The effect of low-volume high-intensity interval training on cardiovascular health outcomes in type 2 diabetes: A randomised controlled trial

Kimberley L Way; Angelo Sabag; Rachelle N Sultana; Michael K Baker; Shelley E Keating; Sean Lanting; James Gerofi; Vivienne H Chuter; Ian D Caterson; Stephen M Twigg; Nathan A Johnson

doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2020.06.019

The effect of low-volume high-intensity interval training on cardiovascular health outcomes in type 2 diabetes: A randomised controlled trial

Int J Cardiol. 2020 Dec 1:320:148-154. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2020.06.019. Epub 2020 Jun 26.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine and Health, Discipline of Exercise and Sports Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; The Boden Collaboration for Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; The Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: kim.way@deakin.edu.au.
² Faculty of Medicine and Health, Discipline of Exercise and Sports Science, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; The Boden Collaboration for Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; The Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
³ School of Exercise Science, Australian Catholic University, Strathfield, NSW, Australia.
⁴ Centre for Research on Exercise, Physical Activity and Health, School of Human Movement, and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
⁵ School of Health Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW, Australia.
⁶ The Boden Collaboration for Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; The Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
⁷ The Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia; Central Clinical School, School of Medicine, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.

PMID: 32598997
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2020.06.019

Abstract

Background: Low-volume high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be a time-efficient strategy that leads to similar or superior improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors when compared with moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT). Our study investigated the effect of low-volume HIIT or MICT versus sham placebo-control (PLA) on central arterial stiffness, hemodynamic responses, and CVD risk factors in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: Eligible participants were previously inactive adults with obesity and T2D. Individuals were randomly allocated to: i) HIIT (1 × 4 min cycling at 90% peak oxygen consumption [V̇O_2peak]); ii) MICT (45 min of cycling at 60% VO_2peak); or PLA. Training groups exercised thrice weekly for 12 weeks. Central arterial stiffness, hemodynamics and CVD risk factors were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to examine changes following HIIT, MICT and PLA.

Results: Thirty-five participants (age: 55.1 ± 1.4 years, BMI: 36.1 ± 0.8 kg/m²) completed the study. A significant intervention effect was found for changes in pulse wave velocity (PWV) (p = .03), which reduced with HIIT (-0.3 ± 0.9 m/s) and MICT (-0.1 ± 1.1 m/s) but increased with PLA (0.8 ± 1.6 m/s). There was a significant intervention effect for changes in V̇O_2peak (p < .01), glycosylated hemoglobin (p = .03), systolic blood pressure (p < .01), and waist circumference (p = .03), which all improved following MICT or HIIT but not PLA; there was no difference between MICT and HIIT.

Conclusions: Twelve minutes of low-volume HIIT per week leads to improvements in central arterial stiffness and cardiovascular health in inactive individuals with obesity and T2D.

Keywords: Arterial stiffness; Cardiovascular health; High-intensity interval training; Type 2 diabetes.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Adult
Cardiorespiratory Fitness*
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / diagnosis
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / epidemiology
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / therapy
High-Intensity Interval Training*
Humans
Middle Aged
Outcome Assessment, Health Care
Pulse Wave Analysis