• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Atheletes with high HbA1c

johnEGreen said:
I did read a while ago that some athletes and body-builders are now using metformin and insulin to manipulate their blood sugars so that they can maintain Ketosis while eating high levels of carbohydrates.
Click to expand...
Insulin is used by rouge bodybuilders to gain weight before a competition but then withhold liquids to give better muscle definition on show day.
 
Came across another interesting related article...
http://www.healthline.com/diabetesmine/john-anderson-proving-type-2-diabetics-can-be-athletes-too
Since you were a lifelong runner and athlete before your diagnosis, do you think your story will help fight the misconceptions that only fat, lazy people get diabetes due to their own poor habits?
Click to expand...

And this
http://www.xojane.com/it-happened-to-me/runner-with-type-2-diabetes

I think there could be a number of anecdotal examples...the usual explanation is that it is genetics, not the carb loading...Tim Noakes seems to think otherwise...
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...high-carb-or-high-fat-the-running-diet-debate
 
Last edited:
I'm wondering if because we are no longer athletes or very very fit people the diabetes was able to take hold. The change in fitness levels? No matter how fit we were the mere change to a more sedate lifestyle, even for a short period has affected the metabolism?
Injured athletes may be at risk more? What are professional footballers advised to do? Rest or keep moving but keep injured part protected? Not bed rest like the old'en days! If severely injured they are operated on in private hospitals to get them mobile quicker.
 
ickihun said:
I'm wondering if because we are no longer athletes or very very fit people the diabetes was able to take hold. The change in fitness levels? No matter how fit we were the mere change to a more sedate lifestyle, even for a short period has affected the metabolism?
Injured athletes may be at risk more? What are professional footballers advised to do? Rest or keep moving but keep injured part protected? Not bed rest like the old'en days! If severely injured they are operated on in private hospitals to get them mobile quicker.
Click to expand...

But there were other studies that concludes endurance atheletes to be protected against developing T2D...but some of course will still get it...
http://runningmagazine.ca/former-endurance-athletes-much-less-likely-to-develop-type-2-diabetes/
Can't find the actual study...
 
kokhongw said:
But there were other studies that concludes endurance atheletes to be protected against developing T2D...but some of course will still get it...
http://runningmagazine.ca/former-endurance-athletes-much-less-likely-to-develop-type-2-diabetes/
Can't find the actual study...
Click to expand...
I'm wondering if only protected whilst doing endurance work. If stopped due to life change, whatever that is, if diabetes can become a threat?
I know everyone's fitness levels change from time to time. I'd love to know if ex-footballers or any ex-sports person is more at risk of diabetes once heavy exercise is relaxed?
My 2 sisters and mum haven't ever visited a gym in their life, never mind done the jogging around Greenwich park daily I could sustain.
I just hope by encouraging people to become extra fit we aren't setting them up for a fall in the future? Mobility and activity in moderate levels should be enough. Everything in moderation!
 
On my last appointment with neurologist in the week he noticed I was wearing a step counter bracelet and when it indicated that that day I had just taken 450 steps this was in the late afternoon he laughed, on a lot of days that is pretty good for me of late, those steps were the ones I had taken getting to his clinic. I think you can take moderation to extremes at times.
 
MDHalstead said:
Citation needed.

Eating Carbs does not cause diabetes, that is scaremongering
Click to expand...

My understanding is that eating carbs raises blood glucose levels and if this happens enough then some beta cells die. When enough beta cells have died you become diabetic. Something like "death by a thousand cuts". Maybe a thousand hours of "high" blood glucose (whatever "high" is) makes you diabetic?!
The top level swimmers / rowers / etc that are eating 5000 calories a day or whatever would seem to be obvious candidates for this, although the damage may not be apparent during their career, depending how long they are at the top for.
Wikipedia (maybe not the best source, but easy to find) says "Type 2 diabetes mellitus, also known as non insulin dependent diabetes, is caused by many factors including: age; family history; obesity and consuming a diet high in simple sugars" (my bold).
 
Back
Top