HIIT & TYPE 2 DIABETES

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BY Unknown 5:16 AM 0

HIIT & TYPE 2 DIABETES

A recent study found a total of 2 hours of high intensity interval training (HIIT) over 2 weeks improved insulin sensitivity in sedentary overweight men and women.

As we all know, time is short in our modern, fast-paced society. We’re all busy people, running from appointment to appointment, working longer, staying up later, trying to cram in more things into what seem like fewer hours.

And what’s often the first thing to go when we’re rushed? Exercise, of course. But some recent research shows that only 1 hour a week of exercise for 2 weeks is enough to see improvements. As Metafit coaches we know the key is exercise intensity. If you don’t exercise that much, when you do exercise, you’ve got to make it count.

The study focused on older, overweight and diabetic patients. For 2 weeks the volunteers did HIIT on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each HIIT session involved the following:

- 3 minutes of warm up (at 30 watts)
- 10 bike sprints lasting 60 seconds (90% Max hr), alternated with 60s of recovery
- 2 minutes of cool down at 50 watts
Total time per workout session: 25 minutes, with 20 of those spent doing the HIIT protocol.

The study found that participants average blood glucose levels over 24 hours improved after training. This means that after training for only 2 weeks, participants already had better blood glucose control. Better glucose control means better metabolic health for type 2 diabetics. Another bonus for volunteers was that HIIT increased mitochondrial capacity. Mitochondria are the “energy factories” of our cells, so by increasing their number and output we can increase our ability to produce energy effectively. This is particularly important as we get older, as mitochondrial function goes down with age.

This study highlights that everybody can (and probably should) do HIIT, no matter your age or fitness level. The Metafit training protocol is different to the study mentioned above but the theory is the same. In fact, the benefits would be arguably even greater with Metafit (whole body compound movements).

BUT remember, in order to make the magic happen, the high intensity has to be HIGH. Doing Metafit with not enough intensity will not be as effective.
(1) Low-volume high-intensity interval training reduces hyperglycemia and increases muscle mitochondrial capacity in patients with type 2 diabetes. J Appl Physiol. 2011 Dec;111

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