Effect of Eight Weeks of High-Intensity Interval Training on miR-204, Serum Glucose and Lipid Profile in Men with Prediabetes

Prediabetes is an important risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The current study aims to investigate the changes in miR-204 and serum glucose following eight weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in the men with prediabetes.

In this quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test design, 24 middle-aged men (aged 40-50 years) with prediabetes (Fasting blood sugar= 110-125 mg/dL) were randomly assigned to the training and control groups. The training group performed the HIIT (High Knee, Butterfly, Burpee, Kettlebell Snatch, and Scott Goblet) with an intensity of 80-90% of heart rate for eight weeks (three sessions in the first four weeks and four sessions in the second four weeks). The blood samples were taken from the subjects 48 hours before and after the last training session to analyze the level of miR-204, lipid profile, and the serum glucose level. Data were analyzed by using paired t-test and ANCOVA in SPSS v.25 software, considering a significance level of P˂0.05.

The eight weeks of HIIT significantly reduced the serum levels of miR-204 (P=0.001), Triglyceride (P˂0.001), Cholesterol (P˂0.001), low-density lipoprotein (P˂0.001), and glucose (P=0.031) compared to the control group. Furthermore, after HIIT, a significant increase in the serum high-density lipoprotein level was observed (P˂0.001).

It seems that miR-204 is an appropriate indicator for regulating the blood glucose level in both diabetic and pre-diabetic men. Furthermore, HIIT can reduce the lipid profile by altering the expression of miR-204 and, subsequently, reducing the glucose level.