How exercise helps older adults with insulin resistance
Molecular Mechanisms of Exercise Benefits to Insulin Resistant People
This project compares six months of high-intensity interval training versus resistance training in 60–85-year-olds with insulin resistance to look for benefits to insulin action and brain health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11166701 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I join, researchers will enroll people aged 60–85 with insulin resistance and assign them to six months of either high-intensity interval training (HIIT), resistance training (RT), or a sedentary control group. They will track changes in muscle insulin sensitivity and body composition and use brain scans (resting-state fMRI and F-18 FDG PET) to measure brain connectivity and glucose uptake. My thinking and memory will be tested with the NIH Toolbox and brain structure will be measured with volumetric MRI to check cortical and hippocampal size. The team will compare how HIIT and RT change brain metabolism and cognition compared with no exercise.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 60–85 with insulin resistance who are medically cleared to exercise and willing to undergo MRI and PET scans.
Not a fit: People without insulin resistance, those younger than the study age range, or anyone who cannot safely perform HIIT or resistance exercise are unlikely to benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify which type of exercise best improves insulin sensitivity and supports thinking and memory in older adults with insulin resistance.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies and some human trials suggest exercise helps insulin sensitivity and cognition, but linking these benefits to brain glucose uptake and connectivity using PET and fMRI in insulin-resistant older adults is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- Mayo Clinic Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nair, K Sreekumaran — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Nair, K Sreekumaran
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.