Functional high‐intensity exercise training ameliorates insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk factors in type 2 diabetes

New FindingsWhat is the central question of this study ? Does short‐duration, high‐intensity exercise training that combines functional aerobic and resistance exercises into training sessions lasting 8–20 min benefit individuals with type 2 diabetes?What is the main finding and its importance ? Functional high‐intensity training improves insulin sensitivity and reduces cardiometabolic risk in individuals with type 2 diabetes. This type of exercise training may be an effective exercise mode for managing type 2 diabetes. The increase in insulin sensitivity addresses a key defect in type 2 diabetes.Abstract Functional high‐intensity training (F‐HIT) is a novel fitness paradigm that integrates simultaneous aerobic and resistance training in sets of constantly varied movements, based on real‐world situational exercises, performed at high‐intensity in workouts that range from ∼8 to 20 min per session. We hypothesized that F‐HIT would be an effective exercise mode for reducing insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes (T2D). We recruited 13 overweight/obese adults (5 males, 8 females; 53 ± 7 years; BMI 34.5 ± 3.6 kg m −2 , means ± SD) with T2D to participate in a 6‐week (3 days week −1 ) supervised F‐HIT programme. An oral glucose tolerance test was used to derive measures of insulin sensitivity. F‐HIT significantly reduced fat mass (43.8 ± 83.8  vs . 41.6 ± 7.9 kg; P  < 0.01), diastolic blood pressure (80.2 ± 7.1  vs . 74.5 ± 5.8; P  < 0.01), blood lipids (triglyceride and VLDL, both P  < 0.05) and metabolic syndrome z ‐score (6.4 ± 4.5  vs . ‐0.2 ± 5.2 AU; P  < 0.001), and increased basal fat oxidation (0.08 ± 0.03  vs . 0.10 ± 0.04 g min −1 ; P  = 0.05), and high molecular mass adiponectin (214.4 ± 88.9  vs . 288.8 ± 127.4 ng mL −1 ; P  < 0.01). Importantly, F‐HIT also increased insulin sensitivity (0.037 ± 0.010  vs . 0.042 ± 0.010 AU; P  < 0.05). Increases in high molecular mass adiponectin and basal fat oxidation correlated with the change in insulin sensitivity (ρ, 0.75, P  < 0.05 and ρ, 0.81, P  < 0.01, respectively). Compliance with the training programme was >95% and no injuries or adverse events were reported. These data suggest that F‐HIT may be an effective exercise mode for managing T2D. The increase in insulin sensitivity addresses a key defect in T2D and is consistent with improvements observed after more traditional aerobic exercise programmes in overweight/obese adults with T2D.