Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Exercising benefits individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) by improving overall health, glycemic control, and body composition. However, managing blood glucose fluctuations during and after exercising remains a significant challenge, preventing many individuals with T1D from meeting the recommended physical activity level of 30 minutes per day. In particular, the fear of hypoglycemia leads to reduced physical activity.

Aim: The objectives of this session are to equip the audience with essential knowledge on exercise physiology in athletes with T1D and provide the participants with the latest recommendations for optimizing blood glucose management during exercise. Additionally, I will share insights into our clinic supporting athletes with T1D in training and competition, helping them perform at their highest potential.

Methods: To address these challenges, the Clinic for Athletes with Type 1 Diabetes was established in 2019 at Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Denmark. Our clinic’s goal is to power athletes with T1D compete on par with their peers without diabetes by refining their diabetes management strategies for training and competition. In doing so, we also support them optimize their athletic performance.

Results: Our “Plan, Do, Study, Act” (PDSA) change model will be presented. Moreover, baseline and follow-up data will be reported on diabetes-related metrics from our athletes, including time-in-range and HbA1c, as well as patient-reported outcomes (PROs) such as WHO-5, SF-12, PAID, patient involvement in treatment, and the HFS-II Short Form (behavior and worry).

Conclusion: Our preliminary findings indicate that athletes in our clinical program reported a reduction in diabetes-related distress and fear of hypoglycemia, while we observed improvements in glycemic control. Furthermore, this talk outlines a method for implementing clinical guidelines for both recreational and elite athletes with T1D.