# The Effect of Traditional Aerobic Exercise and Sprint Interval Training on Insulin Resistance in Men With Prediabetes: A Randomised Controlled Trial

PMID: 35141057
Journal: Cureus
Published: 2021-12-29
Authors: Badaam KM, Zingade US

## Question

Does 3 months of field-based sprint interval training improve insulin resistance in men with prediabetes similarly to traditional brisk-walking aerobic exercise?

## Summary

In 160 men with prediabetes randomized to 3 months of brisk walking or sprint interval training, both exercise programs significantly reduced HOMA-IR and improved HbA1c, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, BMI, and waist-hip ratio. SIT required much less weekly exercise time and was not statistically superior to traditional aerobic exercise for HOMA-IR. One SIT participant withdrew after knee pain and one aerobic exercise participant withdrew after a sprain; no other adverse events were reported.

## Population

- 160 asymptomatic men aged 25-40 with prediabetes randomized 1:1 to aerobic exercise or SIT; 146 completed post-intervention testing.
- Sample size: 160
- Age: AE 30.7 +/- 3.3 years; SIT 31.0 +/- 3.4 years
- Sex: Men only
- Fitness level: Not already doing regular exercise or sports
- Health status: Prediabetes by ADA fasting or 2-hour glucose criteria; normal baseline ECG; excluded known major disease, pharmacotherapy for prediabetes, smoking, BP >160/100, and exercise contraindications

## Methodology

- Parallel-group randomized controlled trial
- 3 months
- Field-based real-life exercise intervention at/around a government medical institute in Maharashtra, India
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Sprint interval training.
- Modality: All-out running.
- Work intervals: 1 min all-out run effort.
- Recovery: 1.5 min recovery rest.
- Sets or repetitions: 4 cycles per session.
- Intensity: All-out effort.
- Session duration: 10 min main session plus 5-min warm-up and post-session stretching.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week.
- Program length: 3 months.
- Progression: No progression reported.
- Traditional aerobic exercise.
- Modality: Brisk walking.
- Work intervals: 30 min continuous brisk walking.
- Sets or repetitions: One continuous bout.
- Intensity: Moderate intensity.
- Session duration: 30 min/day.
- Frequency: 5 days/week.
- Program length: 3 months.
- Progression: No progression reported.

## Outcomes

### HOMA-IR per-protocol
Status: improved
Both AE and SIT significantly reduced HOMA-IR.

AE 3.6 +/- 1.1 to 3.0 +/- 1.2, p<0.0001; SIT 3.3 +/- 1.2 to 2.5 +/- 1.0, p<0.0001

### Between-group HOMA-IR change
Status: no clear change
The HOMA-IR change did not differ significantly between SIT and AE.

Per-protocol change AE -0.6 +/- 1.1 vs SIT -0.8 +/- 1.6, between-group p=0.445; ITT p=0.403

### Secondary metabolic and anthropometric outcomes
Status: improved
HbA1c, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, BMI, and waist-hip ratio improved in both groups.

Within-group p values generally <0.0001 except SIT insulin p=0.001; between-group differences were not significant except WHR p=0.001 with approximately 1% mean difference

### Safety
Status: mixed
One participant in each group withdrew after a musculoskeletal event; no other adverse events were reported.

SIT: one knee pain withdrawal; AE: one sprain withdrawal

## Practical Insights

- Short all-out SIT may be a time-efficient alternative to 150 min/week brisk walking for screened men with prediabetes.
- Because all-out running is joint-stressful and intensity was subjective, low-impact or monitored alternatives may be safer for app translation.
- Benefits were similar, not superior, to traditional aerobic exercise for HOMA-IR.

## Limitations

- Men only.
- No non-exercise control group.
- Dietary and other lifestyle factors were not recorded.
- All-out effort was subjective and not objectively verified.
- Only fasting-status insulin sensitivity was assessed.
- Single-region/single-center context and 3-month duration.

## Safety And Adherence

- One SIT participant could not complete because of knee pain that subsided over a week but did not return. One AE participant withdrew after a sprain. No other adverse events were reported.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35141057/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.20789) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8802663/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

Preserve the paper-level scope of this note. Do not generalize beyond the population, protocol, measured outcomes, and limitations above.