Guide for all diabetics

The Diabetic Athlete - prescriptions for exercise and sports: Sheri Colberg. Human Kinetics 2001. 260 pages paperback. £13.95 ISBN 0-7360-3271-1

Some years ago several readers of Coaching News (as we were then) asked for information on diabetes. It wasn't as easy to find as you might suppose. It's a lot easier now.

Not all that long ago sufferers with Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes were simply advised not to consider exercise. As a result their condition was exacerbated by avoiding beneficial activities. This is no longer the case. Type 1 remains a potentially life-threatening condition, but personal blood meters now enable subjects to monitor their blood-glucose levels and to exercise safely, within certain guidelines. The incidence of Type 2 diabetes is increasing, and the increase is linked with decreasing levels of physical activity and a rise in the prevalence of obesity.

This book is a guide for all diabetes sufferers and a useful handbook for those who work with them. It starts from the basics of exercise physiology, the ATP, glycolytic and aerobic pathways, and the mechanisms of blood sugar and insulin. The rest is what the sub-title indicates – a detailed account of how Type 1 and Type 2 subjects can safely cope with a wide range of sports and exercises, categorised as endurance, power, and recreational. Throughout there are reference to the effects, or likely effects, of a range of standard forms of insulin. As diabetics will know, you choose your drug according to the intended duration of your exercise.

Short of the miracle of genetic engineering, it's difficult to see how the situation of diabetics can change dramatically, although new drugs will come along. In the meantime, this book gives you everything you need.

Ramin Minovi