Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training on Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Due to the prevalence and incidence worldwide of type 2 diabetes, and the significant role physical activity plays in these patients, a systematic review has been conducted to find out the effects that high-intensity interval training has on inflammatory biomarkers in subjects with type 2 diabetes. This project aims to determine the effect this training modality has on inflammatory biomarkers, in addition to observing its effects on the values of body composition and determining if this is a more effective, less effective or equally effective alternative to standard aerobic or resistance training. Methods: A search was conducted in the months of November and December 2020 on different databases: Pubmed, WoS and PEDro. A protocol for this systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (Registration number: CRD42021281186). The studies selected met the previously defined inclusion criteria, and the methodological quality of the papers used was evaluated according to the Downs and Black Checklist. Results: Out of 46 studies found, seven were included. The most relevant data concerning the characteristics of the clinical trials and HIIT characteristics, the values of body composition and the biomarkers under study were extracted from each study. Moreover, the results obtained from the different studies were described. Conclusions: HIIT could have an effect on inflammatory biomarkers. There is likely to be a relationship between changes in inflammatory profile and fat loss. A controlled diet may be a good complement to reduce the inflammatory profile. Further studies are required to determine whether HIIT is a better, worse or an equivalent alternative to medium-intensity aerobic exercise to improve the inflammatory profile.

“HIIT the Inflammation”: Comparative Effects of Low-Volume Interval Training and Resistance Exercises on Inflammatory Indices in Obese Metabolic Syndrome Patients Undergoing Caloric Restriction

“…Several meta-analyses have already revealed the potential of HIIT to reduce markers of inflammation in various populations, including healthy individuals [ 81 , 82 ], overweight and obese cohorts [ 44 ], and patients with cardiometabolic disorders [ 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 ]. However, currently, data on the effects of low-volume HIIT (i.e., protocols with a maximal session duration of ≤30 min and ≤10 min of intense exercise, respectively, as previously defined [ 28 ]) are still very sparse.…”

“…Given that “lack of time” is a major obstacle to regular exercise for obese individuals [ 26 ], it is a key result of our investigation that engaging in less than 30 min of exercise per week is still effective to induce significant improvements in inflammation status and cardiometabolic indices in obese patients with MetS, which may be an important factor to enable greater adherence to exercise regimes over time. Although data suggest that higher-intensity exercise may also be more effective in reducing CRP levels compared to lower-intensity exercises [ 87 ], recent meta-analyses did not provide clear evidence whether HIIT is generally superior to traditional MICT regarding the effects on inflammation status [ 82 , 84 ]. We speculate therefore, that both modalities may provide similar benefits in this respect, with HIIT, however, requiring less time compared to MICT.…”

“…Second, while we used the 3-RT group as an “active” high-volume control group to compare against the low-volume exercise modalities, it could be critically noted that we did not additionally include a high-volume cardiovascular-based exercise group (i.e., MICT). In this context, we point out that the effects of HIIT versus MICT on cardiometabolic [ 32 , 33 ] and inflammatory markers [ 82 , 84 ] have already been comprehensively compared in previous research, including a study from our group [ 58 ], and that the present investigation primarily aimed to compare the efficacy of low-volume exercise modalities. We acknowledge, however, that the inclusion of a further MICT group would have potentially provided further information in evaluating the role of low-volume exercise protocols in obesity treatment compared to more traditional exercise modalities.…”

Effects on serum protein levels from one bout of high intensity interval training in individuals with axial spondyloarthritis and controls

“…It has been demonstrated that regular HIIT bouts can lead to better cardiovascular health through increased VO 2max and improved muscle metabolism (13,14). Moreover, studies in metabolic disorders show that HIIT has a positive effect on systemic in ammatory markers linked to the disease state (15,16). The signi cance of HIIT for disease development in rheumatic disorders in general, including the response in levels of in ammatory markers, have not been widely studied.…”

Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Type 2 Diabetes: Mendelian Randomization Analysis

“…Physical activity and sedentary lifestyle have been associated with obesity [ 12 ], lean mass [ 13 ], glycemic status [ 14 ], and inflammation [ 15 ], which are vital factors for the development of T2DM. Nevertheless, whether and how these factors mediate the associations of physical activity and sedentary behaviors with diabetes risk are unestablished.…”