Carbohydrate Intake in the Context of Exercise in People with Type 1 Diabetes

Although the benefits of regular exercise on cardiovascular risk factors are well established for people with type 1 diabetes, glycemic control remains a challenge during exercise. Carbohydrate consumption to fuel an exercise bout and/or for hypoglycemia prevention is important in order to enable a good performance and to avoid hypoglycemia.

In this review article, the authors comprehensively summarize the literature on carbohydrate intake in the context of exercise in people with type 1 diabetes.

In particular, this paper covers the three main factors that are important to consider in the context of exercise:

1. the amount of carbohydrates ingested (i.e., quantity in relation to demands to fuel exercise and avoid hypoglycemia)
2. the timing of the carbohydrate intake (before, during and after the exercise, as well as circadian factors)
3. the quality of the carbohydrates (encompassing differing carbohydrate types, as well as the context within a meal and the associated macronutrients).

Link to published paper: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/12/3017