PMID 41718176

Research
All papers

Effect of HIIT Training Modality in People with Pre-Diabetes

Tene T, Zambrano-Villacres R, Puruncajas-Rodríguez CI, Tettamanti Miranda D, Tello-Moreno MC, Campos-Moposita AP, Caiza Lema SJ, Montalvan M, Tene-Fernandez R

Question

In adults with prediabetes, how do HIIT plus hypocaloric diet, HIIT alone, and hypocaloric diet alone compare for metabolic risk and fitness outcomes?

Summary

In adults with prediabetes, a 13-week program combining HIIT with a hypocaloric diet produced the largest improvements in fasting glucose, VO2max, systolic blood pressure, BMI, and diabetes-risk score compared with HIIT-only or diet-only groups. The HIIT protocol details were less precise than ideal, the sample was clinical and convenience-based, and the diet co-intervention makes it hard to isolate the independent HIIT effect.

Methodology

  • Adults with prediabetes.
  • 68 participants.
  • Mixed running, cycling, and bodyweight exercise.
  • Work intervals: 30-120 s high-intensity bouts; practical section also describes 1-4 min work intervals.
  • Recovery: Recovery near 50% HRmax; practical section describes 1-2 min at 50-60% HRmax.
  • Intensity: 80-95% HRmax work using Karvonen equation and chest-strap HR.
  • About 30 min.
  • 2-3 sessions/week in practical guidance.
  • 12 structured weeks after adaptation week.
  • Controlled longitudinal single-blind three-arm parallel intervention.
  • Fasting glucose, VO2max, Blood pressure, and Diabetes risk were tracked.

Outcomes

Fasting glucose

Combined HIIT plus diet had the largest glucose reduction.

Group A 111.94 to 91.28 mg/dL; post-test group difference p < .001.

Improved

VO2max

VO2max improved most in combined HIIT plus diet.

Group A 21.27 to 24.02; post-test group difference p < .001.

Improved

Blood pressure and diabetes risk

Systolic blood pressure and diabetes-risk score improved, favoring the combined intervention.

Systolic BP p < .001; diabetes risk p = .038.

Improved

Body weight and waist

Between-group differences were not significant for body weight or waist circumference.

Body weight p = .271; waist p = .174.

No clear change

Insights

  • Combined diet and supervised HIIT may be effective for prediabetes risk improvement.
  • Do not isolate the combined-program effect as a pure HIIT effect.
  • Use HR/RPE targets and professional oversight for clinical users.

Limitations

  • Clinical prediabetes population.
  • Convenience single-center sample.
  • Short duration with no maintenance follow-up.
  • Diet co-intervention confounds exercise-specific effects.
  • Protocol details are imprecise and mixed-modality.
  • No detailed adverse-event reporting.

Safety

  • No concrete adverse-event details were reported.
  • Professional supervision, HR monitoring, and RPE monitoring were used.