Potential Role of High-Intensity Interval Training-Induced Increase in Humanin Levels for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes.
Soltany. Afsaneh A; Daryanoosh. Farhad F; Gholampour. Firouzeh F; Sadat Hosseini. Najmeh N; Khoramipour. Kayvan K
Key Findings
- HIIT increased serum humanin levels in diabetic rats
- HIIT lowered insulin resistance (HOMA‑IR) and reduced inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in muscle
- Humanin levels correlated with markers of oxidative stress and apoptosis, hinting at a mechanistic link
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers, this hints that regular HIIT (e.g., 4‑10 short bursts at 80‑100% max speed, 3‑4 times a week) could boost humanin and support metabolic health, but human studies are needed. Start with a manageable HIIT routine and monitor glucose, recovery, and overall well‑being while awaiting more human data.
Summary
In a rat study, 8 weeks of high‑intensity interval training (HIIT) raised the blood level of the peptide humanin and improved several markers of insulin resistance, inflammation, and oxidative stress in diabetic animals. The rise in humanin was linked to lower blood sugar and better muscle health, suggesting HIIT might help manage type‑2 diabetes partly through humanin. However, the research was done in rats, not people, so the findings are suggestive rather than definitive for humans.
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of 8 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in rats with type 2 diabetes (T2D), focusing on the role of the Humanin (HN). In this study, 28 male Wistar rats were assigned to one of four groups: healthy control (CO), diabetes control (T2D), exercise (EX), and diabetes + exercise (T2D + EX). After diabetes induction (2-month high-fat diet and injection of 35 mg/kg streptozotocin), the animals in the EX and T2D + EX groups underwent an 8-week HIIT protocol (4-10, interval of 80%-100% of maximum speed). HOMA-IR, fasting blood glucose, and HN levels were measured in the serum. The expression of HN, Bax, Bcl-2, CAT, GPx, MDA, TNFα, and IL-10 was measured in the soleus muscle. Our results showed that the serum level of HN and the muscle levels of IL-10, SOD, CAT, and Bax were higher in the T2D + EX group than in the T2D group. However, the HOMA-IR index and the muscle levels of MDA, TNFα, and Bcl-2 were lower in the T2D + EX group than in the T2D group. Muscle levels of HN and GPx showed no significant difference between the T2D + EX and T2D groups. The result of Pearson analysis showed a significant correlation between HN and MDA, SOD, Bax and Bcl-2. This study provides evidence that there is a correlation between serum Humanin levels and HIIT. HIIT benefits T2D rats by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. Given Humanin's established involvement in inflammation and oxidative stress, it is possible that the benefits of HIIT on T2D rats are mediated by humanin.
Study Information
pubmed
2025
2025-02-01T00:00:00.000Z
10.1111/jcmm.70396
2
47