Just one minute of exercise a day could prevent diabetes, researchers claimed today.

Performing short cycle sprints three times a week could be enough to prevent and possibly treat type 2 diabetes.

Scientists at the University of Bath asked volunteers to perform two 20-second cycle sprints on exercise bikes, three times per week.

After six weeks, researchers in the university’s Department of Health saw a 28 per cent improvement in their insulin function. Type 2 diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels build up to dangerously high levels due to reduced insulin function, often caused by a sedentary lifestyle.

The condition can cause life-threatening complications to the heart, kidneys, eyes and limbs, and costs the NHS £1 million an hour in treatments and care.

Regular exercise can help keep blood sugar levels low but busy lifestyles and lack of motivation mean 66 per cent of the population is not getting the recommended five 30-minute sessions of moderate exercise a week.

Niels Vollaard, who is leading the study, said: “Our muscles have sugar stores, called glycogen, for use during exercise.

“To restock these after exercise, the muscle needs to take up sugar from the blood.

“In inactive people there is less need for the muscles to do this, which can lead to poor sensitivity to insulin, high blood sugar levels, and eventually type 2 diabetes.

“We already knew that very intense sprint training can improve insulin sensitivity but we wanted to see if the exercise sessions could be made easier and shorter.”