Training with Diabetics

This week the topic was suggested by one of my training buddies (thanks Gabriel). If you are training in a group with a diabetic, I've got some tips!

Type 1 diabetics are constantly trying to balance their intake of carbohydrates (which push their blood glucose level - BGL higher) and their insulin doses which push BGLs down. Exercise accelerates the effect of insulin which makes the balancing act more challenging.

If this balancing act goes wrong, it can lead to high BGLs which detract from athletic performance and, more importantly, can lead to long term complications if not more closely controlled. Or if BGLs drop rapidly and are not treated with fast acting carbs this can lead to a diabetic fit or unconsciousness - something I'd like to avoid!

Diabetics are usually quite good at recognising the signs of falling BGLs, testing their BGL and treating it if necessary. However, if it has been a hard or long training session, low BGLs ("hypoglycemia" or a "hypo") can be hard to distinguish from just fatigue!

If you train with a diabetic look out for the signs of a hypo which include being incoherent, uncoordinated and maybe a bit grumpy! When a diabetic gets to this stage, they are unable to think straight and may need some encouragement to test their BGL and treat a hypo with sugar. If they lose consciousness do not try to force sugar into them - call an ambulance immediately and hopefully the professionals can help your friend to recover quickly - probably with the assistance of an emergency glucogon injection to boost their BGL.

Safe training everyone!

Diabetes and the heat

With the whole country sweltering, I didn't have to think too hard to find a topic to discuss this week. The hotter temperatures affect everyone in different ways. I've found that my recovery from training sessions takes a little longer and that fatigued muscles feeling hangs around a bit longer.

As for diabetes management, I generally find I need higher insulin doses during heatwaves to keep my BGLs in check. I guess the body's energy systems are working harder to refuel, reducing insulin sensitivity. However (and this is where it can get tricky), I find that sometimes during exercise my BGLs will drop quicker if it is hot. How do I cope with this complication? It's easily overcome by advice that useful at all times for type 1 diabetics:

1. Be on the lookout for the telltale symptoms of the onset of a hypo; and
2. Have some fast acting carbs on hand.

It's just a case of being a little bit more vigilant.

If anyone has topics they would like me to discuss, just comment on the post or send me a message.

2013!

Well the first week of 2013 has arrived. I'm not getting too carried away with my training yet - I'll start a specific training program for the Cairns 70.3 at the start of March. I love training though, so I'll make sure I keep doing a bit so that I'm ready to get stuck into it early in March.

I had a great ride with friends on Sunday out to Brookfield. Its such a fascinating ride. The city is left behind very quickly as you weave your way up the gently climbing valley. It's refreshingly cool on hot summer days. That's followed by a speedy descent back to the city for coffee and a few laughs about the morning's adventures.

Type 1 Diabetic Triathlete - the road to Cairns Ironman 70.3

I've started this blog to share my journey to return to long course triathlon racing, for the first time since my diabetes diagnosis and the addition of two children to my family. I'm hoping to generate some ideas and discussion about how to prepare for and race endurance events and how to manage type 1 diabetes.
Now, for a little bit more background - I'm a 36 year old from Brisbane, Australia; a father of two delightful young kids.  I've been competing in triathlons for about 17 years, including a lot of shorter events and some long course races.
In 2010, I had some unexplained and dramatic weight loss. I was also very tired and struggling to recover from training sessions. Initially I put it down to the life changing event of bringing our first child into the house. When I realised I had lost 10% of my body weight despite eating everything I could get my hands on, I went to visit the Doc and was whisked away for blood tests which confirmed I had type 1 diabetes (with a blood glucose level – BGL – in the 30s!).
After a short stay in hospital to learn about diabetes management and commence my insulin injection training, I was soon back at home, researching to find out if I could continue my triathlete lifestyle.
I quickly learnt that not only could I continue to exercise and race, but the exercise would help me to manage my diabetes.
I discovered a type 1 diabetes exercise support group based in Melbourne, called HypoActive (www.hypoactive.org). The group was founded by Monique Hanley who had raced as an elite level cyclist and had been part of an all diabetic cycling team (Team Type 1) that won the Race Across America.
HypoActive aims to inspire the type 1 community to live a more physically active lifestyle. They consist of many type 1 diabetics across Australia of varying exercise experience, sharing their views and learnings on how to manage insulin and blood glucose levels while exercising. This can be quite tricky and daunting, so it has been so helpful to hear what other type 1s have been able to learn from their own experiences.
I've participated in a number of events with HypoActive since my diagnosis, with the highlight being the annual Brisbane to Gold Coast ride. Each year we ride together and share stories of managing our BGLs and exercising.
Since my diagnosis, I've been able to put together some consistent periods of training and I have been able to beat my previous personal best times for a marathon, Olympic distance triathlon and half-Olympic triathlon.
I've set my next challenge as a return to long course triathlon. I've selected the Cairns Ironman 70.3 triathlon in June 2013. With two children in the family and both my wife and I working, it is now more of a juggle to fit my training in. I've scaled back the number of hours of training compared to my previous races, pre-kids. However, I still believe if I am organised and disciplined, I can produce a great race in June.
Each week, I’ll provide an update on how my training is going, discuss some of the challenges I face, or start a discussion on what training or diabetes methods work best for endurance events.