Defective endogenous opioid response to exercise in type I diabetic patients

Plasma beta-endorphin (beta-E) concentration was determined before, during, and after a standardized incremental exercise test to maximal capacity in eight type I diabetic patients and eight normal control subjects. Diabetic patients were studied under normoglycemic and hyperglycemic conditions in a single-blind random fashion to differentiate between the effects of acute hyperglycemia and of diabetes per se on the beta-E response to exercise. The perceived magnitude of leg effort elicited by exercise was evaluated using a category scale. Whereas plasma beta-E concentrations increased in control subjects with increasing workload, causing significantly higher beta-E levels at the end of exercise than at the beginning (P < .001), no such increase could be observed in the diabetic patients under normoglycemic and hyperglycemic conditions. In addition, baseline plasma beta-E concentrations were significantly lower in normoglycemic (P < .01) and hyperglycemic (P < .001) diabetic patients than in control subjects. Even during the recovery period, patients' beta-E levels remained significantly lower than those of control subjects. At submaximal levels of power output, the perceived intensity of leg effort was significantly higher in normoglycemic and hyperglycemic diabetic patients than in control subjects. We conclude that in type I diabetic patients, the ability of the endogenous opioid system to respond to exercise-induced stress is impaired under hyperglycemic and even under normoglycemic conditions. Considering the effect of endogenous opioids on stress tolerance, such changes may compromise exercise performance in diabetic patients.