At present, the extent to which dietary components can modify endothelial function, monocyte inflammation and glycemic variations is not well defined, although different carbohydrates are known to vary in their abilities to induce plasma glucose and insulin responses. Epidemiologic work suggests that high dietary glycemic load (GL) is associated with increased concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, endothelial dysfunction markers, and increased risk of T2D and coronary heart disease (CHD). We are examining using randomized control trials low vs. high-GL diet to determine if low-GL diets induce improvements in endothelial function or monocyte inflammation. Furthermore, resistance training is an alternate form of exercise from conventional aerobic training. Resistance Training has the potential to improve endothelial function or monocyte phenotype, but there is very little data in this area. We hypothesize that resistance training may augment the beneficial effects of a low-GL diet in improving metabolic health.
