New research just published by the Herriot-Watt University has revealed that even just 7 minutes of intensive exercise a week can lower your chances of getting diabetes. After doing only 15 minutes exercise over two weeks, scientists found that their group of volunteers experienced very substantial benefits to their health.
The team of researchers studied a group of inactive men over a two week period. They got the men to perform four 30-second-long sessions on an exercise bike, where they were required to peddle as fast as they could. Results showed that this resulted in the insulin produced working far more effectively and excess glucose being removed from the blood stream; glucose removal improved by around 23%.
The scientists say that short, intensive bursts of muscle activity of only 30 seconds can have a dramatic effect on your metabolism. It is believed that short bursts of frenetic activity, by boosting metabolism, could encourage weight loss and reduce incidences of Type 2 diabetes in only 14 days. They have concluded that intense exercise is more effective than more leisurely workouts as it reduces sugar in the muscles, forcing them to replace it with sugar taken from the blood stream.
The team have said that their findings support the work of a group of Canadian scientists who suggested that heart disease could be prevented through a similar regimen. Professor Timmons from the Edinburgh-based university, said that “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".