Diabetes and Performance in Sports
Sports and diabetes were regarded as unlikely allies. Patients having diabetes were discouraged from doing even exercises considering the risk of high blood sugar levels produced as a result of the release of increased amount of glucose during exercises. The risk of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar levels was also feared as a result of the fast burning of fats and stored glucose for more energy. However with innovations in diabetes treatment more and more diabetes patients are coming to sports like Jason Johnson and Missy Foy.
How Diabetes Impedes Performance in Sports?
Diabetes interferes with optimum level of performance in sports in many ways. Almost all of them invariably have something to do with the blood sugar level. Diabetes prevents the optimum level of performance in the following ways:
- Creating a fluctuating blood sugar level
- Increasing the chances of dehydration
- Causing fatigue more easily
- Creating lethargy
- Interfering with eyesight in unchecked cases.
Causes for Blood Sugar Rise during an Event
Diabetic patients were never encouraged to take up sports until recently because of the adverse effects exercise has on the blood sugar levels. Causes for increased blood sugar levels include the following.
- Low level of insulin characteristic of diabetes
- Dehydration which is caused by high blood sugar levels and accelerates the same
- High blood sugar levels caused by anaerobic exercises like weight lifting and sprint
- Secretion of stress hormones in the pre-event time, increasing glucose discharge.
Solutions for Stress-related High Blood Sugar
Stress related increase in blood sugar can be countered by the individual mental effort of the athlete. The most useful steps to reduce the blood sugar levels are listed below:
- Maintaining a positive attitude in life
- Doing muscle relaxation exercises
- Deep breathing techniques involving slow inhaling and exhaling.
Steps to Prevent Dehydration
The usual intake of water for a normal person is 4 to 8 glasses of water. In the case of an athlete it is 8-12 glasses a day. Athletes having diabetes are advised to follow a regulated intake of water as increased water content also can give rise to problems like hyponatremia which is an abnormal retention of water content with decreased levels of sodium. Usually 16 ounces of water is prescribed before the activity and 4-6 ounces every 15-20 minutes during the activity.
Steps to Gain Peak Levels in Sports Performance
With blood sugar levels playing a crucial role in controlling diabetes, the focus of health teams in sports has always been at keeping the blood sugar levels in check. The following strategies are followed worldwide diabetic athletes:
- Taking nutritional supplement to balance the energy loss
- Taking controlled intake of water to prevent dehydration
- Keeping the blood sugar levels between 100 and 150mg/dl during the event
- Adjusting insulin levels through constant monitoring
- Eating Carbohydrates prior to the events to prevent sharp decrease in insulin levels
- Maintaining a positive attitude in life.
In short diabetes is not a permanent impediment at achieving peak levels in sports, but something that can be kept in check through various means.
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