Some of these studies lead me to so many more questions than there are answers.
For example: who thought of the initial study in the first place? What made the originator wonder about it? Do they have diabetes themselves? Who do they know, and what is that person doing, that made the question come to mind at all?
Alas, these questions remain unanswered for me on today’s study.
The title of this one is Aerobic Exercise Capacity and Pulmonary Function in Athletes With and Without Type 1 Diabetes so you can see why it caught my eye.
Of course, if I wanted to read more than the abstract I’d have to pay for it and I’m not one to do that… although maybe I’ll head to the health library and check it out someday because I’m curious.
The abstract describes the research design and methods and I’m already offended: they differentiate between those with type 1 diabetes and those without by describing them as “individuals with type one” and “healthy.”
Ahem. (Although maybe I should perhaps blame a translator for that one, though, because the study comes from Brazil so maybe they originally phrased it in a more palatable way.)
The researchers also broke the groups into athletes and non athletes; as expected, the athletes had a higher maximum volume of oxygen (V02 max) than the non athletes. (An increased V02 max is one of many results of consistent aerobic training.)
The only real difference it seems they found between those with type one diabetes and those without was that the type one participants had a lower anaerobic threshold. This anaerobic threshold is the point at which the body uses a different energy source (lactic acid rather than oxygen) to fuel muscles and interval training is the way to raise this threshold. One of several reasons I am always in support of interval training!
In all, the conclusion is what I consider a happy one: aerobic capacity in subjects with type 1 diabetes with programmed exercise is similar to the capacity of normal athletes despite lower anaerobic threshold.
Yet more proof that type one diabetes has no business getting in the way of your being a fit and healthy exerciser.
So what are you waiting for?
