Similar level of impairment in exercise performance and oxygen uptake kinetics in middle-aged men and women with type 2 diabetes

The present study tested the hypothesis that the magnitude of the type 2 diabetes-induced impairments in peak oxygen uptake (Vo2) and Vo2 kinetics would be greater in females than males in middle-aged participants. Thirty-two individuals with type 2 diabetes (16 male, 16 female), and 32 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy individuals (16 male, 16 female) were recruited. Initially, the ventilatory threshold (VT) and peak Vo2 were determined. On a separate day, subjects completed four 6-min bouts of constant-load cycling at 80% VT for the determination of Vo2 kinetics using standard procedures. Cardiac output (CO) (inert gas rebreathing) was recorded at rest, 30, and 240 s during two additional bouts. PeakVo2 (ml"¢kg-1"¢min-1) was significantly reduced in men and women with type 2 diabetes compared with their respective nondiabetic counterparts (men, 27.8 ± 4.4 vs. 31.1 ± 6.2 ml"¢kg-1"¢min-1; women, 19.4 ± 4.1 vs. 21.4 ± 2.9 ml"¢kg-1"¢min-1). The time constant (s) of phase 2 (Ï„2) and mean response time (s) of the Vo2 response (MRT) were slowed in women with type 2 diabetes compared with healthy women (Ï„2, 43.3 ± 9.8 vs. 33.6 ± 10.0 s; MRT, 51.7 ± 9.4 vs. 43.5 ± 11.4s) and in men with type 2 diabetes compared with nondiabetic men (Ï„2, 43.8 ± 12.0 vs. 35.3 ± 9.5 s; MRT, 57.6 ± 8.3 vs. 47.3 ± 9.3 s). The magnitude of these impairments was not different between males and females. The steady-state CO responses or the dynamic responses of CO were not affected by type 2 diabetes among men or women. The results suggest that the type 2 diabetes-induced impairments in peak Vo2 and Vo2 kinetics are not affected by sex in middle aged participants.