Interval-walking training for the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled trial

Formål: To evaluate the feasibility of free-living walking training in type 2 diabetes patients, and to investigate the effects of interval-walking training (IWT) versus continuous-walking training (CWT) upon self reported health, physical fitness, body composition and glycemic control.
Metoder: Subjects with type 2 diabetes were randomized to a control (n = 8), CWT (n = 12), or IWT group (n = 12). Training groups were prescribed five sessions per week (60 min/session) and were controlled with an accelerometer and a heart-rate monitor. CWT performed all training at moderate intensity, whereas IWT alternated 3-min repetitions at low and high intensity. Before and after the 4-month intervention, the following variables were measured: Self-reported health, Physical fitness (VO2max), body composition, and glycemic control (fasting glucose, HbA1c, oral glucose tolerance test, continuous glucose monitoring [CGM]).
Resultater: Training adherence was high (89 + 4%), and training energy expenditure and mean intensity were comparable between training groups. Nine and four of the subjects reported “Improved Health” in the IWT and CWT group, respectively. VO2max increased 16.1 + 3.7% in the IWT group (P<0.05), whereas no changes were observed in the CWT or control group. Body mass and adiposity (fat mass and visceral fat) decreased in the IWT group only (P<0.05). Glycemic control (elevated mean CGM glucose levels and increased fasting insulin) worsened in the control group (P<0.05), whereas mean (P=0.05) and maximum (P<0.05) CGM glucose levels decreased in the IWT group. The CWT group showed no changes in glycemic control.
Konklusion: Free-living walking training is feasible in type 2 diabetes patients. CWT offsets the deterioration in glycemia seen in the control group, and IWT is superior to energy expenditure–matched CWT for improving self-reported health, physical fitness, body composition and glycemic control.