Managing Diabetes during Sports!!
SPORTS 💙💙💙
Please share + Comment to spread the awareness for not only my son here but for all diabetics. This disease SUCKS so the faster we find a cure the better
Playing sports with diabetes is SO beneficial for someone with Type 1. When someone is diagnosed they say the lose 10 years off their expected life and daily exercise can get those years back. BUT it’s not for the faint of heart managing your diabetes during sports, especially RED zones sports like hockey, swimming or sprint running for instance can be difficult to say the least.
What makes them red zones sports? They are higher intensity activity levels with sudden burst of energy that could cause extreme highs during the game or activity and then cause lows after during and after games. See when Colton plays hockey it’s not a hour and a half monitor it can affect him for not 24 but 48 hours after🤯 I know i was shocked when I found out too.
The muscles need more energy during exercise, so the body releases extra sugar, or glucose. So when they come off the bench flying onto the ice or jumping into the pool for a race Glucose will flood into their system and if the body doesn't have enough insulin to use the glucose that's released during exercise, then the glucose stays in the blood, which leads to high blood sugar levels. This is called hyperglycemia.
Not having enough insulin to use the sugar in the blood can also cause the body to burn fat for fuel. When the body starts to burn fat for fuel, substances called ketones are produced. People with diabetes shouldn't exercise if they have high levels of ketones in their blood because this can make them really sick.
Then after his game The body's need for extra glucose during exercise can also cause low blood sugar levels called hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar can happen when the body uses up all the sugar that it's stored so there's no more to be released as glucose when the muscles demand it. This is especially true if insulin levels in the blood are still high after taking an injection. This can affect them greatly post exercise up to 48 hours after ESPECIALLY if they have a low after the game they are twice as likely to have another and harder to treat.
Tips that may help during sports:
• Drink lots of water
• When they first start playing TEST ALOT. I mean a lot. Colton was lucky to go back to the sport with other diabetics and a team of trained staff. They wrote done their glucose 5x during one practice. We found out he was more likely to go low in the afternoon.
• Eat & bolus 60-90 minutes before hand. See taking a bolus doesn’t happen instantly. It takes time so you want to make sure that insulin is active while sugars are flooding the system not after the game where it will most likely go low. High GI carbs are actually more beneficial before and after the game EX. White bread before pasta after.
• Having snack close by where they are playing. Colton has his bag he takes with him on the bench. Juice is the most effective when he plays. And he tests between periods.
• within 30 minutes post game have a snack that hits the 3 macros Fat, Protein & Carbs. We usually do chocolate milk 500ml which is about 54grams.
• Before going to bed dairies last longer in the system and LOW GI high fibre carbs won’t burn out as fast. Our go to is yogurt with granola in it.
• Be open with the other player on the team. They are honestly curious and want to help. Let them know what it means when he’s high or low. What they can do to help. It will make your little guy/girl more comfortable and also the team.
• And there is there is no device in the world that is better than themselves. ALWAYS go by how you feel, trust their gut.
It’s all a numbers game and here are what we have found that works best for Colton. But this is after numerous tests previously so please test test test in the beginning to find out how the game/sport will effect them particularly.
Under 6 he will have rapid activiting sugar. Coltons
Go to his juice. He carries an entire pack of juice boxes in his hockey bag at all time
Between 7-14 play away little man
15-18 he does a bolus correction before he plays
18+ check for ketones but it’s more than likely he feels like such crap at this point it would be hard for him to skate (yes we have not played because of high blood sugar) remember sugars are going to flood his system so if he is 18 or higher he will probably be in the hospital if he plays.
*********REMEMBER*************
To anyone who plays with a diabetic it is a CONSTANT war inside them before they even step a foot on the ice or jump in the pool or on a track. Too high glucose feel like they are hungover(that’s the best way to describe it) to low they are shaking or Coltons sign is his legs become very heavy and weak.
Support them, tell them something good lift them up because more than likely they are second guessing how they are going to get through this. Make them feel welcome. Coltons team does mvp gatorades after each game and now have Gatorade zero just for him. Some kids will carry his diabetic bag for him and after the game. Those little things have made him seriously love his team. A little goes a long way.
It would be a lot easier for them not to play HELL I don’t know if I’d go through all of that. So each boy or girl trying to show up is a champion already & are what a true superhero looks like 💙
Please share + Comment to spread the awareness for not only my son here but for all diabetics. This disease SUCKS so the faster we find a cure the better
Playing sports with diabetes is SO beneficial for someone with Type 1. When someone is diagnosed they say the lose 10 years off their expected life and daily exercise can get those years back. BUT it’s not for the faint of heart managing your diabetes during sports, especially RED zones sports like hockey, swimming or sprint running for instance can be difficult to say the least.
What makes them red zones sports? They are higher intensity activity levels with sudden burst of energy that could cause extreme highs during the game or activity and then cause lows after during and after games. See when Colton plays hockey it’s not a hour and a half monitor it can affect him for not 24 but 48 hours after🤯 I know i was shocked when I found out too.
The muscles need more energy during exercise, so the body releases extra sugar, or glucose. So when they come off the bench flying onto the ice or jumping into the pool for a race Glucose will flood into their system and if the body doesn't have enough insulin to use the glucose that's released during exercise, then the glucose stays in the blood, which leads to high blood sugar levels. This is called hyperglycemia.
Not having enough insulin to use the sugar in the blood can also cause the body to burn fat for fuel. When the body starts to burn fat for fuel, substances called ketones are produced. People with diabetes shouldn't exercise if they have high levels of ketones in their blood because this can make them really sick.
Then after his game The body's need for extra glucose during exercise can also cause low blood sugar levels called hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar can happen when the body uses up all the sugar that it's stored so there's no more to be released as glucose when the muscles demand it. This is especially true if insulin levels in the blood are still high after taking an injection. This can affect them greatly post exercise up to 48 hours after ESPECIALLY if they have a low after the game they are twice as likely to have another and harder to treat.
Tips that may help during sports:
• Drink lots of water
• When they first start playing TEST ALOT. I mean a lot. Colton was lucky to go back to the sport with other diabetics and a team of trained staff. They wrote done their glucose 5x during one practice. We found out he was more likely to go low in the afternoon.
• Eat & bolus 60-90 minutes before hand. See taking a bolus doesn’t happen instantly. It takes time so you want to make sure that insulin is active while sugars are flooding the system not after the game where it will most likely go low. High GI carbs are actually more beneficial before and after the game EX. White bread before pasta after.
• Having snack close by where they are playing. Colton has his bag he takes with him on the bench. Juice is the most effective when he plays. And he tests between periods.
• within 30 minutes post game have a snack that hits the 3 macros Fat, Protein & Carbs. We usually do chocolate milk 500ml which is about 54grams.
• Before going to bed dairies last longer in the system and LOW GI high fibre carbs won’t burn out as fast. Our go to is yogurt with granola in it.
• Be open with the other player on the team. They are honestly curious and want to help. Let them know what it means when he’s high or low. What they can do to help. It will make your little guy/girl more comfortable and also the team.
• And there is there is no device in the world that is better than themselves. ALWAYS go by how you feel, trust their gut.
It’s all a numbers game and here are what we have found that works best for Colton. But this is after numerous tests previously so please test test test in the beginning to find out how the game/sport will effect them particularly.
Under 6 he will have rapid activiting sugar. Coltons
Go to his juice. He carries an entire pack of juice boxes in his hockey bag at all time
Between 7-14 play away little man
15-18 he does a bolus correction before he plays
18+ check for ketones but it’s more than likely he feels like such crap at this point it would be hard for him to skate (yes we have not played because of high blood sugar) remember sugars are going to flood his system so if he is 18 or higher he will probably be in the hospital if he plays.
*********REMEMBER*************
To anyone who plays with a diabetic it is a CONSTANT war inside them before they even step a foot on the ice or jump in the pool or on a track. Too high glucose feel like they are hungover(that’s the best way to describe it) to low they are shaking or Coltons sign is his legs become very heavy and weak.
Support them, tell them something good lift them up because more than likely they are second guessing how they are going to get through this. Make them feel welcome. Coltons team does mvp gatorades after each game and now have Gatorade zero just for him. Some kids will carry his diabetic bag for him and after the game. Those little things have made him seriously love his team. A little goes a long way.
It would be a lot easier for them not to play HELL I don’t know if I’d go through all of that. So each boy or girl trying to show up is a champion already & are what a true superhero looks like 💙
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