PMID 39633643

Research
All papers

Health-related fitness benefits following concurrent high-intensity interval training and resistance training in patients with type-1 diabetes or type-2 diabetes

Scoubeau C, Klass M, Celie B, Godefroid C, Cnop M, Faoro V

Question

Do adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes achieve similar health-related fitness benefits from concurrent HIIT and resistance training as matched healthy controls?

Summary

Adults with uncomplicated type 1 or type 2 diabetes and matched healthy controls completed 12 weeks of combined cycling HIIT and resistance training. VO2peak improved in both diabetes groups. Type 1 diabetes participants improved similarly to controls, while type 2 diabetes participants had smaller VO2peak and O2-pulse gains but improved insulin resistance, body composition, visceral fat, and ventilatory efficiency.

Methodology

  • Sedentary adults with uncomplicated T1D or T2D under stable medication and glycemic control, plus sex- and age-matched healthy controls.
  • 50 participants.
  • Stationary cycling plus machine resistance exercises.
  • Work intervals: 2 min.
  • Recovery: 2 min active recovery at HR corresponding to VT1.
  • Intensity: Cycling work at 90% HRmax from CPET; resistance at 10RM.
  • HIIT block plus resistance exercises; tracker table suggests roughly 40-50 min sessions.
  • 3 sessions/week on nonconsecutive days.
  • 12 weeks.
  • Case-control pre/post intervention with matched healthy control groups
  • VO2peak, Cardiorespiratory fitness markers, and Metabolic and body composition markers were tracked.

Outcomes

T1D VO2peak

T1D participants improved VO2peak similarly to matched healthy controls.

VO2peak/BW 27.2 +/- 8.3 to 29.7 +/- 8.1 mL/kg/min in T1D; HC1 30.1 +/- 6.8 to 32.7 +/- 7.1; interaction p=0.81; text +11% vs +9%

Improved

T2D VO2peak

T2D participants improved VO2peak, but less than matched healthy controls.

VO2peak/BW 25.4 +/- 6.8 to 27.7 +/- 7.2 in T2D; HC2 26.8 +/- 5.1 to 31.6 +/- 5.7; interaction p=0.03; text +9% vs +18%

Improved

Insulin resistance

HOMA-IR improved in T2D while glycemic and lipid profiles overall were largely unaffected.

T2D HOMA-IR 3.48 +/- 1.66 to 3.06 +/- 1.78, p<0.05; HbA1c 7.0 +/- 1.0 to 6.8 +/- 0.9 with no significant training effect

Improved

Body composition

T2D participants reduced fat mass and VAT and increased lean mass; T1D and HC1 did not change body composition.

Text reports significant within-T2D changes, with no significant intergroup effect

Improved

Safety

No adverse events occurred except two minor osteoarticular pain withdrawals.

Two participants withdrew due to minor osteoarticular pain; no other training-related adverse events

Mixed

Insights

  • Concurrent HIIT and resistance training can be feasible and beneficial for uncomplicated diabetes when paired with education, monitoring, and progressive supervision.
  • Type 2 diabetes participants may show blunted VO2peak adaptation despite metabolic and body-composition benefits.
  • Remote tracker verification plus periodic supervision is a practical adherence model.

Limitations

  • Not randomized; case-control design.
  • High dropout before final matched analysis.
  • Patients were uncomplicated and well controlled, limiting generalization to more severe diabetes.
  • Diet was not monitored despite instructions to maintain habits.
  • Tracker data were missing for some participants due to technical issues.

Safety

  • Two participants withdrew due to minor osteoarticular pain.
  • No other training-related adverse events were observed.
  • Participants with diabetes received hypoglycemia-prevention and insulin-adjustment information.