An investigation from the University of Glasgow (United Kingdom) has indicated the positive effects of high intensity and short duration for the health of overweight men.

The results of this study suggest that a six -week program of resistance exercises, consisting of three 15 -minute weekly sessions, considerably improves insulin sensitivity, as well as muscle size and strength in this sector of the population.

The study results show that intense short -term exercises until exhaustion are as effective in improving insulin sensitivity as 45 -minute sessions of resistance exercises.Short sessions can be more attractive and affordable in a world where lack of time is a barrier to perform physical exercise.

The authors hope that with more work, the effectiveness of these exercises can be demonstrated in people with type 2 diabetes. 90% of these patients suffer from obesity or overweight.

blood sugar control

Insulin sensitivity describes how sensitive our body is for the effects of this hormone, responsible for the absorption of blood sugars to tissues for storage or for use as energy.

When insulin sensitivity decreases (as in type II diabetes), blood sugar levels increase, which can lead to short -term sensation of fatigue.Over time, it is related to complications such as heart disease or stroke.

the experiment

Previous research suggested that the 45 -minute training sessions of resistance exercises and multiple series of each increase the sensitivity to insulin and muscle size and strength.But no study had tried the effectiveness of shorter resistance exercises.

To test this theory, the research team recruited ten overweight men (with a body mass index of 25 and 30), which trained three times a week for six weeks.Each training session was made up of a set of nine standard muscle resistance exercises to an intensity of 80%, repetitioning until the exercise fails.

The muscle size and strength, as well as insulin sensitivity, were measured before and after the training period.The comparisons of these measurements revealed that insulin sensitivity increased by 16%, and muscle size and strength increased perceptibly after only two weeks of training.

verification in other population groups

These results add weight to the idea that muscle strengthening activities should be carried out regularly and that the action protocol was on the right track.

However, it should be noted that all participants were men and relatively healthy despite being overweight, and that the study lacked the control group.This implies the need to expand the study with a larger, random and controlled essay, to confirm the effects observed to other populations.

It would be encouraging to observe similar results in diabetics, since it is estimated that, by the 2035 and 2036, the total expenses for the treatment of this disease in the United Kingdom will reach 40 billion pounds per year.

Researchers are also thinking about how to adapt training according to the physical needs and abilities of each person.“Above these results, it is known that the gym is not for everyone.Therefore, we also have toSee if we can make people do similar exercises at home without gym equipment, to achieve beneficial effects in a similar way, ”explains Stuart Gray, director of the Research Group.

reference

The Effect of Short Duration Resistance Training on Insulin Sensitivity and Muscle Adaptations in Overweight Men.A. D. Ismail et al.Experimental Physiology, 9 January 2019. DOI: Link