Fitness (Aerobic) vs. Strength (Anaerobic)Training: Which is more important?

Patients often ask us which type of training is most important in combatting the insulin resistance that has made things so difficult for them. In fact, they are both important and in studies looking at the relationship between exercise and insulin resistance, it is almost a dead heat between the two types of exercise. Both exhibit a very strong relationship to improvements in metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance but only when the exercise is associated with measurable improvements in fitness or strength.

Studies show that both men and women in the highest decile for cardiorespiratory fitness show a risk of metabolic syndrome that is less than half of what is seen in the lowest decile. Likewise, muscle strength (as measured by 1-rep maximum) in the highest quartile is as low as 30 percent compared to those with muscle strength in the lowest quartile.

For this reason, we recommend training with a goal of measurably improving both strength and fitness as a primary approach to combat insulin resistance.