Effects of 6-Week Blood Flow Restriction Walking on Immune Function and Energy Use in Adults Aged 19 to 64 with Type 2 Diabetes

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are conducting a randomized controlled trial to study the effects of 6 weeks of blood flow restriction BFR training on immune cell function and energy use in adults living with type 2 diabetes. The study aims to understand how this specific exercise approach impacts immune cells and bioenergetics, focusing on adults aged 19 to 64 years who have type 2 diabetes and engage in less than 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity weekly. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups regular treadmill walking or treadmill walking with blood flow restriction. Both groups will exercise three times per week for 6 weeks, starting with 21 minutes per session in the first week and increasing to 32 minutes per session for the remaining weeks. The treadmill speed and incline will be set to achieve 40-50% of each participants heart rate reserve. For the BFR group, cuffs will be inflated based on personalized limb occlusion pressure, increasing progressively from 60% to 80% over the 6 weeks, with brief cuff deflations every 10 minutes for safety. Throughout the study, participants will undergo assessments before starting and after completing the 6-week intervention to measure changes in various immune markers, including T-cell oxygen consumption rate and several immune cell expressions. Researchers will monitor these immune and bioenergetic outcomes to understand the exercise effects. The entire study participation lasts for 6 weeks during which participants will attend scheduled exercise sessions and evaluation visits.

6-Weeks of Blood Flow Restriction Training on Immune Cell Function and Bioenergetics