Impact of exercise training on insulin sensitivity, physical fitness, and muscle oxidative capacity in first-degree relatives of type 2 diabetic patients

First-degree relatives of type 2 diabetic patients (offspring) are often characterized by insulin resistance and reduced physical fitness (Vo2 max). We determined the response of healthy first-degree relatives to a standardized 10-wk exercise program compared with an age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched control group. Improvements in Vo2 max (14.1 ± 11.3 and 16.1 ± 14.2%; both P < 0.001) and insulin sensitivity (0.6 ± 1.4 and 1.0 ± 2.1 mg·kg−1·min−1; both P < 0.05) were comparable in offspring and control subjects. However, Vo2 max and insulin sensitivity in offspring were not related at baseline as in the controls (r = 0.009, P = 0.96 vs. r = 0.67, P = 0.002). Likewise, in offspring, exercise-induced changes in Vo2 max did not correlate with changes in insulin sensitivity as opposed to controls (r = 0.06, P = 0.76 vs. r = 0.57, P = 0.01). Skeletal muscle oxidative capacity tended to be lower in offspring at baseline but improved equally in both offspring and controls in response to exercise traini...