Guidelines aim to keep diabetic athletes healthy
Athletes with diabetes should be sure to have a game plan to manage blood-sugar highs and lows, according to new guidelines.
The recommendations, from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), focus on athletes with Type 1 Diabetes, the form of diabetes that usually arises in childhood or by young adulthood and requires insulin therapy.
While regular exercise is recommended for people with diabetes, the intensity of competitive sports can cause sudden, large shifts in blood sugar levels. However, a “well-organized plan” can help athletes to keep their blood sugar in check during practice and competitions, according to the NATA guidelines, published in its Journal of Athletic Training.
First, athletes should check their blood sugar levels before, during and after exercise. They may need to eat carbohydrates right before or during practice or competition, depending on their sugar levels, according to the guidelines. All diabetic athletes should eat after exercising to make sure sugar levels don’t drop too much.
Athletes are also advised to talk with their doctors about their insulin doses, which may need to be reduced on days when they are working out or competing.
Intense exercise can also trigger a sudden, dangerous increase in blood sugar in certain cases, however. To prevent this, the NATA says that athletes should be cautious about exercising when their blood sugar is high to begin with.
Athletes with diabetes should also give a list of all medications they take to the team trainer, as well as all the medical supplies necessary to treat a diabetes-related emergency. The guidelines also recommend that athletes carry a medic alert tag with them at all times.
“Athletes with diabetes can benefit from a well-organized plan that may allow them to compete on equal ground with their teammates and competitors without diabetes,” Dr. Carolyn C. Jimenez, an athletic trainer who helped write the new guidelines, and her colleagues conclude.
SOURCE: Journal of Athletic Training, December 2007.
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