The Effects of Combined High-Intensity Interval and Resistance Training on Glycemic Control and Oxidative Stress in T2DM

As part of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) lifestyle management, exercise programs must be demonstrably effective and safe. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was used to evaluate the results of glycemic control and oxidative stress of a new T2DM management exercise program in a training facility setting. The study participants were randomly allocated into either an experimental (EXP) group who participated in the new training program or a control (CTR) group who participated in continuous cardiorespiratory exercise. Each participant’s glycemic control (glycated hemoglobin A, HbA1c), fitness level (maximum oxygen uptake, VO2max), and oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, MDA and superoxide dismutase, SOD) were measured before and after the training program. The 12-week training program combined high-intensity interval training (HIIT) three times a week with resistance training (RT) twice a week while gradually increasing the intensity. The HIIT element was comprised of one minute of high-intensity exercise and four minutes of low-intensity exercise. The RT element was comprised of nine exercises for the core, upper extremities, and lower extremities. The 42 T2DM patients who participated in this RCT were 35 - 64 years old. The HbA1c level of the EXP group decreased (∆ = -0.43 ± 1.01%), although not significantly. The VO2max was higher in the EXP group (38.13 ± 5.93 mL/kg/min) than in the CTR group (32.09 ± 5.24 mL/kg/min, P = 0.004). The overall oxidative stress decreased in the EXP group (MDA level ∆ = -0.14 ± 0.39 nm/mL) when compared to the CTR group (MDA level ∆ = 0.18 ± 0.26 nm/mL, P = 0.011), and the SOD level significantly increased more in the EXP group [median ∆ = 0.47 U/mL (interquartile range = 0.08 - 0.74 U/mL)] when compared to the CTR group (∆ = 0.14 ± 0.35 U/mL, P = 0.036). The EXP group’s composite effects score was significantly higher (8.72 ± 1.27) than the CTR group’s score (7.20 ± 1.08, P = 0.001). The combined HIIT and RT exercise program was not significantly improving glycemic control, however it lowered oxidative stress.