Diabetic neuropathy is one of the major health complications found in people with diabetes across the globe. The many causes and symptoms of neuropathy have been widely studied, but the best way to improve preexisting neuropathy or prevent neuropathy from happening has yet to be found. One method of both preventing and improving diabetic neuropathy that has been studied is exercise. Studies have found positive effects of various forms of exercise on different types of patients with diabetes. Studies have attempted to identify the role and potential benefit of exercise in diabetic neuropathy. A study done by Balducci et al examined both type 1 and type 2 patients with no signs or symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. The study found significant improvements in nerve conduction velocity along with a drop in A1C in the exercise group. They also found that in the exercise group 0% developed motor neuropathy and 6.45% developed sensory neuropathy compared to 17% and 29.8% in the control group respectively. However, a proposed study with subjects experiencing some degree of neuropathy may require a smaller sample size. This study did not have a supervised control group meaning that the exercise group received more face to face time with the investigators and they received information from a qualified physical education instructor. The study also did not include any resistance exercise and the subjects that were tested showed no signs or symptoms of DPN. To better delineate the benefit of exercise in type 1 diabetes we propose to conduct a 3-month study comparing the effects of aerobic vs. resistance exercise on neuropathy.
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