Sprinting prevents low blood sugar post-exercise

A 10-second maximal sprint after moderate-intensity exercise reduces the risk of post-exercise hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) in young people with insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes. The following study provides the first evidence that a short maximal sprint effort performed immediately after moderate-intensity exercise is preferable to only resting as a means to counter a further fall in glycaemia after exercise, thus decreasing the risk of early postexercise hypoglycaemia in individuals with type 1 diabetes. On this basis, one might tentatively recommend that after exercise of moderate intensity, young individuals with complication-free type 1 diabetes consider performing a short 10-second sprint to counter a further fall in their blood glucose level, particularly if a source of dietary carbohydrate is not readily available. Researchers from the University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia, investigated whether a 10-second maximal sprint could counter the continual decline in blood sugar during recovery from moderate-intensity exercise in seven type 1 diabetic men, who were around 21 years old. After 20 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, the subjects experienced a rapid and significant decrease in blood glucose levels. However, a 10-second maximal sprint immediately following the moderate-intensity exercise stopped a further decline in blood glucose levels for the next 2 hours. In contrast, moderate-intensity exercise followed by a rest period led to a further decrease in blood glucose levels. While the use of a 10-second sprint constitutes a novel and simple approach to decrease the risk of post-exercise hypoglycaemia that will revolutionise blood glucose management in type 1 diabetes, it is premature at this stage to advocate its widespread adoption, because much more research is required to identify the target population of type 1 diabetic patients likely to be responsive. Also, more study is needed in other groups of type 1 diabetic patients such as children and sedentary middle-aged individuals. The effect of sprinting on reducing the risk of post-exercise hypoglycaemia is probably not as marked in children and sedentary middle-age individuals with type 1 diabetes, in part, due to their reduced capacity to engage in a maximal sprint effort.