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Have you ever played a sport while living with T1D? Share in the comments about your experiences managing T1D while playing sports!
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Baseball, football, soccer, basketball, cross country, swimming, judo, batai, rugby, golf, canoeing, badminton, tennis, ice skating, snow skiing, chess, cross country skiing, dancing, fishing, wrestling, poker, sailing, volleyball, softball, ping pong, water polo, weightlifting. Much of that without CGM, pump, glucometer, or test tape.
Now, if I could just get out of bed in the morning, I’d be in good shape. ヽ༼ ຈل͜ຈ༼ ▀̿̿Ĺ̯̿̿▀̿ ̿༽Ɵ͆ل͜Ɵ͆ ༽ﾉ Sigh!
I checked :other.” Does 3 aerobics classes a week count? It certainly affects my insulin dosing decisions.
Not sports. Lots of dance activities throughout my life from childhood to various stages of adulthood – all with diabetes. In my youth I was active in classes, workshops, and performances for ballet, modern, jazz, tap, clogging, folk dance, musical comedy, and as a young & middle-aged adult I studied, performed and taught bellydance. Later as an adult I taught creative movement dance classes for women and girls of all ages and abilities. In addition I have studied and practiced yoga and tai chi for many years and still practice them today. Plus I was commissioned on several occasions to choreograph specialized dances for concerts & performance art. As a kid and young person I was never interested in sports as physical activity. I was too busy dancing!
How did I manage my diabetes? I danced for many years without any technology with whatever primitive self-care hacks were available. I ate healthy plant-based food choices, stayed away from junk food and sodas. I managed and replenished my energy levels when rehearsing or teaching with snacks of peanut butter crackers, cheese slices or sticks, raw & roasted nuts & raisins, yogurt, sliced raw fruits and veggies, lots of water, and juice box back-up for hypoglycemia.
I’m not quite sure what is meant by “playing sports” in this question. I cycle every week, I do kettlebell and weight training most days, I have run a few marathons and ultra marathons and done many obstacle course races. If these count, then definitely yes, I have played sports. I of course need to be mindful of my T1, but it has never stopped me doing things. With ultramarathons where an event can take more than 10 hours, I needed to teach my body to use fats for fuel more efficiently. Something else that I have had to learn, by trial and error, is to estimate if the activity is high or low intensity, one raises bg, the other lowers it.
All that does count
I have played sports in the past. My body is currently used to little activity. Previously during sports or currently during physical activity: walking for more than a mile, dancing, hiking I reduce or turn off my insulin and make sure to have food on hand for breaks. I am insulin sensitive.
I play competitive tennis and just completed the 40 mile TD 5 Boro Bike Tour through NYC. I Loop with Omnipod and Dexcom and set up some temporary overrides for sports.
Women’s basketball in the 1960s before insulin pumps or CGMs but I had no trouble whatsoever at that time.
Running- various distances including many marathons. Also walking in 24 hour endurance events. Adjusted basal insulin on pump. Changed low alarm on pump and checked cgm often.
Played tennis. Had juice with me. Before I had a pump so needed more thought about what I was doing. Also those that played with me knew I was a diabetic.
Yep. Played football through high school in late 80’s early 90’s. Had small juices that the trainers would keep on hand and bring to me during time-outs so that I could keep levels up during the activity. Then through college and several years beyond (early 90’s-early 2000’s) I did bronc riding at rodeo’s, this was a little easier because it was a short burst of high activity so it wasn’t as prolonged of time to maintain sugar levels as football was. Just checked levels prior during warm-up and then after my ride and adjusted food/insulin based on those.
Cycling, cross-country skiing, mostly back in the days of one-shot NPH regimen.
Distance running. TGFCGMs! Always carry gel packs with me and check CGM regularly
I’ve been playing sports with T1D for 30+ years: soccer, tennis, baseball, backcountry backpacking, etc. I always have something to treat a low blood sugar in my bag. My teammates, more often than not, know I’m diabetic. I used to remove my pump during game-time and run a little high sugar while playing, but as pump and CGM technology has improved, I’ve taken to leaving the pump on during the game. It’s led to an occasional low, but usually the “activity” setting does a good job of dialing back my basal rate.
I’ve began playing pickle ball recently and was experiencing ketones. My guess is that my normal diet doesn’t include enough carbs to burn for energy during long periods and was burning fat. I’ve tried having a slice of toast with peanut butter before playing and it seems to work.
Also sometimes
I turned off
The control IQ since it shuts my basal at 112 and longer periods without insulin creates a lack of it. After all
We need insulin to exercise. It’s a balancing act.
Ultimate Frisbee and half-marathons. As already mentioned, having quick acting sugar around and keeping a close eye on how I am feeling + my CGM are crucial. It’s the fast drops that feel the worst!
Teener baseball- no issues. College soccer – basically no issues. At times felt like coach & trainer checked on me a little too often.
In my youth I was on softball teams during the season. It was before pumps and CMG’s, so my teammates and coach knew about my T1D. I’m told my behavior shows my lows best, so they would say something to me if I needed to treat.
It seems the intent is for team sport, so the answer is no. It says ever played a sport then yes
I’m an avid boogie boarder, at least a couple of times a week in the ocean. Ten to twenty jelly beans gets me through an active hour in the water while my pump stays in a cooler in the car. I also love hiking. I have a daily workout routine aimed at keeping me fit enough to enjoy being active out in nature.
I was an avid Alpine skier when diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1976. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, I participated in Amateur Slalom racing, both as a member of a team and as an individual, winning several medals (only bronze and silver…never gold).
Also golfed…but that is far less strenuous.
Not sports, but theater. Doing comedy takes the same amount of planning if I want to get the laughs, plus running uses glucose.
Tennis and bowling many years ago, pickle ball more recently, but all only casually. Long ago used to test with finger pricks, recent use of a CGM makes managing my T1D much simpler.
I became a T1D after college. But, since then, I have been a distance runner, cross country skiier, softball, golfer, bike riding, working out in a gym, swimmer. dancing. Most of the time, I either used a lower temporary basal rate, disconnected my pump from my body, and/or ate enough to get my blood sugar up before I exercised. However, for the past 25 years, I have dealt with gastroparesis, which slows down my digestive system, and I am no longer able to run a distance of more than 4.5 miles at a time. I used to do 1/2 marathons. As a matter of fact, I have found that my digestive system stops completely while I am exercising, and I cannot get my blood sugar to rise until I stop exercising. More recently, I have discovered that if I eat more protein before I work out, my blood sugars will not drop as quickly while I am working out, allowing me to run further distances.
Over the past 55 years I’ve played various sports, never very well,. Now we walk whenever we can and monitor bg with CGM that’s transformed exercise to be really enjoyable!
Yes, when I started high school, I was on swim team, and played water polo . 1979 to 1981
I played rugby and the was a rugby referee, much of the time during the days before blood glucose meters. I kept small boxes of raisins and rolls of lifesavers on the sideline for half time, and aimed for higher bg level (as best I could tell) pre-game.
I try aimed in aikido for many years, and similarly raised bg a bit before class, but always got milk and/or orange juice after class before I drove or took the long bus ride home.
Recreational volleyball and tennis, used to run the occasional race between 5 and 15 km, then Master’s rowing competitively, all before CGM. Used to aim to either do before first insulin shot of the day or start with higher than normal bg to the best of my judgement, or consume CHO before start. Had a couple of bad hypo incidents during training for bead of river races, after that took Gatorade with me in the boat in case I needed it, and drank some before races. Was before hypo unawareness. CGM would have made things much easier, but can’t do it now anyway because of osteoarthritis.
I play pickleball. I find that intermittent activity can raise BS. Spin class also. A steady walk will low my BS. With weights I stay steady.
I played racquetball many years ago. I would adjust my pre-meal injections, and if I was going low, because of my hypoglycemic unawareness, I would often depend on the other players to tell me if I was behaving differently.
More recently, playing a lot of pickleball, thanks to technologic advances, I frequently check my CGM readings, and stop and snack if BGs are trending low.
Also, I’m constantly adjusting my Omnipod basal rates and boluses. I have yet to come up with an optimal combination, but the CGM is essential to keep me out of trouble.
Yes, I play senior softball at 67 years on T1D for 58 years, keep starlight peppermints in my pocket in case Dexcom and Tandem start beeping
Anything that will burn significant calories or/and up the metabolism has to be planned by eating more carefully and adjusting insulin accordingly. I go to 3-4 water workout classes a week and go for at least two walks because my dog has huge eyes and when he asks we have to go out.
Two longer walks daily
Golf and bowling as an adult. Careful with my level of activity . I never played a team sport. Individua activity is much more appropriate.
No team sports but other things that definitely affect blood sugar. Hiking, brisk walking, bike riding, and even yardwork all cause serious dips in BG if not carefully monitored and controlled (tough to remember to do when engaged in something though.)
I have gone swiming, played baseball (not that I am any good) and gone swiming hiking. All of these sports are much easier with a CGM to alert to lows.
My experience is from back in the dark ages with no meters or CGMs, when the only way I could play youth sports was to not disclose diabetes to anyone. I went on to play HS basketball and baseball, and yes, there are stories but too much to tell. Things are much easier for T1 athletes today, thank goodness.
I ran after my wife. 46 years ago. Not really a sport with rules, but damn it was exhausting. But worth it, we have been married for 45 years.
Congratulations!
Love your your humor! 🙂
I swam and played water polo in high school and squash and racquet ball in college. This was in the 1970’s, before bg meters or cgm. It was hard
I played much golf. I took less insulin and always had my meter and juice with me.
I played when I was a teen in to my 20’s. No devices. I did fine. My body was much more resilient and “knowing” way back then.
I was a wrestler in high school and played football in high school and college. This was back in the 70’s before electronic meters and monitors. There was always a box of sugar cubes and a glucose gel in the trainer’s box.
I have run and finished the Houston Marathon in 1999 and have played tennis my whole life. I was diagnosed with T1D in 1957 and I am now 70 years old. The Joslin Clinic in Boston help me through all my diabetes management issues. My only diabetes complication is I am a Red Sox fan.
I don’t play sports but I do like to hike, bike and camp. Dexcom is great because I always go low at night when camping. I think all the extra activity (setting up the tent, walking to the bathroom and to get water) is a plus but makes it hard to adjust insulin.
After my dx. (at the age of 8) in 1955 I took golf lessons. I love(d) everything about the game and played as often as the country club would allow women and kids on the course, two to three times a week. Hypoglycemia was always a threat so I’d stuff my pockets and golf bag with hard candy. I got to be good enough to compete in local youth tournaments, but there were few that allowed girls. I played until I was 14, when problems with a mix of different insulin formulations and exercise resulted in a severe low that required assistance from others on the course. Both the Country Club and my parents decided that the risks were too great, so that was the end of my playing. The many tech advances that would have helped reduce the risk of severe lows was still far in the future.
Sorry that happened. Nowadays (with CGMs especially) that probably wouldn’t have happened. I hope you can golf now.
Trained in and taught karate for my entire diabetes career (40+ years). Had experiences with hypoglycemia in tournaments but overall managed well. We can do anything with some planning and adjustments! CGM was a real game changer….
I ride horses, so i guess that kinda counts?
I don’t play a sport but I teach 6 strength training classes a week. So thankful for my Dexcom. I actually have to start the class with a higher than normal blood sugar because my class can drop it 50-60 points. I also keep a glucose drink close by in case I go low.
I play tennis and golf. No issue. I take sugar pills with me in case I get low.
I played tennis in high school. There was no such thing as home testing so I never knew where my bg was until I had a reaction.
A looooong time ago, I played football (soccer) and bowled. This was in the time of no devices, though. Plus I was on twice as much insulin as my body needed… so, life was a roller coaster!
I was diagnosed in 1973 when I was 9yrs., so most of my sports were done with little knowledge of where my blood glucose actually was since I wasn’t constantly checking blood glucose when I was younger. I of course kept glucose of some type to treat low blood sugars when I felt shaky. Now with a CGM, I don’t actually do “sports”, but walk/bike several miles at a time. Still difficult to always manage the blood sugar, but the CGM helps.
My mother was so full of fear from unexpected low blood sugar, sports were forbidden. I opted for photography & journalism to have the involvement I craved.
I played tennis and bike ride. When I played in college coach used to have a sweet soda and it got to the point he could tell when I was going low. I used to have candy and juice with me but I could not tell when I was going low. There was no blood glucose testing then. Coach used to say my shots lost speed when I was going low. I had fun and would play again.
Diagnosed in my teens – still continued to play field hockey on school team. Continued skiing then and for years after. Played curling and golf. More recently (pre-pandemic) took cardio and other fitness classes. Never had big problems way back when, as I didn’t know where my BG was, and I believe, looking back, it was generally higher than it should have been – but no way to test at that time. Going forward to more recent times – easier to keep a tab on my BG levels and treat accordingly. Found the most exasperating was during the cardio classes – BG would continually go down through the hour, then, within less than an hour of the class ending, jump precipitously. It was frustrating! But, again, treated accordingly!
Before I was a diabetic I played football and collage wrestling. After diagnosed I found that could not eat enough to last all three rounds. In the third period of the match My body would freeze up and I was unable to move. So I was left with socked and I was too short for basketball
Played tennis for a few years about 25 years ago, in my mid thirties. I always made sure my bg was in the high 100s before playing and practicing. I would keep something on the bench usually a Coke or something in case I needed it, coach and teammates were aware that I had diabetes.
It took me a while to get the hang of it but here’s my go to plan for TENNIS: No insulin on board!! Decrease basal 2 hours prior. I either put in Exercise Mode or I decrease to 70-80% depending on where I am sitting 2 hours and 1 hour prior to match. I eat a good carb/protein/fat (sandwich) before the match and I check sugar between games and will sip on gatorade or protein bar, etc.
When I’m hiking (not exactly a sport but I go for 6-10 miles) I do the same as above but I set a timer for every 15-20 min to remind me to check my watch for number/trend lines. I will eat a few jelly beans, bite of protein bar, gatorade, etc. throughout the hike. Alternating the glucose source is really helpful for me.
I usually try and start with a little higher BG to prevent lows during exercise. Exercise always Lowers my BG
I was never on a sports team (other than briefly, like in school or at camp), but I always enjoyed swimming, bicycle riding and boating – – canoe, rowboat, paddle boat, etc). At camp, my BG always ran high at first, until they adjusted my insulin accordingly – – unfortunately, they always assumed you’d need less insulin at camp and cut your dose. They always had to raise my dose back up!
For any sport, I would eat an extra snack before exercise. That is, until I started on my pump. With the pump, I adjust my basal rate to compensate for the exercise. It took me a while to figure out how much to adjust. I started at 50% of my basal, but often found that I still dropped. So, I go with suspending my insulin (0 basal) to 40% of my basal depending on how strenuously I plan to exercise.
I do Taekwondo. Wear my pump if doing forms. Have to take it off for sparing. Levels change a lot, because I never know. Just have to monitor it a lot.