“Proof and error.Mistakeing many times and having the occasional scare.So I learned to run.In fact, the first half marathon that I ran came with brutal hypoglycemia and I fell 200 meters to cross the goal. ”
With this confession, the meeting between popular athletes such as Álvaro, Isabel, Aitor or Juanra started, among others, with the International Athlete Alavés, Iván Fernández Anaya, which took place earlier this week at the headquarters of the Association of Diabetics of Álava andwhose objective is none other than to promote sports among diabetics and, incidentally, bring their reality closer to society as a whole."In their own way," said Iván Fernández, "they are also elite because it is not easy to practice sports being diabetic and yet it is essential that they do it, because it greatly helps them maintain their blood glucose levels.They are true ambassadors of healthy life habits. ”
Álvaro, the head of the initial confession, has many times his experience to other diabetics and raided his way to put the shoes and add kilometers of asphalt is that activity that their endocrine recommends again and again in a crushing way.At first, he acknowledged, “I didn't control me, I didn't know what I had to eat or when.I didn't do effort tests, nor did I comment with my doctor. ”But everything took a radical turn when he decided to participate in the great distance.At that time he began to control his body because "the 42 are major words."
Aitor, the youngest of those present with 18 years and the spontaneity of the age, says with poise that since he was detected the diabetes he has a much more balanced life, a much healthier diet and does sports -the triathlon isfirst average in December.“You are forced to do something.I have diabetes.Go with me and period, ”he says naturally and roundly.Running fans, as well as other disciplines, who live with diabetes leave home after blood glucose are measured.
They do it next to a frog in which they carry the small device with which every fifteen minutes - the time depends on each person - will have to continue controlling the levels.And they do it on the fly, without stopping.“You are taking the trick.Normal, ”they say normally.That the levels are low, because to replace them immediately eating (fruit, bars, gels ...) and drinking (water, juices ...).Normal blood glucose values in the tests must be between 60 and 120 mg/dl, they all clarify to Iván Fernández, which attends curious to the explanations.Below you can give you hypoglycemia and above hyperglycemia, they add.If when you are going to run you put the same amount of insulin, they warn, "you run risk of being fried because you burn the glucose more than normal."
Identifying dorsals to avoid it, diabetics have insulin reductions tables depending on the time of sport that must balance with what they eat and with hydration.It is important that the people around you, with whom you go to run know that you are diabetic in case anything happens and have to react, coincide.
In fact, there are already some evidence where the dorsals mean in a visible way that the one who carries it is a diabetic athlete.Technology has advanced a lot in this field and the most wealthy can be done with fixed sensors to the arm that communicate with a clock that at all times "sings" their glucose levels.
The truth is that the effort that a person with diabetes should do to practice sports is directly proportional to the physical well -being that provides them.Effort that translate into the illusion with which their most immediate sports challenges are drawn: Álvaro, conclude the Vitoria triathlon;Isabel, complete a 10,000 in spring;and Juanra,match as diabetic the brands it reached when it was not.It is sure that they will fight to death to get it.
At the end of the encounter, everyone launches a message and that is that the sport "gives us life."That is why they do not hesitate to recommend everyone, but especially to all people suffering from diabetes, to do sports, to practice physical exercise.A mantra that one of the greatest experts in Sports Medicine such as Juan Gandía never tires of remembering: "There is no better medicine than exercise."
