Exercise Intensity, Glycemic Control and Abdominal Fat in People With Type 2 Diabetes: A Pilot Study
Condition: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
MeSH terms: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Body fat is an important risk factors for type 2 diabetes. However, not all body fat is the
      same. Research suggests that fat stored in the abdomen is most harmful. This is known as
      intra-abdominal fat. The objective of the proposed study is to understand the effect of
      exercise intensity on intra-abdominal fat and glucose control. Twenty participants with type
      2 diabetes will be assigned to traditional or high intensity exercise. The exercise
      interventions will last a total of 14 weeks. Those in the traditional intensity group will
      exercise at an intensity comparable to walking. The high intensity group will alternate
      between 1 minute at high intensity and 3 minutes at low intensity. Both exercise groups will
      burn a similar amount of Calories and will exercise for the same amount of time. The exercise
      duration will start at 30 minutes per day. By the end of the study, it will be 60 minutes per
      day. All exercise sessions will be supervised. Body fat distribution will be estimated by a
      scanning machine called a DXA and anthropometric measures. Glycemic control will be measured
      from a blood sample. This study may not be of sufficient size to detect meaningful changes in
      these variables. However, it will provide information in regards to the preliminary efficacy,
      resource requirements and feasibility. Feasibility will include: recruitment, retention and
      adherence. Such information is essential for planning a more definitive trial. The
      identification of exercises that target greater reductions in abdominal fat will have
      important implications for the health of people with diabetes.
    


Intervention name(s): Traditional Intensity Exercise; High Intensity Interval Exercise
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The exercise intensity will be set at a workload corresponding to 40% of the workload obtained at VO2peak during the baseline progressive maximal exercise tests. Based on the anticipated fitness of the participants this should to an intensity of about 3.5 METs, which is similar to walking at a moderate pace.; The High Intensity Interval Exercise intervention will replicate all aspects of the Traditional Intensity Exercise with the exception of exercise intensity. The High Intensity Interval Exercise protocol will involve alternating between 1-minute intervals at 100% workload obtained at VO2peak followed by 3-minute recovery intervals at 20% of workload obtained at VO2peak (average = 40% ). As many complete intervals as possible will be completed during a training session (e.g., 7 intervals can be completed in a 30 min period (7 x 4 min = 28 min), with the remaining time spent at 40% peak workload to ensure a similar work output as the Traditional Intensity Exercise.
Other intervention name(s): Low Intensity Exercise; Moderate Intensity Exercise
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Adiposity; Exercise training; Older adults