Although type 2 diabetics may suffer from a loss of heart function due to elevated blood sugar levels, new research suggests that high-intensity exercise may help.
Diabetes, HIIT and Heart Disease
Researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand theorized that although some type 2 diabetics with impaired heart function may not being able to train hard enough to get the benefits of high-intensity exercise, others might.
The recruited 11 middle-aged adults who were all type 2 diabetics and had them do 25 minutes of exercise that included 10 minutes of high-intensity exercise. For three months, the research team looked at heart function for the diabetics without changing their diet or medication.
They found that not only was the high-intensity exercise program safe for the diabetics, but it also had an 80% adherence rate.
Because the study was small, it will need to be reproduced with a larger group of volunteers to ensure this wasn’t a fluke.
Why the findings are vital
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in type 2 diabetics, so finding a safe, effective exercise program that participants will stick with is important.
“There are two important clinical implications of this work,” explains senior research fellow Dr. Chris Baldi. “The first, that adults with type 2 diabetes will adhere to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and are capable of comparable increases in aerobic capacity and left ventricular exercise response as those reported in non-diabetic adults. Secondly, high-intensity exercise is capable of reversing some of the changes in heart function that seem to precede diabetic heart disease.”
Type 2 diabetes in the United States
Of the 30 million people in the United States who have diabetes, approximately 90 to 95% have type 2 diabetes. With this form, the body’s cells become resistant to the effects of insulin, causing the body’s blood sugar levels to rise.
In addition to heart function issues, elevated blood sugar levels can cause vision loss and issues with the kidneys.
