The Athlete with Type 1 Diabetes: Transition from Case Reports to General Therapy Recommendations

Abstract

Fear of hypoglycemia is a common barrier to exercise and physical activity for individuals with type 1 diabetes. While some of the earliest studies in this area involved only one or two participants, the link between exercise, exogenous insulin, and hypoglycemia was already clear, with the only suggested management strategies being to decrease insulin dosage and/or consume carbohydrates before and after exercise. Over the past 50 years, a great deal of knowledge has been developed around the impact of different types and intensities of exercise on blood glucose levels in this population. Recent decades have also seen the development of technologies such as continuous glucose monitors, faster-acting insulins and commercially available insulin pumps to allow for the real-time observation of interstitial glucose levels, and more precise adjustments to insulin dosage before, during and after activity. As such, there are now evidence-based exercise and physical activity guidelines for individuals with type 1 diabetes. While the risk of hypoglycemia has not been completely eliminated, therapy recommendations have evolved considerably. This review discusses the evolution of the knowledge and the technology related to type 1 diabetes and exercise that have allowed this evolution to take place.

Keywords:

• exercise
• physical activity
• blood glucose
• insulin
• carbohydrate
• continuous glucose monitoring

Acknowledgment

Dr. Yardley is supported by a New Investigator Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

Disclosure

Dr. Yardley has received speaker’s fees from Dexcom Canada, and in-kind research support from Medtronic Canada, Dexcom Canada, LifeScan Canada, Abbott Nutrition Canada, and Ascensia Diabetes Canada, and reports no other conflicts of interest in this work.