A small study from England shows that people with diabetes can reverse some of the heart complications of the disease with a special approach to exercise called HIIT.
HIIT (High-Intensity Intermittent Training):
The study randomly assigned middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes to usual care or to a three-month program of intermittent high-intensity exercise, in this case repeated 90 second bursts of cycling as fast as possible. This type of exercise is sometimes referred to as high-intensity intermittent training, or HIIT.
Those who had participated in the HIIT arm of the study had healthier hearts at the end of the study, with better function of the left ventricle. In addition, the exercisers had less fat in their liver and around their internal organs.
The Conclusion:
The investigators conclude that this form of exercise is “a potential therapy to moderate cardiac risk and reduce liver fat in type 2 diabetes.”