The effects of three carbohydrate supplementation protocols on the blood glucose levels in type I diabetic subjects during a 60 minute bout on the treadmill

• Main Author: Venter, Teneille
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University 2014
• Subjects: Glucose tolerance tests; Diabetes
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/4157

Diabetes associated complications make management during exercise complex (Brugnara, Vinaixa, Murillo, Samino, Rodriguez, Beltran, Lerin, Davison, Correig & Novials, 2012). Research on the prevention of such challenges is of paramount importance. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of three different carbohydrate supplementation protocols on blood glucose levels after every 10 minutes of a 60 minute exercise bout at 65 to 75 % HRR on the treadmill as well as every half hour during a two hour post exercise recovery period. The three protocols implemented after a standardized pre-exercise meal were: control protocol (no carbohydrate supplementation), protocol 1 (one carbohydrate supplementation of 15 grams given at 30 minutes) and protocol 2 (two carbohydrate supplementation of 15 grams given at 30 minutes and 45 minutes). A total of 32 participants took part in the study (Mean age: 32.84 ±12.12). All participants were submitted to all three protocols. Statistical and practical significant differences were found between blood glucose levels of protocol 0 and protocol 1 (MDIF = 2.62 ± 3.99 mmol.L--‐1) at 20 minutes of the exercise duration (p=.024;d=0.42). Statistical and practical significant differences in blood glucose levels with protocol 0 rendering the higher glucose values were also found between protocols 0 and 2 at 10 minutes (MDIF = 3.44 ± 5.54 mmol.L--‐1; p=.001;d=0.62), 20 minutes (MDIF = 3.32 ± 5.23 mmol.L--‐1; p=.001;d=0.63) and 30 minutes of exercise (MDIF = 2.81 ± 5.40 mmol.L--‐1; p=.006;d=0.52) as well as between the mean minimum (M0 = 9.49 ± 4.51 mmol.L--‐1 and M2 = 7.28 ± 4.07 mmol.L--‐1; p=.013;d=0.46), mean maximum (M0 = 12.73 ± 5.51 mmol.L--‐1 and M2 = 10.07 ± 4.63 mmol.L--‐1; p=.015;d=0.46) and overall mean (M0 = 9.07 ± 4.88 mmol.L--‐1 and M2 = 8.53 ± 4.25 mmol.L--‐1; p=.011;d=0.48) with protocol 0 rendering the higher glucose values in all these comparisons. It was concluded that carbohydrate supplementation during exercise affects blood glucose levels positively particularly considering the significant difference found between protocol 0 and 2. Whilst protocol 2 also resulted in less fluctuations in the blood glucose levels during exercise and minimum, overall mean and maximum blood glucose values were closer to “normal/safe” range, there was no conclusive evidence that protocol 2 was better than protocol 1.