The Effect of Starting Blood Glucose Levels on Serum Electrolyte Concentrations during and after Exercise in Type 1 Diabetes

Momeni, Zeinab; Boulé, Normand G.; Prado, Carla M.; Hinz, Heather A.; Yardley, Jane E.

doi:10.3390/ijerph20032109

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Starting Blood Glucose Levels on Serum Electrolyte Concentrations during and after Exercise in Type 1 Diabetes

by

Zeinab Momeni

^1,2,3,

Normand G. Boulé

^2,4

,

Carla M. Prado

^3,5,6,

Heather A. Hinz

^2,4 and

Jane E. Yardley

^1,2,3,4,*

¹

Augustana Faculty, University of Alberta, 4901-46th Avenue, Camrose, AB T4V 2R3, Canada

²

Physical Activity and Diabetes Laboratory, Alberta Diabetes Institute, 112 Street, Edmonton, AB T6G 2T9, Canada

³

Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada

⁴

Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, University of Alberta, 3-100 University Hall, Van Vliet Complex, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H9, Canada

⁵

Human Nutrition Research Unit, Alberta Diabetes Institute, 112 Street, Edmonton, AB T6G 2T9, Canada

⁶

Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, Canada

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2109; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032109

Submission received: 9 January 2023 / Revised: 20 January 2023 / Accepted: 20 January 2023 / Published: 24 January 2023

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2nd Edition: Diabetes in Sports and Exercise Medicine)

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Abstract

Fear of hypoglycemia is a major exercise barrier for people with type 1 diabetes (PWT1D). Consequently, although guidelines recommend starting exercise with blood glucose (BG) concentration at 7–10 mmol/L, PWT1D often start higher, potentially affecting hydration and serum electrolyte concentrations. To test this, we examined serum and urine electrolyte concentrations during aerobic exercise (cycling 45 min at 60%VO₂peak) in 12 PWT1D (10F/2M, mean ± SEM: age 29 ± 2.3 years, VO₂peak 37.9 ± 2.2 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) with starting BG levels: 8–10 (MOD), and 12–14 (HI) mmol/L. Age, sex, and fitness-matched controls without diabetes (CON) completed one exercise session with BG in the normal physiological range. Serum glucose was significantly higher during exercise and recovery in HI versus MOD (p = 0.0002 and p < 0.0001, respectively) and in MOD versus CON (p < 0.0001). During exercise and recovery, MOD and HI were not significantly different in serum insulin (p = 0.59 and p = 0.63), sodium (p = 0.058 and p = 0.08), potassium (p = 0.17 and p = 0.16), calcium (p = 0.75 and 0.19), and magnesium p = 0.24 and p = 0.09). Our findings suggest that exercise of moderate intensity and duration with higher BG levels may not pose an immediate risk to hydration or serum electrolyte concentrations for PWT1D.

Keywords: blood glucose; exercise; type 1 diabetes; electrolytes; hydration

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MDPI and ACS Style

Momeni, Z.; Boulé, N.G.; Prado, C.M.; Hinz, H.A.; Yardley, J.E. The Effect of Starting Blood Glucose Levels on Serum Electrolyte Concentrations during and after Exercise in Type 1 Diabetes. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 2109. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032109

AMA Style

Momeni Z, Boulé NG, Prado CM, Hinz HA, Yardley JE. The Effect of Starting Blood Glucose Levels on Serum Electrolyte Concentrations during and after Exercise in Type 1 Diabetes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023; 20(3):2109. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032109

Chicago/Turabian Style

Momeni, Zeinab, Normand G. Boulé, Carla M. Prado, Heather A. Hinz, and Jane E. Yardley. 2023. "The Effect of Starting Blood Glucose Levels on Serum Electrolyte Concentrations during and after Exercise in Type 1 Diabetes" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 3: 2109. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032109

APA Style

Momeni, Z., Boulé, N. G., Prado, C. M., Hinz, H. A., & Yardley, J. E. (2023). The Effect of Starting Blood Glucose Levels on Serum Electrolyte Concentrations during and after Exercise in Type 1 Diabetes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 2109. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032109

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The Effect of Starting Blood Glucose Levels on Serum Electrolyte Concentrations during and after Exercise in Type 1 Diabetes

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