[Exercise in type 1 diabetic patients]

ABSTRACT

Having sufficient daily activity has great physical, psychological and social impacts on children and adolescents' life. Diabetic youth are of no exception in this regard, but they are often exempted from sport activities and its benefits due to the general concerns about possible side effects of diabetes, like hypoglycemia. There has been a general unawareness about appropriate diet and tapering the medications with the level of physical activities. There are several influencing factors that may prevent or at least lessen these side effects. These may include, appropriate timing of the insulin administration and knowing the timing of its peak activity onset according to the type of insulin used. Also adjusting the carbohydrate intake with type and extent of exertion are of significant importance. Meanwhile, both diabetic athletes and their trainers must be educated about signs of hypoglycemia and how to manage it on the scene. Diabetic patients, whose disease hasn't been effectively controlled yet and suffer from poorly controlled blood sugar and side effects like diabetic ketoacidosis, must avoid any sport activities until they have reached to a steady metabolic state. When initiating a new exercise regimen, patients must check their blood sugar levels 3 to 4 times daily, until all the metabolic needs have been identified and met. Needless to say those diabetic patients who have previously adopted an inactive lifestyle must undergo a complete medical evaluation prior to engaging in any exercise routine. Those, who have no evidence of diabetes complications, may engage in any level of recreation or professional sports. As a matter of fact, aerobic sports are among those most recommended to diabetics. If the essential educations regarding diabetes be provided for both the diabetic adolescents and their coaches, sports may be introduced as a safe and invaluable experience in a supervised environment