An international team of clinicians and researchers has published a set of exercising guidelines for those with type 1 diabetes.
“Regular exercise can help individuals with diabetes to achieve their blood lipid, body composition, fitness and blood sugar goals, but for people living with type 1 diabetes, the fear of hypoglycemia, loss of glycemic control, and inadequate knowledge around exercise management are major barriers,” says York University Professor Michael Riddell leader of the study. “This is a big struggle for both type 1 diabetes patients and their healthcare providers. This first ever set of consensus guidelines from leading experts will help them.”
Riddell notes that patients with type 1 diabetes have to monitor their blood glucose levels before, during and after exercise.
“Regular exercise helps patients achieve a number of goals. In pediatric patients in particular, it reduces the cardiovascular disease risk profile, improves the sense of well-being and brings down average blood glucose levels (glycated hemoglobin),” adds Riddell.
In adults, both diabetic eye disease and kidney disease are less common in those who are more physically active. According to the report, those individuals also have a better chance of achieving target levels of glycated hemoglobin levels, blood pressure levels, and a healthier body mass index (BMI) when compared to inactive patients.
Aerobic exercise is associated with reductions in glycemia, while anaerobic exercise (sprinting, heavy weight lifting, and interval sports like hockey) is known to temporarily increase glucose levels. Both forms of exercise can produce hypoglycemia (severe low blood sugar) in late recovery, often when patients are sleeping. As such, patients with diabetes must consider which forms of exercise are best for them.
