It is important to know the difference between the two types of diabetes and how they affect the person because they make a difference to the management of diabetes in the athlete and what trainers must be on the look out for, and how they must evaluate athletes and their performance. The two main types of diabetes are Type 1, which used to be known as juvenile diabetes because it usually becomes apparent in children and teenagers or young adults, and Type 2, which used to be called adult onset diabetes because it used to be more common in older adults but it can begin at any age (National, 2005). In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer makes insulin, so it is necessary to either take insulin by injection or by the use of an insulin pump to supply the body with this vital hormone. Type 2 diabetes is usually the result of developing insulin resistance, that is, the body becomes less sensitive to the insulin the pancreas produces. At first the pancreas responds by producing more insulin to compensate for the added demand, but eventually it cannot meet the body's needs. When this occurs, oral medication is necessary to control the blood glucose levels. Being overweight and inactive increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and often losing weight and exercising regularly is sufficient to keep the blood glucose level within normal limits (90 to 130 mg/dL fasting, less than 180 mg/dL 1-2 hours after a meal).
It is important to understand how glucose control is managed in the normal person and in the diabetic when working with diabetic athletes because this will influence training, pre-exercise regimens, and behavior while exercising. It will also influence what to be aware of after athletic performance (e.g. delayed onset hypoglycemia). In the normal athlete, resting glucose levels are kept within a narrow range by the complex interaction of the autonomic nervous system and hormones, including insulin, glucagon and ...