Background and Objective: Neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) play critical roles in regulating inflammation and metabolism, and insulin resistance is recognized as a key factor in type 2 diabetes. Despite the importance of these factors, how they respond to aerobic training in overweight men with type 2 diabetes remains a scientific challenge. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of aerobic training on serum levels of neuregulin-1, interleukin-6, and insulin resistance in overweight men with type 2 diabetes.



Methodology: The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test–post-test design including a control group. Twenty overweight men with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group (n = 10 per group). The experimental group performed an aerobic training program for 8 weeks, three sessions per week. The aerobic training program began with an intensity of 40–45% of heart rate reserve (HRR) for 15 minutes and gradually progressed to 45 minutes at 65–70% HRR by the end of the eighth week. Serum levels of NRG-1, IL-6, and glycemic indices were measured before and after the training intervention. Blood samples were collected at two time points: one day before the first training session (pre-test) and 48 hours after the final session of the eighth week (post-test), following 10–12 hours of overnight fasting. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for between-group comparisons and paired t-tests for within-group comparisons at a significance level of P < 0.05 using SPSS software version 26.

Findings: The between-group analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that serum NRG-1 levels significantly increased in the experimental group compared to the control group (P= 0.0001). In addition, IL-6 (P=0.0001), glucose (P=0.0001), insulin (P=0.0001), and insulin resistance (P= 0.0001) significantly decreased in the experimental group compared to the control group. Paired t-test results also showed a significant increase in NRG-1 (23.62%; P=0.0001) and significant decreases in IL-6 (−7.84%; P= 0.0001), glucose (−8.74%; P = 0.0001), insulin (−14.99%; P = 0.0001), and insulin resistance (−15.36%; P = 0.0001) in response to training adaptations.

Conclusion: It appears that eight weeks of progressive aerobic training plays an effective role in modulating glycemic and metabolic indices in overweight men with type 2 diabetes through activation of NRG-1-dependent pathways, reduction of systemic inflammation, and improvement of tissue insulin sensitivity. These findings highlight the importance of aerobic training as an effective non-pharmacological intervention in the metabolic management of type 2 diabetes.