Overview
- A 16-week randomized study assigned 72 adults at risk for metabolic syndrome to high- or low-intensity training with metformin or placebo.
- Exercise alone improved vascular insulin sensitivity, but those gains were reduced when participants took metformin at either intensity.
- Participants on metformin saw smaller increases in aerobic fitness and less improvement in inflammation markers and fasting glucose.
- Researchers highlight vascular insulin sensitivity as a key, under-studied pathway by which exercise supports glucose control and cardiovascular health.
- The team urges further mechanistic and larger clinical studies and advises clinicians to monitor patients rather than discontinue either therapy.