Metabolism Boosted By Regular Sprint
A regular high-intensity, three-minute workout has a significant effect on the body’s ability to process sugars. Research published in the open access journal BMC Endocrine Disorders shows that a brief but intense exercise session every couple of days may be the best way to cut the risk of diabetes.
Professor James Timmons worked with a team of researchers from Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, Scotland, to investigate the effect of ‘high-intensity interval training’ (HIT) on the metabolic prowess of sixteen sedentary male volunteers. He said, “The risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type two diabetes is substantially reduced through regular physical activity. Unfortunately, many people feel they simply don’t have the time to follow current exercise guidelines. What we have found is that doing a few intense muscle exercises, each lasting only about 30 seconds, dramatically improves your metabolism in just two weeks.”
Current exercise guidelines suggest that people should perform moderate to vigorous aerobic and resistance exercise for several hours per week. While these guidelines are very worthwhile in principle, Timmons suggests that a lack of compliance indicates the need for an alternative, “Current guidelines, with regards to designing exercise regimes to yield the best health outcomes, may not be optimal and certainly require further discussion. The low volume, high intensity training utilized in our study substantially improved both insulin action and glucose clearance in otherwise sedentary young males and this indicates that we do not yet fully appreciate the traditional connection between exercise and diabetes”.
The subjects in this trial used exercise bikes to perform a quick sprint at their highest possible intensity. In principle, however, any highly vigorous activity carried out a few days per week should achieve the same protective metabolic improvements. Timmons added, “This novel approach may help people to lead a healthier life, improve the future health of the population and save the health service millions of pounds simply by making it easier for people to find the time to exercise”.
—————————-
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
—————————-
Notes:
1. Extremely short duration high intensity training substantially improves insulin action in young healthy males
John A Babraj, Niels BJ Vollaard, Cameron Keast, Fergus M Guppy, Greg Cottrell and James A Timmons
BMC Endocrine Disorders (in press)
Article available at the journal website: http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcendocrdisord/
All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central’s open access policy.
2. BMC Endocrine Disorders is an open access journal publishing original peer-reviewed research articles in all aspects of the prevention, diagnosis and management of endocrine disorders, as well as related molecular genetics, pathophysiology, and epidemiology. BMC Endocrine Disorders (ISSN 1472-6823) is indexed/tracked/covered by PubMed, CAS, Scopus, EMBASE and Google Scholar.
3. BioMed Central (http://www.biomedcentral.com/) is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM sector.
Source: Graeme Baldwin
BioMed Central
The Picture Of England’s Health
We’re living longer, but many challenges remain
The third national Health Profile of England is published today and demonstrates improvements in critical areas of the nation’s health. Death rates from cancer, heart disease and suicides continue to decline, whilst life expectancy is higher than ever and infant mortality at its lowest.
Key findings of the report show encouraging trends:
- declining mortality rates in targeted killers (cancers, all circulatory diseases and suicides); and
- increasing life expectancy, now at its highest ever level; and
- reducing infant mortality, now at its lowest ever level; and
- declining numbers of people who smoke; and
- increases in physical activity levels and fruit and vegetable consumption.
However, other trends highlight areas for improvement:
- increasing levels of obesity in adults and children; and
- geographical inequalities across the country, with a clear north/south divide.
International comparisons show:
- Premature mortality rates from cancer for males have fallen substantially faster over the last 30 years than the EU-15 average and are now among the lowest in the EU-15; however
- the prevalence of obesity in England is the highest in the EU-15 countries, and one of the highest in the wider cohort of OECD countries
The Office for National Statistics also published figures today indicating that the trend in alcohol-related deaths is now levelling out, showing that there were 8,724 alcohol-related deaths in 2007, lower than in 2006.
Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo, said:
“Seeing the nation’s health and life expectancy improve is extremely encouraging. Sustained investment in targeted prevention and treatment have paid off. However, we have so much more to do and can’t ever assume our work is done.
“The obesity epidemic in this country is an urgent priority. The Change4Life revolution is now well under way, motivating everyone to eat well, move more, and live longer. I urge anyone who sees themselves in today’s figures to sign up to receive advice, tips, and support from http://www.nhs.uk/change4life or call 0300 123 4567.
“We are committed to reducing health inequalities, and have put in place the most comprehensive programme ever in this country to address them. Sir Michael Marmot is currently exploring future policy and action on reducing health inequalities in England.”
Notes
1. The Health Profile of England 2008 provides a collection of national and regional data to be used as a benchmark against which local areas can compare their own Health Profile data. A PDF can be downloaded here.
2. Data are the most recent available at the end of November 2008, except for the table of Regional data which were published in the June 2008 Local Health Profile reports. The Health Profile of England should not be looked at in isolation. It is part of a wider family of products, which taken together will facilitate access to key information about health and health determinants nationally and locally. The family of health profile products comprises:
- the Health Profile of England (this document)
- 386 Local Health Profiles (of Local Authority Areas)
- 10 SHA Health Profiles (with Regional breakdown) and
- an associated web-site and web-based tool
3. The Local Health Profile reports have been produced by the Association of Public Health Observatories. The above local health profiles can be viewed here.
Department of Health, UK
UNICEF Appeals For Just Over $1 Billion To Help Children And Women Suffering In Emergencies
UNICEF’s 2009 Humanitarian Action Report (HAR) highlights the plight of children and women around the globe in humanitarian emergencies.
The Humanitarian Action Report is UNICEF’s annual funding appeal for protracted emergencies and is seeking just over $1 billion to assist children and women in 36 countries. The amount sought is some 17 per cent higher than UNICEF’s 2008 appeal, largely because of increased needs in eastern and southern Africa.
“Many countries featured in the report are silent or forgotten emergencies,” said UNICEF Executive Director, Ann M. Veneman. “Women and children are dying every day due to disease, poverty and hunger, but sadly their deaths go largely unnoticed.”
The report notes that over half the funds are to continue UNICEF support to victims of the five largest global humanitarian operations: in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
“I have recently returned from Zimbabwe where the economy is crumbling and the cholera outbreak is not yet controlled,” said Veneman, the first head of a UN agency to visit the country in over two years. “Over half the population is receiving food aid and basic social services are collapsing.”
In recent decades, the number and severity of natural disasters has increased significantly. The emergencies included in the Humanitarian Action Report represent only a small fraction of UNICEF’s emergency response activities. Between 2005 and 2007, UNICEF responded to an annual average of 276 emergencies in 92 countries. Over 50 per cent were caused by disasters, 30 per cent were a result of conflict, and health-related emergencies, like epidemics, accounted for 19 per cent of UNICEF’s emergency response.
The report also notes that higher food prices and climate change have negatively affected most of the countries for which emergency aid is sought. UNICEF has initiatives in place to address nutrition insecurity, but more resources are required to ensure the response meets urgent 2009 needs.
The UNICEF report cites recent studies which find the risk of hunger could increase for some 50 million people worldwide by 2010 as a result of climate change.
Some experts have estimated that in the next decade children and women will represent 65 per cent of all those affected by climate-related disasters. If these predictions prove correct, some 175 million victims of climate change will be children.
UNICEF is present in more than 150 countries and is often among the first responders to crises.
“These funds will help UNICEF respond effectively and efficiently to the needs of children affected by emergencies,” said Veneman. “As a result the lives of many will be saved.”
About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
UNICEF
UNICEF Calls For An End To LRA Abductions And Attacks In DR Congo
UNICEF called for an immediate end to abductions, forced recruitment and extreme violence against children and women in North-Eastern DRC.
Returning from a mission to Dungu in the Haut-Uele District, Ms. Pierrette Vu Thi, UNICEF Representative in the DRC, called on actors to do everything possible to prevent harm to children and women. “More people have been killed over the past few weeks in Haut-Uele than over the last six months in North Kivu, said Vu Thi. The number of children abducted has reached horrible proportions”
“We urge all armed groups to immediately end deliberate attacks against civilians, the recruitment and use of children, and to release all children in their ranks”, she said.
In response to dozens of LRA attacks over the last month, UNICEF and partners are extending emergency interventions. Around 9,000 people, mostly internally displaced persons, have received essential survival items such as cooking sets, soap, blankets, jerry cans, and plastic sheeting for emergency shelter in the last few days. Free health care is being provided to up to 10,000 people in areas of displacement and the vast majority of 114 children who have escaped the LRA have been reunified with their families and are receiving reintegration assistance.
After a joint assessment mission by UNICEF DRC and Uganda, the International Organization for Migration, and Save the Children UK, UNICEF DRC and Uganda are coordinating with partners to further protect children separated from their families and assist them reintegrating into their communities.
Based on experience assisting children separated from their families and communities due to LRA attacks in Uganda over the last 25 years, Mr. Keith McKenzie, UNICEF Representative in Uganda, said such returning children need community understanding, acceptance and social support. “The protection of children is a universal imperative, and families, extended families and communities of origin have a pivotal role to play in the reintegration of all separated children”.
UNICEF and its partners in the DRC and Uganda continue to coordinate and strengthen responses to provide interim protection and reintegration assistance for returning children and displaced communities.
About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
UNICEF
Electromagnetic Therapy Now Available In Convenient Patch For Horses
A therapy that has been used for many decades on humans to reduce pain and swelling has now been miniaturized into a small, wearable patch that can be used on horses and pets. The patches will be on view this week at the Dynamite Horseman Supply (DHS) trailer at the Sun Circuit Show in Scottsdale, Arizona.
PEMF, Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field, has traditionally been administered using very large, high-powered machines which require visits to vets and/or therapists. The HealFast™ patch provides a way for vets and therapists to extend the treatment in a patch that owners can take home and apply themselves.
The device is designed to conform to the horse’s body to enhance ease of use and comfort. HealFast is available in two versions. The reusable version allows for the unit to be turned off when not in use to extend battery life. This version is designed to be used multiple times on either one or more horses. The second version is a single use post-operative version intended to reduce pain, eliminate swelling and accelerate healing following surgical incisions.
One of the leading equine treatment centers, Equine Veterinary Associates, has been testing the product with positive results. Van E. Snow, D.V.M. of Equine Veterinary Associates reported that he was pleased with the device’s effectiveness.
“I recommend the use of the HealFast Therapy Patch to treat acute and chronic soft tissue injuries,” Dr. Snow said. “I have found the patch to reduce pain and inflammation which therefore promotes a healthier environment for healing to take place. The patch is more user friendly than other pulsed electromagnetic field modalities that are available today. The HealFast Therapy Patch is an important new tool with which I am able to speed the recovery of my equine patients.”
Mac Stein is a physical therapist who has also tested the patch. He said, “The ease of use and low cost of these disposable medical devices are ideal for the strenuous demands of training and showing the western performance horse.” Mac Stein will be available to speak with horse owners at the Sun Circuit Show.
The company said that earlier PEMF therapy delivery systems required cumbersome devices or repeated office visits. The HealFast Therapy patch which is priced at $79.95 costs only a few dollars a day for a convenient, small, lightweight device.
eMarkets Group markets and sells the product through veterinarians and therapists and is working with them for safe and effective use. HealFast Therapy was developed and manufactured by BioElectronics Corporation, (PINKSHEETS: BIEL) which has extensive worldwide patents and patents pending.
To see a video about HealFast Therapy and its use with horses go here.
For more information visit http://www.healfasttherapy.com or call 1-888 9 HEALFAST (1-888-943-2532) or 973-396-2157.
About HealFast Therapy
HealFast Therapy is a wearable patch with an embedded microchip that delivers weeks of continuous therapy with applications for horses, cats and dogs. The patch is the miniaturized equivalent of the pulsed electromagnetic energy machines prescribed by physicians and veterinarians for decades to reduce swelling, relieve pain and enhance the healing of surgical incisions, accidental wounds, sprains, strains and chronic wounds. HealFast Therapy is distributed by eMarkets Group, LLC, North Caldwell, NJ.
About BioElectronics Corporation
BioElectronics Corporation is the maker and the manufacturer of advanced medical devices for multiple applications. Its leading product for human use is ActiPatch® Therapy, a drug-free anti-inflammatory patch with an embedded battery operated microchip that delivers weeks of continuous pulsed therapy for about a dollar a day. The unique ActiPatch delivery system, using patented technology, provides a cost-effective patient friendly method to reduce soft tissue pain and swelling. For more information please see http://www.bioelectronicscorp.com. BioElectronics Corporation (PINKSHEETS: BIEL) is located in Frederick, Maryland.
BioElectronics Corporation
Drug Developers Looking To Learn As Much As Possible In Phase I Trials, According To Tufts Center For The Study Of Drug Development
Under pressure to develop new medicines more quickly and at lower cost, drug sponsors are looking to answer as many questions as possible in Phase I, including those relating to efficacy as well as safety, according to the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development.
“The desire to learn more from Phase I studies has led to greater protocol complexity and larger trials, which, with growing regulatory oversight, has helped drive up costs and lengthen timelines, which is just the opposite of what the industry needs to achieve,” said Tufts CSDD Director Kenneth I Kaitin.
In addition, developers are increasing their reliance on patient volunteers — now accounting for 38% of all human subjects in Phase I studies — who typically cost more to recruit and retain than healthy volunteers.
To help temper, if not reverse, the ever-growing cost of Phase I trials, the research-based drug industry as a whole will likely increase its use of outsourced services and make greater use of biomarkers and diagnostic tests, according Kaitin.
Kaitin made his remarks at a meeting of drug industry leaders recently convened by Tufts CSDD to discuss challenges and opportunities in the Phase I landscape.
Participants at the meeting, part of Tufts CSDD’s Executive Forum Roundtable Series, noted that:
* Integrated studies — those with multiple objectives — are likely to grow in popularity, partially in response to financial constraints, especially in smaller organizations.
* Pressure on drug developers to maximize the amount of information they obtain in Phase I studies will increase pressure on CROs to achieve proof of concept as soon as possible.
* Public concern over clinical trial safety is likely to keep pressure on sponsors to disclose information about ongoing studies.
Scheduled Tufts Csdd Executive Forum Roundtables
Tufts CSDD Executive Forum Roundtable meetings in 2009 will focus on the following:
* Feb. 26 – In-Licensing/Out-Licensing Strategies and Practice
* May 14 – Outsourcing: Economic and Operational Assessments
* Sept. 10 – Best R&D Practices of Top Pharma/Biotech Performers
* Nov. 12 – Comparative Approaches to Capacity Forecasting
About The Tufts Center For The Study Of Drug Development
The Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development at Tufts University provides strategic information to help drug developers, regulators, and policy makers improve the quality and efficiency of pharmaceutical development, review, and utilization. A core element of the center’s educational efforts, the Tufts CSDD Institute for Professional Development, produces the Executive Forum Roundtable Series, along with postgraduate level courses, training workshops, symposia, and public forums.
The Tufts Center For The Study Of Drug Development
EMLab P&K Provides Materials Testing Lab Services For Microbial Efficacy
EMLab P&K provides materials testing lab services, specializing in microbial challenge test methodologies. New technologies are constantly incorporated into the manufacture of materials. In some instances these new technologies may inadvertently accelerate or promote the growth of microorganisms. Also, new technology products and materials are being formulated to inhibit or slow down the growth of microorganisms. Growth-inhibiting products can be incorporated into the materials or used as a protective coating.
The ASTM and other standardization organizations have developed protocols to measure and quantify the amount and effects of microbial organisms on materials. EMLab P&K provides complete testing of materials following ASTM protocols. When a protocol is not applicable, EMLab P&K is able to develop rigorous, scientifically sound protocols to assist clients in a wide variety of materials testing needs.
“EMLab P&K has been in the forefront in serving clients and manufacturing companies with materials testing lab services for many years and continues to assist clients with developing and using utmost rigorous protocols to test a wide range of consumer products and materials. With our highly qualified analysts and experience in product and material testing services, we are here to help our clients meet their testing needs,” said Belinda Vega, EMLab P&K’s President.
EMLab P&K is recognized as one of the leading commercial indoor air quality laboratories in North America, specializing in analyzing air and surface samples for mold, bacteria, asbestos and allergens. EMLab P&K has received accreditations from AIHA, A2LA, NVLAP and CA-ELAP. For more information, visit the official website at http://www.emlabpk.com.
EMLab P&K
Vacci-Test’s FoodChekTM – E.Coli Demonstrates Superior Accuracy In A Field Trial At American Foodservice
Vacci-Test Corporation (“Vacci-Test”) is pleased to announce that its revolutionary new food safety test, FoodChekTM-E.Coli, demonstrated superior performance at a field trial conducted at the Fort Worth, Texas, facility of American Foodservice (AFS), a leading supplier of high-quality ground beef products to the U.S. fast-food market. The trial was organized by AFS, as a comparison against three other current vendors of E.coli tests. FoodChekTM-E.Coli clearly outperformed the other three products tested and offered the highest sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. Additionally, FoodChekTM-E.Coli only required a six hour enrichment period compared to eight and a half hours for the other tests and was the only test that could provide a quantitative measurement of the amount of E.coli contamination.
AFS is widely recognized as an industry leader and innovator in ground beef food safety programs. AFS has plants in Fort Worth, Texas, Thomasville, Georgia and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Timothy P. Biela, Senior VP Operations and Chief Food Safety and Quality Officer at AFS stated “Vacci-Test exceeded all of our expectations and we were thoroughly impressed with the superior performance of their FoodChekTM-E.Coli test.”
Mr. Sandy MacPherson, Chairman of the Executive Operating Committee of Vacci-Test said “We have now received in-field confirmation from both U.S. and Canadian meat-processors that FoodChekTM-E.Coli, is a proven and practical technological breakthrough that will enable the food industry to offer safer products with greater confidence and in a much shorter testing time. We are looking forward to the launch of FoodChekTM-E.Coli in early 2009.”
Vacci-Test is a privately held Canadian corporation based in Calgary, Alberta that specializes in the development and commercialization of proprietary food safety tests, based on magnetic nanotechnology, for the rapid, accurate detection and quantitative measurement of pathogens in food.
This information release may contain certain forward-looking information. Such information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by statements herein, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it as well as other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by the Company in its private filings, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Vacci-Test Corporation
Prostate Cancer Patients Should Continue To Look Out For Other Illnesses, Study
A new study found that because of the excellent survival chances of older men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer with low- to moderate-grade tumors, they should not stop looking out for other illnesses like other cancers and cardiovascular diseases, because more often than not it is
these that they will die of, just like men without prostate cancer.
The study was the work of Dr James S. Goodwin of the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, and colleagues, and is published in the
January 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
For the study, Goodwin and colleagues used data on 208,601 men aged 65 to 84 diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1988 and 2002, living in 11
different regions of the United States. The data came from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Tumor Registry. They compared
survival and cause of death in these men with survival and cause of death in a non-cancer (control) population.
For the prostate cancer population they calculated survival as a function of stage of cancer and grade of tumor: low (Gleason grade below 7),
moderate (Gleason grade of 7), and high (Gleason grade of 8 to 10) and compared it with survival in the non-cancer population. They also looked at
cause of death according to stage and tumor grade.
The results showed that:
- The survival rate of men with early stage prostate cancer with low to moderate grade tumors (59.1 per cent of the prostate cancer population) was
not substantially worse than men without prostate cancer.
- Also, among those men, the leading cause of death was not prostate cancer (where the mortality rate was 2.1 per cent) but cardiovascular disease
(6.4 per cent mortality rate) and other cancers (3.8 per cent).
Goodwin and colleagues concluded that:
“The excellent survival of older men with early-stage, low- to moderate-grade prostate cancer, along with the patterns of causes of death, implies that
this population would be well served by an ongoing focus on screening and prevention of cardiovascular disease and other cancers.”
The authors noted that decisions about how to treat early stage prostate cancer should take into account the patient’s age and other health factors likely
to impact life expectancy.
For instance, if it is decided to use androgen deprivation therapy (prostate cancer feeds on the male sex hormone), then doctors should consider how
this might affect the course of any other conditions.
Goodwin and colleagues wrote that older men with early stage prostate cancer should continue to maintain focus on “screening and prevention of
cardiovascular disease and other cancers”.
“Cause of Death in Older Men After the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer.”
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Volume 57, Issue 1, Date: January 2009, Pages: 24-30.
Melanie Ketchandji, Yong-Fang Kuo, Vahakn B. Shahinian, James S. Goodwin.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.02091.x
Click here for
Abstract.
Sources: Journal Article.
Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
Even Short Bursts Of Intense Exercise Can Improve Metabolism
Sedentary people who find the idea of fitting regular exercise sessions into their lives so difficult that they don’t even try, may be interested to hear
about a new study that found even regular short bursts of intense exercise, such as a short session of four to six 30-second high intensity sprints on an
exercise bike every two days, showed a significant effect on the body’s ability to metabolize sugars and could be an effective way to cut the risk of
diabetes.
This was the conclusion of a study by professor James Timmons and a team of researchers from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, that is
to be published in the journal BMC Endocrine Disorders.
Most people know that regular physical activity is a good way to cut the risk of developing heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, but knowing it and doing
it are not the same, and many people feel they just don’t have the time to do vigorous aerobic exercise for several hours week, as suggested by many of
the current guidelines.
Timmons said that while these guidelines are worthwhile in principle, the fact many people don’t follow them shows we need an alternative.
“Unfortunately, many people feel they simply don’t have the time to follow current exercise guidelines. What we have found is that doing a few intense
muscle exercises, each lasting only about 30 seconds, dramatically improves your metabolism in just two weeks,” he said.
Timmons and colleagues investigated the effect of “high-intensity interval training” (HIT) on the metabolic performance of sixteen sedentary male
volunteers aged from 19 to 23 years with an average BMI (body mass index) of 23.7.
This type of exercise has been shown to improve aerobic function, but its effect on insulin action and glycemic control has not been investigated,
wrote the authors in their background information.
The volunteers did a total of 15 minutes of HIT exercise over two weeks, structured as 6 sessions where in each session they did 4 to 6 high intensity
sprints of no more than 30 seconds on an exercise bike.
The researchers measured the volunteers’ aerobic and metabolic performance before and after the training.
The results showed that:
- After two weeks of HIT, many measures of metabolic performance improved.
- For instance, the area under the blood glucose, insulin and non-esterified fatty acid or NEFA curves reduced by 12, 37 and 26 per cent
respectively (all p
- Insulin sensitivity, as measured by the Cederholm index, improved by 23 per cent.
- And, although the fasting blood insulin and glucose levels did not change, there was a tendency for fasting blood NEFA to go down after
training.
- Aerobic cycling performance improved by about 6 per cent (p
The researchers concluded that:
“The efficacy of a high intensity exercise protocol, involving only ~250 kcal of work each week, to substantially improve insulin action in young
sedentary subjects is remarkable.”
” This novel time-efficient training paradigm
can be used as a strategy to reduce metabolic risk factors in young and middle aged sedentary populations who otherwise would not adhere to
time consuming traditional aerobic exercise regimes,” they added.
The volunteers in this trial did high intensity sprints on exercise bikes, but the researchers said in principle any highly vigorous activity on a few days
per week should have a similar protective effect on metabolism. As Timmons explained:
“This novel approach may help people to lead a healthier life, improve the future health of the population and save the health service millions of
pounds simply by making it easier for people to find the time to exercise.”
“Current guidelines, with regards to designing exercise regimes to yield the best health outcomes, may not be optimal and certainly require further
discussion. The low volume, high intensity training utilized in our study substantially improved both insulin action and glucose clearance in otherwise
sedentary young males and this indicates that we do not yet fully appreciate the traditional connection between exercise and diabetes,” he
added.
“Extremely short duration high intensity training substantially improves insulin action in young healthy males.”
John A Babraj, Niels BJ Vollaard, Cameron Keast, Fergus M Guppy, Greg Cottrell and James A Timmons.
BMC Endocrine Disorders (in press).
Click here for BMC Endocrine Disorders
home page (registration may be required).
Sources: BioMed Central press release and pre-press draft of article.
Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
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