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Diets for Diabetic Athletes

Managing your diabetes is a matter of keeping your blood sugar levels stable in order to avoid the complications that may occur. This is especially tough for athletes whose bodies require an even more specialized diet to maintain a high level of physical fitness. Making a few small changes to their diet allows diabetic athletes to keep the disease under control while successfully competing with otherwise healthy athletes.

  1. Diabetes Basics

    • There are two variations of diabetes. Type 1 is known as insulin-dependent diabetes, and athletes with this form should have a constant supply of glucose and insulin ready when competing or exercising. Type 2 diabetes is much more common (about 80% of diabetics have this form) and has been linked to obesity. Because of this, exercise serves double duty for athletes as a means of preventing the disease and keeping them healthy after developing it. For both types excess blood sugar is the main symptom which makes dietary choices much more critical to controlling the disease.

      Diabetics often have trouble healing from bodily harm, so athletes need to be sure that injuries and sores closely watched, and should be examined by a health care professional if they do not show signs of healing. In addition, they will require ample recovery time from exercise or competition to avoid more serious complications.

    Diabetic Diets

    • Keep a close eye on the carbohydrate content of your diet if you suffer from diabetes. Carbs serve as energy for physical activity but are broken down into glucose by the body, making this a tough balancing act for diabetic athletes. Whenever possible choose complex carbohydrates such as whole grains or cereals, and make sure to have prescription glucose controlling medicine available when you need to 'carbo-load' before competition.

      Fresh fruits and vegetables have a reasonable sugar profile and are much better to eat than sweets; use them to replace midday snacks. Also include only 100% juice in your diet as concentrated juices tend to cause spikes in blood sugar, a very bad situation for a diabetic to find themselves in.

    Athletics

    • Athletes have higher calorie demands in general, but still try to limit the amount of sugars and carbs introduced to your body each day. Hydration during exercise helps your body flush excess glucose from your blood as well. Finally, always monitor your blood sugar level before, during and after exercise or competition to ensure that it is within a safe range.

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