Effect of Carbohydrate Ingestion on the Glycemic Response of Type 1 Diabetic Adolescents During Exercise

Abstract

Ingestion of a drink containing sufficient carbohydrates can result in avoidance of exercise-induced hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetic individuals. In a previous study (1), we analyzed the effect of ingesting a drink with 6% carbohydrate (0.636 g/kg) on blood glucose concentration in type 1 diabetic adolescents during 60 min of moderate exercise and after 30 min of recovery. At the end of the trial, blood glucose concentration was reduced by 21 mg/dl. Drink concentrations of >6% carbohydrate may help to prevent blood glucose reduction during exercise in type 1 diabetic subjects. However, the increased osmolality of high-carbohydrate drinks may cause gastrointestinal distress (2). This study aimed to determine whether carbohydrate solutions (8 and 10%) could prevent exercise blood glucose drops and to examine the gastrointestinal symptoms in type 1 diabetic adolescents. Sixteen subjects (10 males and 6 females, age 16.1 ± 0.6 years, weight 62.8 ± 9.8 kg, height 168.3 ± 13.6 cm) volunteered to participate in the study and provided written informed consent. The mean duration of the condition was 7.3 ± 0.01 years, HbA1c was 6.8 ± 3.3%, and there were no chronic complications. Subjects were taking intermediate-acting or ultralong-acting insulin. The ethical committee of Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre approved the study. Both drinks were prepared by adding glucose and fructose to a solution with 4% sucrose and 2% …