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

PMID: 39633643
Journal: Frontiers in physiology
Published: 2024
Authors: 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.

## Population

- Sedentary adults with uncomplicated T1D or T2D under stable medication and glycemic control, plus sex- and age-matched healthy controls.
- Sample size: 50
- Age: T1D 43 +/- 13, HC1 43 +/- 13, T2D 53 +/- 8, HC2 54 +/- 11 years
- Sex: T1D/HC1 each 7 female and 3 male; T2D/HC2 each 4 female and 11 male
- Fitness level: Sedentary; excluded >2 h/week structured moderate-to-high intensity activity
- Health status: Uncomplicated T1D or T2D, stable medication and glycemic control; severe complications excluded

## Methodology

- Case-control pre/post intervention with matched healthy control groups
- 12 weeks
- Fitness centers with initial supervision, periodic supervision, phone follow-up, and physical activity tracker monitoring
- Controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Concurrent HIIT plus resistance training.
- Modality: Stationary cycling plus machine resistance exercises.
- Work intervals: 2 min.
- Recovery: 2 min active recovery at HR corresponding to VT1.
- Sets or repetitions: 8 cycling bouts plus 4 resistance exercises, 3 x 10RM each.
- Intensity: Cycling work at 90% HRmax from CPET; resistance at 10RM.
- Session duration: HIIT block plus resistance exercises; tracker table suggests roughly 40-50 min sessions.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week on nonconsecutive days.
- Program length: 12 weeks.
- Progression: Resistance loads monitored every 2 weeks; HIIT target tied to HRmax.
- Matched healthy controls performing same training.
- Modality: Same cycling HIIT plus resistance training.
- Work intervals: 2 min.
- Recovery: 2 min active recovery at VT1 HR.
- Sets or repetitions: Same protocol.
- Intensity: Same relative HRmax and 10RM targets.
- Session duration: Same protocol.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week.
- Program length: 12 weeks.
- Progression: Same load monitoring.

## Outcomes

### T1D VO2peak
Status: improved
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%

### T2D VO2peak
Status: improved
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%

### Insulin resistance
Status: improved
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

### Body composition
Status: improved
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

### Safety
Status: mixed
No adverse events occurred except two minor osteoarticular pain withdrawals.

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

## Practical 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 And Adherence

- 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.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39633643/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2024.1466148) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11614843/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

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