Exercise

50-80% basal rate reduction lowers the risk of exercise-induced hypoglycemia.

Sheri R. Colberg, PhD, FACSM is Professor Emerita of Exercise Science from Old Dominion University and an internationally recognized authority on diabetes and exercise. She is the author of 12 books, 27 book chapters, and over 400 articles. The author of "Exercise and Diabetes: A Clinician's Guide to Prescribing Physical Activity," published by ADA in 2013, she is also the lead author on a new ADA position statement on physical activity and diabetes published last fall. In 2016, she received the ADA Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award.

In this Exclusive Interview, Sheri Colberg talks with Diabetes in Control Publisher Steve Freed during the ADA 2018 convention in Orlando about various forms of food consumption and their impact on exercise, as well as good exercises for people with diabetes.

In part 1 of this Exclusive Interview, Sheri Colberg discusses the dietary habits of athletes in a talk with Diabetes in Control Publisher Steve Freed.

In part 2 of this Exclusive Interview, Sheri Colberg talks with Diabetes in Control Publisher Steve Freed about the true effectiveness of carb loading before athletic activity.

In part 3 of this Exclusive Interview, Sheri Colberg shares her primary recommended form of exercise in a discussion with Diabetes in Control Publisher Steve Freed.

In part 4 of this Exclusive Interview, Sheri Colberg talks with Diabetes in Control Publisher Steve Freed about the consumption of sports drinks versus water.

By Sheri R. Colberg, PhD, FACSM
If you take any other medications to help lower your blood cholesterol, manage your blood pressure, or control other health problems, be aware that some of them can potentially impact your ability to be physically active. Although most drugs do not affect exercise, several common nondiabetes medications with such potential effects are statins, beta-blockers, diuretics, vasodilators, and blood thinners.

Carbohydrate ingestion combined with short sprints before a moderate-intensity workout does not negatively affect patients with type 1 diabetes.

By Sheri R. Colberg, PhD, FACSM

There is no official ideal blood glucose range to start with and maintain during physical activity, but we do know that being too low negatively impacts performance, as does being too high. As for what blood glucose target or range most athletes aim for, it depends on a number of factors, including the type, intensity, and duration of their activity. A consensus statement about exercise and type 1 diabetes published in The Lancet in 2017 suggested that a reasonable target for most people doing aerobic exercise lasting up to an hour is 126 to 180 mg/dL (7.0 to 10.0 mmol/L), only aiming higher for added protection against lows in some situations.