The Effects of Continuous and High Intensity Interval Trainings on Plasma Betatrophin Level in Diabetic Rats Treated with Metformin

The study aimed to determine the effect of eight weeks high intensity interval (HIIT) and sub-maximal continuous trainings on plasma betatrophin level in diabetic rats treated with metformin.

In this experimental study, 42 diabetic wistar rats were divided into six groups (n=7): diabetic control (C), diabetic control + metformin consumption(C+M), diabetic HIIT, diabetic HIIT + metformin (HIIT+M), diabetic sub-maximal continuous training (SMCT), and diabetic sub-maximal continuous training + metformin (SMCT+M). Metformin was given 150 mg/kg/day by gavage every day, 48 hours after the end of the last training session, the rats were sacrificed. Then blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were measured. One-way ANOVA test was used for statistical analysis of data.

The level of plasma betatrophin was significantly different in the HIIT (P-value= 0.01) and C+M (P-value= 0.001) groups compared to C group. Blood glucose was significantly decreased in all training groups with or without betatrophin compared with the diabetic control group (P-value= 0.001). However, there were no significant changes between glucose levels in HIIT, HIIT+M, SMCT, and SMCT+M groups but SMCT showed most reduction in blood glucose.

Treatment with metformin did not change blood glucose but two types of exercise training with high and moderate intensity reduced blood glucose thus exercise can be a good alternative modality rather than taking medicine.