Above you see part of the first page of a new consensus statement that comes from many of the individuals involved with the creation and launch of the new JDRF PEAK Performance Program, aimed at educating both clinicians and people with type 1 diabetes how to manage the complexities of being active. In my opinion, this recently published consensus statement on exercise and type 1 diabetes is long overdue and much needed. I managed to get the American Diabetes Association to let me chair an updated position statement (see my November blog) and include type 1 diabetes in it but, unfortunately, never just one addressing type 1 and exercise alone so this JDRF one fills a huge void.
The past decade has seen a growing number of publications related to diabetes management during exercise in people who have to either inject or pump insulin to stay alive. As you well know, whether insulin is injected or pumped, it is not being delivered where it normally ends up in a body that can release its own insulin, and this altered insulin delivery leads to alterations in hormones and blood glucose management by the liver. Normally, your liver would be able to either release or store glucose to keep your levels constant, but not without these proper hormonal signals.
Consequently, the only way you can keep your blood glucose levels normal (or near normal) with exercise is to take in carbohydrate/food, lower circulating insulin levels, or both during activities. Given that exercise is a huge stressor to normal metabolic control of blood glucose, it can make your diabetes more difficult to manage--even though exercising is generally beneficial for a number of other health reasons. This new consensus statement does an excellent job of covering all of the potential effects of engaging in differing physical activities, along with comprehensive management strategies involving changes in food intake and adjustments in basal and/or bolus insulin dosing. It also points out the many areas that need additional (or even any) research with regard to exercising with type 1 diabetes, either to enhance health or sports performance. Read it now if you haven't already for some great advice!
Reference:
(1) Riddell MC, Gallen IW, Smart CE, Taplin CE, Adolfsson P, Lumb AN, Kowalski A, Rabasa-Lhoret R, McCrimmon RJ, Hume C, Annan F, Fournier PA, Graham C, Bode B, Galassetti P, Jones TW, Millán IS, Heise T, Peters AL, Petz A, Laffel LM. Exercise management in type 1 diabetes: a consensus statement, Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2017 Jan 23. pii: S2213-8587(17)30014-1. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(17)30014-1. [Epub ahead of print]