July 11, 1999
Exercise and Sports, Meal Planning, Food and Diet
Question from Newark, Delaware, USA:
My daughter, 12 years old, has Type 1 diabetes. She plays basketball with a highly competitive league. This Saturday she has a tournament and her games are at 5 P.M. and 7:30 P.M. Her usual dinner time is 6 P.M. We were thinking of giving her an insulin shot of Humalog at 3 P.M. and having her eat dinner then. Between games, we will give her the N insulin that she usually takes at dinner time and perhaps 30 carbohydrates. She takes a shot in the morning at 7 A.M., sometimes a shot at 3 P.M. depending on her blood sugar and a shot at 5:30 P.M. She cannot eat a big meal right before playing.
Answer:
What you propose seems logical. Another choice is a “mega snack” (30-45g) and a little Humalog for both.
LD
[Editor’s comment: You might want to try one of the specialty snack bars that have uncooked cornstarch. These products release sugar into the bloodstream over many hours and might help prevent hypoglycemia during exercise.
JSH]
