Effect of carbohydrate ingestion on the glycemic response of type 1 diabetic adolescents during exercise.

Ingestion of a drink containing sufficient carbohydrates can result in avoidance of exercise-induced hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetic individuals. In a previous study (1), we analyzed the effect of ingesting a drink with 6% carbohydrate (0.636 g/kg) on blood glucose concentration in type 1 diabetic adolescents during 60 min of moderate exercise and after 30 min of recovery. At the end of the trial, blood glucose concentration was reduced by 21 mg/dl. Drink concentrations of 6% carbohydrate may help to prevent blood glucose reduction during exercise in type 1 diabetic subjects. However, the increased osmolality of high-carbohydrate drinks may cause gastrointestinal distress (2). This study aimed to determine whether carbohydrate solutions (8 and 10%) could prevent exercise blood glucose drops and to examine the gastrointestinal symptoms in type 1 diabetic adolescents.