Participating in a sport as a diabetic takes some planning. The following tips should help diabetics get ready to play sport, whether they are children or adults. Before participating in sport or exercise, diabetics should make their doctors aware of their intentions and take notice of any advice.
Testing yourself is crucial. Diabetics taking part in sport should be able to test themselves and take advice from their doctor on when to test blood sugar level.
Diabetics participating in sport may have to test before, during and after exercise. This is also known as self-monitoring.
In addition to this, diabetics may also want to:
- Secure your insulin pump. Before playing sport, make sure that your insulin pump will not be disturbed by the activity. If you can’t play a sport because of your insulin pump, consult your doctor.
- Choose your food carefully. Your doctor will also be able to tell you what to eat as a diabetic taking part in sport.
- For instance, you may need extra snack food before, during or after playing sport.
- Make sure you carry snacks and water with you, wherever you are exercising.
- Take sufficient supplies.
- Take sufficient testing equipment, medication, emergency contact information.
- Choose your injection site wisely if you are planning to exercise. Don’t administer insulin to a part of the body about to be actively used in sport, as this can speed up the blood glucose lowering effect of the injection.
- Tell people. Don’t exercise with people that don’t know you are diabetic. There is nothing to be ashamed of, so don’t hide it, particularly from teachers or sports coaches. Tell people you have diabetes.
- Be prepared to stop. Quitting in sport is not usually encouraged, but with diabetes you have to be prepared to stop when your body’s telling you to. In some cases this may be just long enough to drink water, eat a snack or test blood sugar level.