste com carga, o lactato estabilizou-se em níveis mais elevados frente aos níveis sem carga (P < 0,05), nos dois grupos. Os animais treinados exibiram níveis de lactato mais baixos do que os sedentários (P < 0,05) nos dois testes. A glicose sanguínea decaiu do repouso até 20 min nos sedentários, no teste com carga (P < 0,05). Nos treinados, a glicose sanguínea estabilizou-se em ambos os testes (P > 0,05). Conclui-se que o treinamento aeróbio em natação aplicado foi capaz de alterar as respostas do lactato e glicose sanguíneos de ratos durante os testes de esforço.

The effects of low intensity aerobic swimming training on blood lactate and glucose responses in rats were investigated during exertion test. Twelve adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: sedentary (n= 6) and trained (n= 6). All animals received water and food ad libitum and were kept in a room with temperature of 22 ± 2ºC and dark/light cycle of 12 hours. Animals from trained group were submitted to a swimming training protocol of 30 min/day, 5 days/week, for 6 weeks. Sedentary animals did not exercise. Three days after the last training session all animals were submitted to two 20-minute swimming tests with 48 hour-interval, being one unloaded and the other with a load of 5 % of body weight. Blood lactate and glucose were measured at rest, 10 min and 20 min of exercise. Negative correlation between blood lactate and glucose levels was observed during the exertion tests (ρ = - 0.74, P<0.001). Blood lactate concentration increased from rest to 10 min of exercise and stabilized from 10 to 20 min of exercise in both exercised and sedentary animals (P<0.05) during the unloaded exertion test. Blood lactate stabilized at higher levels when compared to those in the unloaded test in both groups (P<0.05) during the loaded exertion test. Trained rats presented lower levels of blood lactate than sedentary animals in both exercise tests (P<0.05). Blood glucose declined from rest to 10 min of exercise in sedentary rats during the loaded test (P<0.05). However, in trained animals blood glucose stabilized in both exercise tests (P>0.05). It was concluded that aerobic swimming training changed blood lactate and glucose response in rats during exertion test.