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1 Jun 2015

Volunteers needed: Can short bursts of exercise help prevent diabetes?

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The Leicester-º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Diet, Lifestyle and Physical Activity Biomedical Research Unit are looking for volunteers to help with a new study.

The study will investigate whether short bursts of exercise can help prevent diabetes.

It will see if six weeks of exercise ‘HIT’ training can reduce the amount of fat in the liver and improve responses to insulin, to reduce the risk of diabetes.  

During the first control phase of the study, participants are simply asked to maintain their normal dietary and lifestyle habits. The second phase will involve exercise training, where participants will complete three sessions per week on a static bike.

To take part, participants must be:

  • Male
  • 25 – 55
  • Non smoker
  • Not regularly active
  • Overweight

Sessions are organised around the participant’s availability and can take place at training locations which include º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, the Leicester Diabetes Centre or the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Participants receive an extensive medical health check, a fully supervised one-on-one exercise training programme and get to take part in leading NHS-funded health research. Travel expenses will be covered and participants will receive an inconvenience allowance.

Anyone interested in taking part or finding out more should email James King on J.A.King@lboro.ac.uk or call Alison Stanley on 01509 226445

Notes for editors

Article reference number: June News

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, putting it among the best universities in the world, and was named University of the Year in the What Uni Student Choice Awards 2015. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. It was 2nd in the 2015 THE Student Experience Survey and was named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

In 2015 the University will open an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will offer postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.

The study was conducted using a combination of primary and secondary research methods. The primary research consisted of 11 in-depth interviews with Scottish Living Wage employers, 29 Scottish Government contractors and 8 stakeholder organisations representing key sectors and industries. The secondary research consisted of a review of existing international literature about the impacts and practicalities of introducing the Living Wage.