HIIT-style training can reduce your risk of diabetes.
HIIT is a style of training that involves alternating between a low-moderate intensity with a high level of intensity. For example, running on treadmill at a low speed for five minutes, then switching it to a fast speed for the next five and so on. HIIT training has become very popular because it has the potential to increase your aerobic and anaerobic fitness, while burning fat at the same time.
New research has found that performing High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is an effective way to reduce your risk of type-2 diabetes, regardless of your level of insulin resistance. Insulin resistance one of the major warning signs for developing type-2 diabetes; it means that your body stops responding to insulin properly.
The study, published in Frontiers in Physiology, took 40 women who were not regular exercisers and at risk for type-2 diabetes and divided them into two groups: high risk and low risk, depending on their level of insulin resistance. Both groups performed HIIT three times per week for 10 weeks.
Not only did the HIIT training help the overall fitness of the participants — the women in both groups lost body fat and got stronger — the researchers also found that the high-risk group in particular got the most benefits in reducing their risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
The researchers concluded that High-Intensity Interval Training is a promising tool to help people take control of their cardiometabolic health, especially for people at a high risk for type-2 diabetes. Even for people at a lower-risk, HIIT can improve your cardiovascular and metabolic health.
The study used cycling as their form of HIIT, but there are many other ways to train HIIT at Hammer’s Gym — any of our cardio machines, free weights, fitness classes, battle ropes and martial arts classes can do the job!
Get in touch today so we can help you on your fitness journey.
Reference:
Alvarez, C. et al. (2017.) ‘Prevalence of Non-responders for Glucose Control Markers after 10 Weeks of High-Intensity Interval Training in Adult Women with Higher and Lower Insulin Resistance.’ Frontiers in Physiology, Vol. 8, Page 479. 06 July 2017.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.00479
