Texas Tech University
The main goal of this two-phase clinical trial is to learn whether local heat therapy, using heat pads applied to the legs, can enhance skeletal muscle health, physical function, and blood sugar control in a manner comparable to exercise, specifically High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), in older individuals with prediabetes. The study aims to answer the following questions: 1. Does local heat therapy improve muscle architecture (e.g., muscle cross-sectional area, capillary density, mitochondrial content), glucose tolerance, and frailty indicators similarly to HIIT in older individuals with prediabetes? 2. Does local heat therapy as a pre-conditioning method enhance the skeletal muscle response to HIIT in older individuals with prediabetes?
To achieve the study objectives, researchers will first compare the outcomes of local heat therapy to: 1) HIIT and 2) heat pads set to maintain normal skeletal muscle temperature (control group). Then, researchers will compare the outcomes of the local heat therapy and control groups after a subsequent HIIT intervention. This will enable the researchers to assess the effectiveness of local heat therapy (compared to HIIT and preceding HIIT) to improve skeletal muscle health, physical function, blood sugar control. Study Procedures: All participants will visit the laboratory over three days at…
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 50 years * Women who are postmenopausal, defined as no menstrual period for at least 12 consecutive months. * Sedentary (structured exercise \<30 minutes, 3x/week) * Body weight is at least 110 lbs * Meet criteria for prediabetes (fasting blood glucose 100-125 mg/dl, hemoglobin A1c 5.7-6.4%) * Consume \<8 (women) or \<15 (men) alcohol-containing beverages per week * Do not use nicotine or cannabis * Not taking any medications that could interfere with responses to the interventions (e.g., corticosteroids, opiates, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants, beta bl…
Heat pads will be set to a pre-determined, optimized temperature and applied to both legs for 90 min, 6d/wk (5 at-home and 1 in-lab).
High-intensity interval training will be performed 3 days per week for 12 weeks.
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