Type 1 diabetes management in a competitive athlete: A five-year case report

Abstract

Type I diabetes has an incidence of 15 per 100,000 people. Though it is a metabolic disorder, it can be seen in top, even professional athletes. Physical activity is recommended to manage diabetes, but there is a lack of specific knowledge on diabetes management and exercise from dedicated medical staff. This bias leads to suboptimal diabetes management, causing frequent hyper and hypoglycemia, a dysregulation of glycated hemoglobin, blood glucose out of control, and consequent needs to often intervene with extra insulin or carbohydrates. For 5 years, we followed a highly competitive male Caucasian athlete Vovinam Viet Vo Dao, with type I diabetes, aged 17. We monitored his glycated hemoglobin, the insulin drug administered, and glycemia blood level averages. We obtained, over time, a decrease in glycated hemoglobin by almost -22% and insulin administered by -37.33%, and average blood glycemia levels diminished by almost -27%. In addition, we carried out bioimpedance analysis and stratigraphy on the abdomen. Federation trainers supervised all physical training; we recorded an improvement in the general condition, underlined in particular by an increase in phase angle (from bioimpedance) of +17%.

Keywords: Viet Vo Dao; bioimpedance; combat sport; glycated hemoglobin; low-carb; strength training; type I diabetes.

FIGURE 1

(a) Glycemia serum levels, (b) Insulin total daily unit, and (c) Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) percentage serum levels during the 5 years of athlete's management.

FIGURE 2

(a) Phase angle, (b) Body Fat percentage, and (c) Weight during the 5 years of athlete's management.

FIGURE 3

Comparative stratigraphy reports of superficial adipose tissue (SSAT) and deep (SDAT) adipose tissue of the abdomen. (a) At the begging, (b) in the middle of the nutritional plant, and (c) at the end of it. Both SSAT and SDAT decreased from 9.4 mm to 6.0 mm and 13.1 mm to 7.5 mm, respectively. Concomitantly an increase in muscle tissue from 16.8 mm to 22.1 mm was recorded.