by Colin Kenny, GP, Dromore
There were 19 participants with type 1 diabetes in the study; they were aged 14–20 years and balanced for sex. The participants wore an accelerometer to estimate the minutes spent undergoing physical exercise per day, and their blood glucose levels were tracked via continuous glucose monitoring. The study was designed to examine how moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise affected hypoglycaemia.
On average, participants accumulated 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Hypoglycaemia risk was found to be elevated by 43% overnight and 31% on the following afternoon among those who accumulated 30 minutes per day or more of moderate-to-vigorous exercise during the previous afternoon, compared with those undergoing less exercise. People with type 1 diabetes should plan ahead and develop exercise strategies to avoid or reduce hypoglycaemia induced post-exercise as much as possible. Student athletes who exercise daily should make adjustments on exercise days and the following day.
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