Diabetes, sport and exercise are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, sport improves the he alth and well-being of a diabetic. Which sports are recommended and which are contraindicated in the course of diabetes? When is a diabetic unable to exercise? These and other questions are answered by prof. dr hab. Dorota Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz, specialist in internal diseases and diabetology.

Sportcan not only help prevent the onset ofdiabetestype 2, but also improve the he alth of people who are already struggling with this disease (with both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes). - Physical effort is an integral and irreplaceable part of comprehensive diabetes treatment - says prof. dr hab. Dorota Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz, specialist in internal diseases and diabetology. Regular exercise helps keep your blood sugar stable and allows you to reduce the doses of your medications. In addition, in a patient who plays sports, cholesterol and arterial pressure levels are normalized, overall physical performance and well-being are improved. - However, equally importantly, those who train systematically are less likely to suffer from chronic complications of diabetes, which lead to disability and premature death - emphasizes prof. Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz. They have a better chance of living longer - adds the expert.

Sport and diabetes - what physical exercise is recommended for diabetes?

Exercise is recommended especially in type 2 diabetes, which very often coexists with overweight and obesity. In this case, a valuable effect of physical activity is the reduction of adipose tissue in the body and facilitating the maintenance of proper body weight. However, what kind of exercise is recommended in the course of diabetes?

Moderate, regular exercise improves glucose tolerance and increases the sensitivity of tissues to insulin.

According to prof. Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz, the recommended form of physical activity in diabetics is endurance training, e.g. walking, especially Nordic walking. - Large muscle groups are activated when walking with poles. Muscles working in the moderate-intensity exercise zone act like a water-absorbing sponge - they absorb glucose in addition to insulin, and this has various benefitsmetabolic - explains prof. Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz. An example of endurance sport is not only walking, but also jogging, swimming, cycling, roller skating, cross-country skiing - says the expert.

Sport and diabetes - what physical exercise is contraindicated in diabetes?

People with type 1 diabetes have few restrictions on sports. Extreme sports are contraindicated, where the occurrence of hypoglycaemia may result in loss of life, e.g. paragliding - says prof. Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz. Other examples of such sports will be: gliding, motor and car racing, scuba diving, horse racing, extreme mountain climbing, skydiving.

The doctor decides which physical effort is best for the patient and what is contraindicated.

- In type 2 diabetes it is weight, obesity - especially if it is high - limits certain physical activities - explains the expert. Due to the concomitant degenerative changes in the locomotor system, exercises that load the joints of the lower limbs will be a contraindicated form of exercise for obese people. In addition, people with diabetes should not undertake, there are heavy strength efforts - ones where there is a lot of muscle tension with relatively little movement - such as when lifting heavy loads. Such effort causes a significant increase in blood pressure and puts a strain on the circulatory system.

According to an expertprof. dr hab. Dorota Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz, specialist in internal diseases and diabetology

Sport and hypoglycemia

Exercise increases the risk of hypoglycaemia. […] If a patient receives adequate education in the field of exercise and diabetes and acquires skills in adjusting insulin doses and supplementing carbohydrates adequately, the risk of hypoglycaemia does not have to be greater in a physically active patient than in a physically lazy patient.

When do diabetes and sport exclude each other?

- These are the situations when diabetes leads to chronic complications - explains prof. Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz. If these complications are advanced, then there may be contraindications for this or that physical activity. For example, if a patient has proliferative retinopathy, advanced eye fundus changes, and does not have this fundus secured (with photocoagulation), then we will not encourage him to dive, the expert explains. - If he has autonomic neuropathy, he has thermoregulation disorders, we will deny such a patient endurance activities, e.g. intensive cycling, especially at high temperatures - explains the diabetologist. - Patient with neuropathyautonomic, he has orthostatic hypotension, i.e. rapid upright standing causes a sudden drop in pressure and fainting, and we will discourage such a patient from activities that would provoke this situation - adds the expert.

Decompensated diabetes will also be a limitation for physical activity. - The patient should not undertake physical activity, especially intensive training, when he has high glycemic values, i.e. certainly above 300 mg / dl, although the recommendations reduce this limit to 250 mg / dl - says Prof. Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz. If a patient would like to exercise at 250 mg / dL, he should analyze the situation that led to this sugar value. First of all, check for indicators of insulin deficiency - that there is no sugar and acetone in the urine. If he does not, and knows that this glycemia is the result of eating something extra, then there is no reason not to take up physical activity. However, if he has sugar and acetone in his urine, he should control the sugar first and then think about physical activity - explains the expert.

If the patient was hypoglycemic prior to exercise, he should not attempt this activity. When pre-exercise glucose levels are below 70 mg / dL, respond to it.

How important is exercise in diabetes? Explains prof. dr hab. Dorota Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz

Source: youtube.com/ Institute for Patient Rights and He alth Education

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Category:

Diabetes