Blood-Flow Restriction Exercise to Manage Type-II Diabetes

Resistance exercise can increase muscle mass, function, and glycaemic control - so presents a promising option for managing type-2 diabetes (T2D).

To achieve benefits from resistance exercise, relatively heavy loads are usually required, which may be unsuitable for many individuals. Blood-flow restriction (BFR) training involves occluding blood-flow around exercising muscles, simulating fatigue. Adding BFR to resistance exercise allows greater strength gains with lighter loads.

The aim of the project is to examine the metabolic responses to low-load resistance exercise accompanied by BFR among adults with T2D.

We will investigate local and systemic insulinemic responses to exercise throughout a 6-week BFR exercise intervention compared to habitual behaviour.

Thirty-eight participants will be monitored for 2 weeks before, during, and after the 6-week exercise intervention - which will involve 2x 30-minute sessions of BFR training per week. Anthropometrics, glucose, insulin, and inflammation will be measured throughout the study.

We hypothesise that glucose will lower acutely following each BFR session and that insulin and glucose will be lower at the end of the 6-week intervention, signalling improved glycaemic control.

It is anticipated that this research could help lead to the development of highly tolerable, efficient, and effective exercise intervention for people living with T2D.