General Introduction
Who are we, and why did we write this book?
We are exercise physiologists united by a shared passion for helping people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) achieve their exercise goals. Over the past decade, our work has spanned clinical research, applied sports science with professional athletes with T1D, and technology start-ups.
T1D presents unique challenges in exercise metabolism, making it difficult for those with the condition to exercise safely and effectively. While neither of us lives with T1D, our work has led to numerous close friendships, new insights, and a strong desire to improve the standard of care regarding exercise and T1D.
This book is written for anyone interested in learning about the science of T1D and exercise. This includes people living with T1D, partners or caregivers of people with T1D, healthcare professionals, academics, and sports coaches. We also hope it can be a valuable resource for anyone studying exercise physiology and inspire more people to work in this area. There’s still plenty to do!
Through our experience, we have observed several key challenges related to exercise and T1D:
- Exercise continues to be one of the biggest challenges for many people living with T1D. Yet, it often receives less attention than other aspects of diabetes care. This lack of focus can negatively affect the quality of life and the sense of freedom associated with an active lifestyle.
- Healthcare professionals often find it challenging to provide sufficient guidance on exercise, particularly for those newly diagnosed with T1D or who wish to train or compete at high levels.
- Information from scientific research is not always accessible to people outside of clinical medicine or academia due to the complexity of academic language or journal access fees.
In response to these challenges, we have compiled the most relevant research to help you better understand how to navigate the challenges of safe and effective exercise with T1D.
This book begins with an overview and introduction to T1D and its implications for people living with it. We then provide a deep dive into exercise benefits, challenges, and management strategies (Chapters 2, 3, and 4). Chapter 5 discusses sports science principles and how they can be applied to endurance athletes with T1D. Chapters 6 and 7 explore low carbohydrate diets and their potential applications in training and competition for athletes with T1D. Chapter 8 asks whether living with T1D has possible effects on athletic performance. Chapter 9 provides information on additional factors that influence glucose management related to sport, including environmental conditions and other exercise-related challenges.
Lastly, we added an extra “Secret” chapter at the end of the book that you can scan to stay connected with us and receive more information on T1D and exercise as the science continues to develop. Research related to exercise and T1D is never complete. The learning never ends.
This book is designed to be a flexible resource that does not necessarily need to be read sequentially. Feel free to dip in and out as you seek answers to specific questions. It is the culmination of years of hard work, global travel, and collaboration with scientists, researchers, doctors, and, most importantly, people living with T1D.
We hope you find it valuable.
Sam and Simon