Home‐based high‐intensity interval training reduces barriers to exercise in people with type 1 diabetes

Abstract

People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are recommended to engage in regular exercise for a variety of health and fitness reasons. However, many lead a sedentary lifestyle and fail to meet the physical activity guidelines, in part because of the challenge of managing blood glucose concentration and fear of hypoglycaemia. A number of strategies designed to help people with T1D to manage their blood glucose during and after exercise have been investigated. Although many of these strategies show promise in facilitating blood glucose management during and after exercise, they do not target the many other common barriers to exercise that people with T1D face, such as difficulty with cost and travel time to gyms, limited access to exercise bikes and treadmills, and a possible dislike of exercising in front of others in public places. In this symposium review, we provide an overview of ongoing research into a virtually monitored home-based high-intensity interval training (Home-HIT) programme that is designed to reduce these other common barriers to exercise. The conclusion of this review is that Home-HIT seems to offer a strategy to reduce fear of hypoglycaemia, while simultaneously removing other known barriers preventing people with T1D from taking up exercise, such as being time efficient, requiring no travel time or costs associated with gym memberships, and giving them the opportunity to exercise in their chosen environment, reducing the embarrassment experienced by some when exercising in public.

Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training on Quality of Life, Sleep Quality, Exercise Motivation and Enjoyment in Sedentary People with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

“…Exercise was not allowed to start until blood glucose was correct. In the same way, it was recommended that patients not exercise at the peak of insulin action [ 39 ].…”

Effects of a HIIT Protocol on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Population

“…These differences between studies may be due to different nutritional habits and baseline body composition levels of the participants. The rest of the investigations, previously mentioned, that analyze the long-term effects of HIIT on T1DM people [30,32,47], did not examine body composition changes. Instead, weight and the body mass index were evaluated, which from our point of view, are not valid variables to ensure the correct body composition measurement [48].…”

Short-Term, Equipment-Free High Intensity Interval Training Elicits Significant Improvements in Cardiorespiratory Fitness Irrespective of Supervision in Early Adulthood

“…However, despite these clear benefits, up to 62% of young adults do not meet current physical activity guidelines (Valle et al, 2015 ), with “lack of time” a chief barrier in younger adults (Fisher et al, 2015 ). Other commonly reported barriers preventing exercise participation in young adults include a lack of access to equipment and negative body image when exercising in public (Korkiakangas et al, 2011 ; Scott et al, 2020 ).…”