Strategies used by Patients with Type 1 Diabetes to Avoid Hypoglycemia in a 24×1-Hour Marathon: Comparison with the Amounts of Carbohydrates Estimated by a Customizable Algorithm

Abstract

Objectives: The preferred countermeasure to avoid exercise-related hypoglycemia was investigated in a group of patients with type 1 diabetes participating in a stressful event, a 24×1-hour relay marathon. The carbohydrates actually consumed were compared to those estimated for each patient by applying a customizable algorithm, Exercise Carbohydrates Requirement Estimating Software (ECRES), based on patient's usual therapy and diet and on the exercise characteristics.

Methods: Glycemia was tested at the start, middle and end of the races. Usual therapies and diets and the adopted countermeasures were recorded in detail.

Results: We studied 19 patients who walked/ran 10.4±2.8 km with a heart rate of 167±11 beats per minute. Of the 19 patients, 7 patients reduced the administered insulin (premeal bolus or basal infusion rate). Glycemia fell by the end of the races (p=0.006; median -1.8 mmol⋅L^-1; interquartile range -0.4 mmol⋅L^-1 to -5.3 mmol⋅L^-1), despite 9 patients being hyperglycemic at the start. Of the patients, 14 concluded the race with glycemia on target, and 4 patients were hyperglycemic. Amounts of carbohydrates actually consumed (median 30 g; interquartile range 0 g to 71 g) were not significantly different from those estimated by ECRES (median 38 g; interquartile range 24 g to 68 g), the 2 quantities being significantly related (R=0.64; p=0.003). ECRES estimated lower carbohydrate levels (-13 g) than the amounts actually consumed by the 4 patients who concluded their exercises with hyperglycemia.

Conclusions: Patients preferred to consume extra carbohydrates to avoid the possible exercise-induced hypoglycemia. ECRES would provide satisfactory estimates of the carbohydrate requirements, even for a stressful condition, and almost equal to the quantities consumed following medical advice.

Keywords: chronic disease; competition; compétition; exercice; exercise; glycemia; glycémie; maladie chronique; metabolism; métabolisme.