Physiological basis of brief vigorous exercise to improve health

Abstract

This review considers the physiological basis of brief vigorous exercise to improve health, with a focus on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and glycaemic control, and the potential underlying mechanisms involved. We defined 'brief' as a protocol lasting ࣘ15 min including warm-up, cool-down and recovery, and involving a total of ࣘ5 min of 'vigorous' exercise, which was classified as meeting or exceeding the lower end of the range for this relative intensity as per the criteria from the American College of Sports Medicine. The physiological mechanisms responsible for the increase in CRF, as measured by maximal oxygen update (V O 2 max ), after brief vigorous exercise are unclear and likely depend on various factors including the specific nature of the intervention as well as the time course of the response. Limited available evidence suggests the potential for an increased oxygen extraction by active muscle (i.e. greater arterio-venous oxygen difference), since an increase inV O 2 max has been reported after several weeks of brief vigorous exercise despite no measurable change in cardiac output. Emerging evidence indicates that brief vigorous exercise can improve glycaemic control, suggesting that this type of exercise could potentially play a role in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. The acute Martin Gibala is a professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. He is an integrative physiologist who studies the mechanistic basis of exercise responses in humans, and associated health impacts. His research on the topic of interval training has helped to establish the efficacy of brief, intense exercise to enhance physical fitness in both healthy and diseased states. His knowledge translation efforts include a book for the general public on the science of time-efficient exercise, response is not well characterized but several studies have shown that several weeks of vigorous exercise improves estimates of insulin sensitivity as determined by various methods including by hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp. The physiological mechanisms underlying improved CRF and glycaemic control after brief vigorous exercise, and the broader impact on health, remain fruitful areas of investigation.Abstract figure legend Potential for brief vigorous exercise to reduce cardiometabolic disease risk

Low-volume high-intensity interval training improves cardiometabolic health, work ability and well-being in severely obese individuals: a randomized-controlled trial sub-study

“…Several studies have shown that HIIT can elicit various physiological adaptations that are linked to improved health outcomes [ 18 – 20 ]. However, to date, data on the feasibility and efficacy of low-volume HIIT applied to severely obese individuals at increased cardiometabolic risk are sparse.…”

“…The underlying reasons why obese individuals do not participate in sufficient PA are manifold but—as in the general population—the most commonly cited barrier is “lack of time” [ 17 ]. Hence, the development of less time-consuming exercise modalities has recently gained increasing attention [ 18 ]. In this context, high‐intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged as a time-efficient and effective exercise strategy for achieving health‐relevant benefits.…”

<p>Antidiabetic Effects of Physical Activity: How It Helps to Control Type 2 Diabetes</p>

“…Regarding aerobic exercise, the study found that aerobic exercise improves glycemic control, [93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104] insulin sensitivity, [105][106][107] insulin action, 70 body composition, 99 quality-of-life, 108 physical capacity, 99 nerve function, 109 functional capacity, 110 and cardiorespiratory fitness, 101,111 reduces insulin resistance, 97,112,113 insulin levels, 96 lipid profile, 97 BP, 97,100 cardiovascular risk, 106 hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, 95,111 and waist circumstances, 100 and modulates inflammatory cytokine levels 113 and adipocytokines 113 in T2DM patients.…”

High-Intensity Interval Training for Hypertensive Power Sports Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…MOC is used for both sports and medical purposes as a determinant of physical efficiency or as a risk indicator of health and longevity (Kodama et al, 2009). Many researchers noted that high intensity work of aerobic character (despite of short muscle stimulus) causes recruitment of all muscle fibers in the working muscle that leads to convincing changes in mitochondrial content of all active muscle and growth of oxidative abilities of working muscles (Gibala, Little, 2019;MacInnis, Gibala, 2016). After 60 days of trainings reliably athletes of the main group increased AnT work capacity and oxygen consumption by 22.7 and 14.5 % respectively (Tables 4 and 5).…”