High intensity interval training (HIIT) has been hailed as the best form of exercise for battling Type 2 diabetes in research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2015.

Scientists found that short bursts of HIIT (working at 85 per cent of target heart rate) improved cholesterol, blood sugar and weight among Type 2 diabetes patients more significantly than 30 minutes of sustained, lower-intensity exercise (working at 65 per cent of target heart rate).

The research showed that three months of high-intensity exercise in 10-minute bursts done thrice daily, five days a week, led to an average 0.82 per cent decrease in three-month blood sugar patterns. This compared with just a 0.25 per cent decrease among those who performed more sustained, lower-intensity exercise five times per week.

Historically, diabetes management programmes have focused primarily on low-intensity, sustained exercise, said lead study author Avinash Pandey, an undergraduate student at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada.

“However, more may be accomplished with short bursts of vigorous exercise, in which patients achieve a higher maximum target heart rate, and may be easier to fit into busy schedules,” Pandey added.

Researchers said it’s unclear why shorter bursts of high-intensity exercise would lead to more significant improvements compared with sustained, lower-intensity exercise. One theory is that higher intensity exercise uses energy in a different way, suggests Pandey.

There is a pressing need worldwide to bolster exercise programmes which help to mitigate the effects of diabetes, with Public Health England recently warning that as many as five million adults in England alone are in danger of becoming diabetic. The latest findings build on previous research which showed any form of exercise can help to battle diabetes, while targeted extra sessions during early adolescence may help to safeguard against the onset of Type 2 diabetes in later life.