VO2max and Hba1c 3 Months After Participating In High-intensity Aerobic Interval Training Among Persons With Type 2 Diabetes.

PURPOSE: It remains to be established how participating in exercise interventions affect long-term effects on VO2max and HbA1c among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The present study investigated VO2max and HbA1c 3 months after participating in a 12 weeks training intervention consisting of high-intensity aerobic interval training (HAIT) (baseline HbA1c of 7.7%). The results were compared with a moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) group with HbA1c levels below the recommended HbA1c treatment goal of <7.0% (baseline HbA1c of 6.9%). METHODS: HAIT consisted of 4x4 minutes of walking or running uphill at 85 - 95% of maximal heart rate, and MICT consisted of continuous walking at 70-75% of maximal heart rate. After the training intervention, the participants chose themselves how to exercise during the next three months, and all training sessions were registered. RESULTS: 19 individuals in each training group completed 12 weeks of supervised training, while 16 in HAIT and 10 in MICT completed the 6 months follow up. 3 months after intervention. HbA1c in HAIT was reduced by 0.7% points to 7.0% (p<0.01), and was thus close to recommended HbA1c treatment goal of <7.0%. The change in HbA1c was found after the intervention (from 7.7 to 7.1%) and was thus unchanged in the last 3 months (7.0%). VO2max increased by 19% during the intervention (from 24.1 to 28.8 ml-1[BULLET OPERATOR]kg-1[BULLET OPERATOR]min-1, p<0.01) and was also unchanged in the last 3 months after intervention (28.0 ml-1[BULLET OPERATOR]kg-1[BULLET OPERATOR]min-1). No change was found in either VO2max or HbA1c in MICT between the three measurement time points (25.9, 25.4, 26.4 ml-1[BULLET OPERATOR]kg-1[BULLET OPERATOR]min-1 and 6.9, 6.8, 6.9%, respectively). The difference between HAIT and MICT after the 12 week intervention was statistical significant for both HbA1c and VO2max (p0<.01). CONCLUSIONS: HAIT is an effective exercise strategy to improve aerobic fitness and reduce HbA1c in T2D. The results from HAIT were still kept after 6 months.