Carbohydrate-Restriction with High-Intensity Interval Training: An Optimal Combination for Treating Metabolic Diseases?

Lifestyle interventions incorporating both diet and exercise strategies remain cornerstone

therapies for treating metabolic disease. Carbohydrate-restriction and high-intensity

interval training (HIIT) have independently been shown to improve cardiovascular and

metabolic health. Carbohydrate-restriction reduces postprandial hyperglycemia, thereby

limiting potential deleterious metabolic and cardiovascular consequences of excessive

glucose excursions. Additionally, carbohydrate-restriction has been shown to improve

body composition and blood lipids. The benefits of exercise for improving insulin sensitivity

are well known. In this regard, HIIT has been shown to rapidly improve glucose

control, endothelial function, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Here, we report the available

evidence for each strategy and speculate that the combination of carbohydrate-restriction

and HIIT will synergistically maximize the benefits of both approaches. We hypothesize

that this lifestyle strategy represents an optimal intervention to treat metabolic disease;

however, further research is warranted in order to harness the potential benefits of

carbohydrate-restriction and HIIT for improving cardiometabolic health.