Endurance athletes and type 1 diabetes

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the current diabetes management practices of endurance athletes with type 1 diabetes and to compare these practices with the guidelines for athletes established by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

Participants included in this descriptive study were endurance athletes aged 18 years and older with type 1 diabetes. The survey questions were based on the current clinical recommendations for endurance athletes with type 1 diabetes, as established by the ADA. A link to the questionnaire was posted on the Web site of the Diabetes Exercise and Sports Association (DESA). A total of 38 questions were included in the survey, and 91 usable surveys were received. Analysis of variance was used for several comparisons using SPSS version 17.

Half of the clinical guidelines were followed by the participants. Among these, about 50% followed many of the guidelines "most of the time" or "almost always" and 40% followed the guidelines "sometimes" or "most of the time." Results of ANOVA showed several trends (nonsignificant) in the occurrence of low blood glucose when the guidelines were not followed.

Endurance athletes with type 1 diabetes do not consistently follow the clinical guidelines for blood glucose management as recommended by the ADA. The results of this study reflect a need among athletes for diabetes management education programs that promote a better understanding of the potential negative side effects of suboptimal blood glucose control.