Sedentary behavior compensation to 1-year exercise RCT in patients with type 2 diabetes

The hypothesis that people may increase sedentary behavior (SB), referred to as “compensation” in response to exercise interventions, have raised concern. The evidence on “compensation” is contradictory and mostly derived from moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) interventions lasting less than 1 year. The aim was to investigate whether two types of iso-energetic training (MICT and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), both combined with resistance training) resulted in compensations on SB, in patients with T2D. Eighty volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three groups (control, MICT, or HIIT), and 54 (59.2 ± 8.2 years) completed a supervised program for 1 year. Physical activity and SB were measured using Actigraph accelerometers at baseline and in the final month of intervention. Sitting-time and screen-time were measured by the long-version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. ANCOVA analysis was used to examine differences between groups at the end of the intervention adjusting for the baseline. No differences in objectively measured and self-reported SB were observed between groups, but women from the HIIT group reduced their sitting time (Δ = 170-minutes; P =.048). The absence of change in SB domains between baseline and follow up suggests that engaging in MICT and HIIT exercise programs in patients with T2D is unrelated to compensatory increases in SB.