title: High cardiorespiratory fitness is more beneficial in pre-diabetic men than women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate gender-specific relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness and factors that predict the development of diabetes and to identify the risk factors that predict fasting plasma glucose and 2-hour plasma glucose levels.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Different risk factors (e.g., low cardiorespiratory fitness) may cause elevated plasma glucose levels in men compared to women. Therefore, gender-specific analyses are needed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal power output achieved during a standard cycle ergometry test), resting blood pressure, total serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels were measured in 32 pre-diabetic men (mean age: 57.2 ± 6.8 years; mean body mass index (BMI): 28.5 ± 3.0 kg/m²) and 40 pre-diabetic women (mean age: 55.0 ± 7.3 years, mean BMI: 30.4 ± 5.7 kg/m²). A stepwise regression with backward variable selection was performed to construct models that predict 2-hour and fasting plasma glucose levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maximal power output was inversely related to the 2-hour plasma glucose level in the entire group (r= -0.237, p<0.05), but this relationship was significant only for males (r= -0.404, p<0.05). No significant correlation was found between female gender and cardiorespiratory fitness. Age and cardiorespiratory fitness were significant predictors of 2-hour plasma glucose levels in men. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol was predictive of 2-hour plasma glucose levels in women. Triglycerides in women and BMI in men were the only predictors of fasting plasma glucose levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings may have consequences for the development of gender-specific diabetes prevention programs. Whereas increasing cardiorespiratory fitness should be a key goal for men, improving the lipid profile seems to be more beneficial for women. However, the present results do not negate the positive effects of increasing cardiorespiratory fitness in women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport Science, Medical Section, University of Innsbruck, Austria. hannes.gatterer@uibk.ac.at
authors.forename: Hannes
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gatterer
authors.forename: Hanno
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ulmer
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dzien
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Somavilla
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burtscher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005080:Exercise Test; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol