Acute exercise and free-living glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A comparison of the acute impact of high-intensity interval training (HIT), reduced-exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT), and moderate-intensity continuous aerobic exercise (MICE), on free-living glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes.
IRAS ID
202772
Contact name
Richard S Metcalfe
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Ulster University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 31 days
Research summary
Exercise is considered one of the three cornerstones of type 2 diabetes (T2D) care programmes (together with diet and medication), yet the majority of individuals with T2D do not achieve the minimum recommended levels of physical activity. Two of the key barriers to exercise appear to be a ‘lack of time’ and the high levels of perceived exertion and fatigue. At Ulster University, we have recently demonstrated that a modified high-intensity interval training (HIT) intervention, consisting of 10-min of low-intensity cycling interspersed with two 20-s ‘all-out’ sprints (reduced-exertion HIT; REHIT), was effective at improving insulin function in sedentary men over six weeks. Importantly, these benefits were observed despite the very low time commitment (just 10-min per session) and relatively low ratings of perceived exertion (‘somewhat hard’). As REHIT is associated with substantial muscle glycogen breakdown, we hypothesise that this exercise mode may also acutely improve glycaemic control in patients with T2D. This will be tested in the current study.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
16/NI/0115
Date of REC Opinion
14 Jul 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion