Search Here

Doing just two sessions of high-intensity training (HIT) a week can prevent Type 2 diabetes, according to a new research. 

The research noted that the high-intensity training (HIT) not only reduces the risk of disease but is also as effective at doing so as the exercise guidelines currently recommended by the UK govt. 

Researchers believe that the HIT is perfect way for people who are time-poor to improve their health. 

"With this study, we investigated the benefits of high-intensity training (HIT) in a population group known to be at risk of developing diabetes: overweight, middle-aged adults," explained Dr John Babraj, who heads up the high-intensity training research team at Abertay University, in the press release.

"We found that not only does HIT reduce the risk of them developing the disease, but also that the regime needs to be performed only twice a week in order for them to reap the benefits. And you don't have to be able to go at the speed of Usain Bolt when you're sprinting. As long as you are putting your maximal effort into the sprints, it will improve your health."

The study considered a group at high-risk of developing diabetes and monitored them for a period of eight weeks.

"And this is the beauty of high-intensity training: it is quick to do and it is effective. Although it is well-established that exercise is a powerful therapy for the treatment and prevention of type 2 diabetes, only 40 per cent of men and 28 per cent of women in the UK achieve the recommended 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on five days of the week," Dr Babraj added.

"Lack of time to exercise, due to work or family commitments, is cited as the most common barrier to participation, so high-intensity training offers a really effective solution to this problem and has the added benefit of reducing disease risk which activities such as walking - even if done five days a week for 30 minutes - don't offer."

The research has been published in the journal Biology.