Diabetes and Sport

Having diabetes needn’t be a barrier to actively enjoying sports and exercise. Diabetic sportsmen and women are common and diabetics have achieved some of the highest sporting awards available on the planet.

Famous UK diabetic sports achievers include Steve Redgrave, who has won numerous gold medals at the Olympics despite being type 2 diabetic.

Does sport help diabetes?

Sport, or exercise of some form, is an essential part of diabetes treatment. Diabetics, like other people, are healthier when they take regular and appropriate exercise.

Participating in sports, whether they are team sports with a competitive objective or non-regulated sports with intrinsic rewards, can be a great way for diabetics to stay healthy and enjoy themselves.

How does sport benefit diabetic participants?

Taking part in sport and taking exercise is a key way of managing diabetes and keeping the body healthy. Being involved in sport and exercise can help diabetes in the following ways:

• Making it easier for the body to use insulin. Insulin is an essential hormone that aids the body in withdrawing energy from food, the function of which is depleted or entirely prevented amongst diabetics.
• Building muscle, burning calories and losing weight. Achieving and staying at a healthy weight is an essential part of fighting diabetes.
• Strengthening of muscles, bones and body.
• Lowering of risk of complications, including heart disease
• Improved balance, coordination, strength and endurance
• Increased energy levels
• Increased mental positivity and confidence
• Lower tension and stress

Whether you are a diabetic child doing sport at school or a newly diagnosed diabetic who wants to get in shape to help control blood sugar levels, sport can have major benefits if conducted in the right way.

Better fitness means better response to insulin and better control of blood sugar levels.

Staying alert and aware, and always taking medical advice, are two key tips to help diabetics participate in sport. Children participating in sport independently from their parents should know how to recognise the signs of symptoms of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia.

Above all, if you are the parent of a child taking part in sport, be encouraging, because sport and exercise are one of the keys to successful diabetes treatment.

Sport and hypoglycemia

Physical activity can cause hypoglycemia in two differing ways. Blood sugars can go low during exercise and sugar levels can also drop several hours after. Different people respond differently to activity. 

Blood testing and recording the effects of exercise is a good way to build up an understanding of how your body responds to varying levels of exercise. Remember to bear in mind the after effects of exercise. You may find this to be harder but if you document your blood sugars and note down roughly how much of which exercise was done, you can start to spot trends in your blood glucose numbers.