A research team revealed how aerobic and anaerobic exercise can reduce the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
The study, conducted by Professor Lee Ji Won from the Family Medicine Department at Severance Hospital, Professor Song Yu Hyun from the Health Checkup Center at Gangnam Severance Hospital, Dr. Lee Ye Ji from the Department of Biomedical Systems Information at Yonsei University College of Medicine, and Deputy Director Kim Min Hyo from the Internal Medicine Department, revealed that anaerobic exercise is more effective than aerobic exercise in lowering the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
The study categorized 13,971 adults and 1,222 adolescents from the National Health and Nutrition Survey into four groups: those who engaged in both types of exercise, those who only did anaerobic exercise, those who only did aerobic exercise, and those who did neither.
The research team examined the impact of both exercise types on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in adults aged 19 and older and on metabolic diseases in adolescents aged 12 to 18. The results showed that the anaerobic exercise group had a significantly lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome (31%), hypertension (27% lower), diabetes (19% lower), and dyslipidemia (20% lower) compared to those who engaged in aerobic exercise.
Similar findings were observed in the adolescent group. Those who participated only in anaerobic exercise had lower cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared to the group that only did aerobic exercise, with reductions of 10.2 mg/dL and 8.5 mg/dL, respectively. Lee Ji Won noted, “Both adults and adolescents in the anaerobic exercise group had a lower risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases than the aerobic exercise group. While aerobic exercise has traditionally been emphasized, this study highlights the metabolic benefits of anaerobic exercise. Since the group that combined both types of exercise showed the best outcomes, it’s crucial to maintain a balanced approach to both forms of exercise.”
Among adults, the risk of developing metabolic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension decreased in the following order: those who engaged in both types of exercise, those who did anaerobic exercise alone, those who did aerobic exercise alone, and those who did not exercise at all.
The anaerobic exercise group showed better results in several key health metrics compared to the aerobic exercise group. Specifically, the anaerobic exercise group had a lower body mass index, smaller waist circumference, lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol levels, and lower insulin resistance.
Quantitatively, the anaerobic exercise group had a waist circumference that was 2.1 cm smaller, blood pressure that was 1.7 mmHg lower, cholesterol that was 3.0 mg/dL lower, blood sugar that was 2.51 mg/dL lower, and insulin levels that were 0.41 IU/L lower compared to the aerobic exercise group.
