AHA 2015: Exercise in short bursts better for Type 2 diabetes

by Bruce Sylvester: When compared to 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise, short-bursts of high-intensity exercise significantly improve cardiometabolic and fitness measures in persons with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes.

Researchers reported this finding on Nov. 10, 2015 at American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2015.

The investigators enrolled 76 subjects who had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes within the past three months. They randomized the subjects to either an intervention group prescribed 10 minutes of exercise 3 times a day for 5 days a week at 85% of target heart rate or a control group prescribed 30 minutes of exercise for 5 days a week at 65% of target heart rate.

All subjects took routine blood tests and stress tests, and they logged daily their exercise duration and frequency.

The investigators reported that, after three months, the short-burst, high-intensity exercise group achieved an average 0.82 percent decrease in three-month blood sugar patterns compared with 0.25 percent in the control group, a statistically significant difference (p<0.01). And subjects in the burst regimen cohort exercised 27% more than the control subjects (p<0.01).

The investigators noted that it is not clear why shorter bursts of high-intensity exercise would be more efficacious than sustained, lower-intensity exercise.

“The burst exercise regimen significantly improved the cardiometabolic and fitness status of newly diagnosed NIDDM [non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus]. This regimen may represent a simple and effective way to improve diabetes rehabilitation,” the authors concluded.