Diabetes and Sports

Diabetes has always been recommending exercise to help maintain blood glucose levels to a safe range. However, can we link exercise and sports? Sports is different. It has a win or lose chance and might be more strenuous than mere exercise. Read on.

Physical activity

While patients with diabetes need physical activity or exercise, sports is actually a voluntary option. While exercising, the muscles that contract can do what an insulin can, taking glucose from the blood rapidly. For those without diabetes, insulin production is balanced.

Diabetics need to adjust their dosage of insulin and carbohydrates before, during and after exercise to avoid hypoglycemia or low blood glucose concentration or hyperglycemia (high blood glucose). At the same time, exercise can help avoid the occurrence of obesity, a situation diabetics are dreadful of.

Sports

The good thing about sports is that exercise comes with it as a natural bonus. Diabetics just have to be vigilant and careful.

There are a lot of diabetic patients (mostly have uncomplicated diabetes or have no other serious disease), who go into sports like ordinary people. However, there is still a need for precautions, doctor’s care and self-care.

In fact, many of them become champions and excel at elite levels in many forms of sports. One of the most popular diabetic athlete is Sir Steven Redgrave, 5-time gold medalist in rowing representing Great Britain from 1984 to 2000. He was found to have diabetes two years before the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

We can also find awesome accomplishments and admirable examples from diabetic athletes who excel in professional and school sports.

Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia signs and symptoms

It is equally important for parents, coaches, friends, trainers and other people surrounding an athlete with diabetes to help the person detect signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) and hyperglycemia (high blood glucose).

Signs of hypoglycemia includes nausea, headache, difficulty in speech, sweating, hunger confusion, pounding heart and drowsiness. For hyperglycemia, nervousness, restlessness, fatigue, thirst, muscle cramps, blurred vision and abdominal pain.