The Effects of Different Doses of Exercise on Pancreatic ?-cell Function in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes
This project will provide an exercise-based lifestyle intervention with the potential to reduce complications for patients with short standing type 2 diabetes (T2D). While exercise is widely accepted as a component of T2D management, little is known about the additive effect of exercise when combined with a diet on T2D pathophysiology and mechanisms believed to lead to micro- and macrovascular complications. Moreover, the necessary dose of exercise to revert the progression of T2D and the related complications has not been investigated. A large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be essential to document the effectiveness on reducing the risk of T2D complications. However, prior to conducting a large-scale RCT, we need to specify the exercise dose that efficiently compliments the diet. In a 4-armed randomized, clinical trial (N=80 T2D patients, T2D duration < than 7 years) we aim to investigate 1) the potential additive role of exercise on pancreatic ?-cell function in patients with T2D when combined with a diet, 2) the causal relationship between lifestyle-induced reductions in glycaemic variability, oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation and, 3) the role of exercise in rescuing dysregulated muscle progenitor cells. The participants will be randomly allocated to either a) control, b) diet, c) diet and exercise 3 times/week or d) diet and exercise 6 times/week for 16 weeks. Prior to, during and following the interventions, all participants will undergo extensive testing.
Start: December 2018