Journal of Exercise & Organ Cross Talk
Journal of Eexercise & Organ Cross Talk

The effect of eight weeks of HOME-HIIT on glycemic control indicators in pediatric with type 1 diabetes

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohsen Akbarpour Beni 1
Faezah Mohammad khani 2

1 Associate Professor, Department of Sport science, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, University of Qom, Qom, I.R. Iran.

2 Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Qom, Qom, I.R. Iran.

10.22122/jeoct.2026.586583.1212
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes is the most common non-communicable disease among children. This disease is associated with a lack of insulin secretion and imposes many complications on the affected person throughout his life. Sports activity can play a significant role in controlling this disease and reducing its complications. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of eight weeks of HOME-HIIT on glycemic control indicators in children with type 1 diabetes. In this semi-experimental study, 30 children with type 1 diabetes with an average age of 11.5 ± 2.17 and a body mass index of 19 ± 2.96 were randomly divided into two control groups (15 people) and an exercise group (15 people). The training program consisted of eight weeks and three HIIT training sessions every week with an intensity of 80-90% of the maximum heart rate. Blood samples were collected in fasting conditions in the pre-test and post-test phases or daily to investigate the studied variables. Independent T-test was used to analyze data and examine results of intragroup differences, and Bonferroni's post hoc test and dependent T-test with a significance level of (P=0.05) were used to examine intragroup differences. These cases were done using SPSS version 25 software with a p-value <0.05.The results of this research showed that HOME-HIIT has a positive effect on the indicators of glycemic control in children with type 1 diabetes, and as a result, it can help reduce the complications of diabetes and improve the health of children with type 1 diabetes.

What is already known on this subject?

Regular physical activity can improve glycemic control and reduce some metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to improve metabolic and cardiorespiratory outcomes and may reduce insulin requirements in people with type 1 diabetes. Home-based exercise programs can help overcome common barriers to physical activity, including lack of time, access to exercise facilities, fear of hypoglycemia, and the need for supervised exercise. However, evidence regarding the effects of a remotely supervised, parent-supported home-based HIIT program on multiple glycemic control indicators in children with type 1 diabetes remains limited. Previous studies of home-based aerobic exercise have also reported inconsistent effects on glycated hemoglobin and other glycemic outcomes.

 

What this study adds?

This study demonstrates that an eight-week HOME-HIIT program, performed three times per week at 80–90% of maximum heart rate with remote trainer and parental supervision, significantly improves several indicators of glycemic control in children with type 1 diabetes. HOME-HIIT significantly reduced daily insulin requirements and fasting blood glucose compared with the control condition, with insulin consumption decreasing by 24.71% and fasting blood glucose by 15.1% over eight weeks. The intervention also significantly reduced two-hour postprandial glucose and glycated hemoglobin, with reductions of 13.01% and 17.9%, respectively.  These findings suggest that a structured, equipment-free, home-based HIIT program supported by parents and remotely supervised by a trainer may provide a practical strategy for improving glycemic control while addressing important barriers to exercise participation in children with type 1 diabetes.

Keywords

HOME-HIIT
Diabetes mellitus type 1
Children' s diabetes
Glycolysis hemoglobin
Glycemic control
Subjects

Acknowledgements

The researchers would like to express their gratitude and appreciation to Sport Physiology Department of University of Qom for their help in achieving practical results. 

Funding

This article is derived from a master's thesis titled The effect of eight weeks of HOME-HIIT on glycemic control indicators in pediatric with type 1 diabetes, which was financially supported by University of Qom.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest in the present research.

Ethical approval The ethical principles of research by the principles of working with children were approved by the Ethics Committee of Qom University. (Ethical code: IR.QOM.REC.1402.001)

Informed consent Perfotmed. 

Author contributions 

Conceptualization: M.A.B.,; Methodology: M.A.B., F.M.KH.,; Software: M.A.B., F. M.KH.,; Validation: M.A.B., F. M.KH.,; Formal analysis: M.A.B., F. M.KH.,; Investigation: M.A.B., F. M.KH.,; Resources: M.A.B., F. M.KH.,; Data curation: M.A.B., F. M.KH.,; Writing -original draft: M.A.B., F. M.KH.,; Writing–review & editing: M.A.B., F. M.KH.,; Visualization: M.A.B., F. M.KH.,; Supervision: M.A.B.; Project administration: M.A.B., F. M.KH.,.; Funding acquisition: M.A.B..

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Journal of Exercise & Organ Cross Talk

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 01 December 2026

  • Receive Date 13 June 2026
  • Revise Date 23 August 2026
  • Accept Date 23 August 2026

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