Sport, a great ally against diabetes

Resistance sports such as football, cycling or swimming are the most appropriate because they preferably use aerobic metabolism - sport improves blood irrigation, increases good cholesterol and reduces the need for insulin or oral antidiabetics, ”says Francisco Javier Morate, Sanitas medical services doctor - Real Madrid

Exercise is something we can all enjoy.Therefore, there is no reason why diabetics cannot run, ride a bicycle or play a football game, provided that the appropriate measures are taken.

"Currently, regular sports practice is recommended to diabetic people because, together with the food proposal and pharmacological treatment, it is one of the important points of its treatment," says Dr. Francisco Javier Morate, a doctor of Sanitas medical services - RealMadrid.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is defined as the set of metabolic disorders that affects different organs and tissues, lasting a lifetime and is characterized by an increase in blood glucose levels, known as hyperglycemia.

Types of Diabetes
According to the World Health Organization, there are three main types of diabetes mellitus.

• · Type I. (Insulin dependent, also known as autoimmune and/or idiopathic diabetes).As the pancreas does not produce or produce little insulin, people with type I diabetes must be injected insulin to live.Less than 10% of those affected by diabetes suffer from type I.

  · Type II.The body does produce insulin, but neither does not produce enough, or cannot take advantage of what it produces.Type II usually occurs in adults, usually from forty years of age.

  · Gestational diabetes.They are all cases of diabetes mellitus that are detected for the first time during pregnancy.A specific cause of this type of disease is not known but it is believed that pregnancy hormones reduce the ability of the body to use and respond to the action of insulin

sport and food
Practically diet and exercise are inseparable.The entry of carbohydrates must be supplemented with the greater or lesser caloric expenditure for sport.The food must be fractionated (every 3 to 4 hours) since, in this way, hypoglycemia is avoided.In addition, food intake should adjust to the action of medicines for the treatment of diabetes, be they oral hypoglycemic or the action of injected insulin.

For Dr. Francisco Javier Morate, "a balanced diet must be composed between 50 and 60% carbohydrates, between 10 and 15% protein and between 20 and 30% fat."

How does the exercise help people who have diabetes?
Sports that preferably use aerobic metabolism, that is, resistance, are the most appropriate.Soccer, athletics (background races), cycling, or swimming are some examples, since these sports do not require sudden expenses of energy but efforts maintained.

According to Dr. Morarate, "practicing any type of sport is an improvement in blood irrigation, an increase in the so -called good cholesterol and a decrease in the need for insulin or oral antidiabetics."

The practice of the experts coincide, today, that practicing a sport softly and regularly brings important benefits for the diabetic since it helps to control the insulin levels produced by the body.However, you have to prevent possible risks that the practice of physical exercise to try to avoid them and, if they occur, alleviate them with the lower possible repercussions.

Among the beneficial effects that the practice ofPhysical exercise has in people who suffer diabetes are:

• · Strengthening bones and muscles.
  · Reduction of heart disease and some types of cancer.
  · Better control of insulin levels produced by the body.
  · Improvement of coordination, balance, strength and resistance.
  · Energy level increase.
  · Contributes to insulin to perform its function better, which helps maintain blood sugar concentrations within healthy limits.
  · Burns calories, which helps to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Exercise tips for people with diabetes
The following tips can help you avoid diabetes related problems while practicing exercise:

• · Control the sugar.Your doctor will indicate when you should check your blood glucose concentration (you are likely to need to check it before, during and after exercising).
  · Take the correct dose of insulin.There is the possibility that your doctor recommends you to readjust the insulin dose when you exercise or sport. Insulin should be administered at least one hour before exercise.
  · Feed well.It consumes 20 to 20 grams of hydrates during exercise, in the form of drinks or solid foods in the intermediate or every 30 minutes, especially if the intensity is high or the prolonged duration.It increases the consumption of food after exercise, depending on the intensity and duration of the latter, in order to prevent posttejercio hypoglycemia.If at the end, glucose is less than 100 mg/dl, it is advisable to consume 20 to 30 grams of hydrates.Always having some candies, juices or other font source of rapid absorption hydrates is also recommended.
  · If travel salts, take everything necessary to control diabetes.If you are going to exercise away from home, do not forget to include measurement devices, your medications, your medical alert bracelet, information about where to go in case of emergency and a copy of your diabetes control plan.Get used to save all those items in a special bag so you don't have to think about taking them one by one every time you do the luggage.
  · Tell your coaches.Make sure your coaches and monitors know that you have diabetes.Formers about what you need to do to control diabetes before, during or after exercising.
  · Take control.Do not hesitate to stop exercising or take a break if you need to chop something, drink water or go to the sink.You should also interrupt the training session if you do not find yourself or you perceive any sign that something is going wrong.