Short, intermittent bouts of high-intensity exercise could improve heart structure and blood sugar control in adults with Type 2 diabetes, new research shows.
People with Type 2 diabetes are about twice as likely as those without it to develop heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death and complications in people with diabetes.
As the disease progresses, it damages the structure and function of the left ventricle of the heart ” the organ’s main pumping chamber. The damage is visible early on in the disease process and starts before patients experience any symptoms of heart disease.
In the journal Diabetologia, researchers Mike Trenell, PhD, and Sophie Castle of Newcastle University in the United Kingdom tested the effects of 2-minute bursts of high-intensity cycling on the heart and diabetes control.
People with diabetes are advised to adopt an active lifestyle and healthy diet to help better control the disease. The benefits of physical activity for diabetes control are well-documented, but researchers don’t yet know what direct effect exercise has on diabetes patients’ hearts. Short periods of intense activity raise the heart rate more than longer periods of less intense exercise.
The exercise particularly benefited the left ventricle, which was shown to become stronger and work more efficiently. There was a significant but modest improvement in diabetes control, as well.
For the study, researchers recruited 23 adults ages 45 to 71 with Type 2 diabetes; 12 were assigned to the exercise group, and 11 received standard treatment. Cardiac structure and function were measured using advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Diabetes control was assessed by a standard oral glucose tolerance test.
In the study, researchers conclude that: “The data reinforce how important a physically active lifestyle is for people with Type 2 diabetes. Our findings also suggest that exercise does not have to be 30 minutes of continuous exercise ““Repeated short bouts of higher intensity exercise give strong benefits to the heart. Getting more physically active is, quite literally, at the heart of good diabetes control.”
People with diabetes need more education on the link between exercise and heart health, researchers said. “This study demonstrates, for the first time, that exercise can begin to reverse some of the early cardiac changes that are commonly found in people with Type 2 diabetes” The strong positive effect of exercise on the heart is, although completely logical, a message that needs to be communicated to people with Type 2 diabetes more clearly,” they wrote.
If you suffer from Type 2 Diabetes, consult your doctor and/or diabetes educator, before making any adjustments to your current diet and exercise plan. If you would like to meet with a diabetes educator to begin forming your own diet and exercise plan, call (859) 655-8910 or visit the St. Elizabeth Physicians Regional Diabetes Center today.
