BACKGROUND: People with a family history of type 2 diabetes have lower energy expenditure (EE) and more obesity than those having no such family history. Resistance exercise (RE) may induce excess postexercise energy expenditure (EPEE) and reduce long-term risk for obesity in this susceptible group.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of RE on EPEE for 15 hr after a single exercise bout in healthy, untrained young men having a family history of type 2 diabetes.

DESIGN: Seven untrained men (23 ± 1.2 years, BMI 24 ± 1.1) completed a 48-hr protocol in a whole room calorimeter. The first day served as a control day, with a moderate 40-min RE bout occurring on the second day. Differences in postexercise EE were compared with matched periods from the control day for cumulative 15-min intervals (up to 150 min) and 15 hr after the RE bout was completed.

RESULTS: The most robust difference in EPEE between the experimental and control days was observed in the first 15-min postexercise period (M = 1.4Kcal/min; SD = 0.7; p < .05). No statistically significant differences in EPEE were noted beyond 90-min of continuous measurement.

CONCLUSIONS: Young people with a family history of type 2 diabetes may not show EPEE after a single RE bout when observed for 15 hr after RE and long-term resistance training may be required to promote EPEE.