Exercise safely if you have insulin dependent diabetes
For people with type-1 diabetes (insulin dependent), maintaining good exercise regimen may be difficult and risky because exercise may cause fluctuations in blood sugar that may pose danger, researchers warned.
Patients with type-1 diabetes have to monitor their blood glucose levels before, during and after exercise, said Michael Riddell, Professor at York University in Ontario, Canada.
Regular exercise can help individuals with diabetes to achieve their blood lipid, body composition, fitness and blood sugar goals.
However, for people living with Type 1 diabetes, the fear of hypoglycemia, loss of glycemic control, and inadequate knowledge around exercise management are major barriers, Riddell said.
In the study, published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, a team of 21 international experts brought out a set of guidelines on glucose targets for safe and effective exercising as well as nutritional and insulin dose adjustments to prevent exercise-related fluctuations in blood sugar.
Diabetic patients should maintain a healthy body weight nor do they achieve the minimum required moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity of 150 minutes per week.
The results showed that aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging or light cycling are associated with reductions in glycemia while anaerobic exercise like sprinting, heavy weight-lifting, and interval sports like hockey are known to temporarily increase glucose levels.
Hence, a clear understanding of the physiology of different forms of exercise and the changes that can influence glycemia during exercise may ensure safe and diabetes control, the researchers noted.
