Exercise can help manage type 1 diabetes
Aerobic exercise can benefit people withtype 1 diabetes who are on insulin pumps, a small study suggests.
The three-month study found that the six people with type 1 diabetes who didaerobic workouts had better blood sugar control, used less insulin and had fewer high blood sugar events than the seven who did no exercise.
The study was published online Oct. 11 in the journal Cell Transplantation.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes the bodys immune system to attack the bodys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. People with type 1 diabetes are left with little to no insulin -- a hormone necessary for the body to use the carbohydrates found in food.
Because people with type 1 diabetes dont have enough insulin to meet the bodys needs, they must take insulin multiple times a day. This can be done through multiple daily injections, or via a small tube inserted under the skin and attached to an insulin pump, according to the American DiabetesAssociation (ADA).
Combined with insulin therapy, exercise can help people with type 1 diabetes manage the disease, and may help people use less insulin, according to the study. However, exercise alone cannot be used to treat the disorder. Insulin is always needed for people with type 1 diabetes, the ADA says.
We found that being physically active can improve [blood sugar] control for patients with type 1 diabetes, study co-author Dr. Livio Luzi said in a journal news release. Luzi is with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicines Diabetes Research Institute.
Our results suggest that an educational program addressed to [type 1 diabetes] patients, and focused on insulin injecting monitoring, diet and exercise, is highly advantageous for management of [type 1 diabetes], Luzi added.
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