Diabetes Canada Guidelines 2018 - Physical Activity

There is a ton of great, new information in the 2018 Diabetes Canada Physical Activity guidelines chapter.  Here are some of the highlights:


1. Avoid prolonged sitting. Try to get up briefly every 20 to 30 minutes.  Bluntly put, this is because we now know that habitual, prolonged sitting is associated with an increase risk of death and major cardiovascular events (eg heart attack).

2. While it is still recommended to engage in 150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise and at least 2 sessions per week of resistance exercise if possible, it is now recognized that smaller amounts of activity still provides some health benefits. Something is better than nothing!

3.  Make use of strategies that increase motivation, such as setting specific physical activity goals, and using self monitoring tools (eg a pedometer that counts steps). (My editorial comment - some of these devices can also remind you to get up if you've been sitting for too long.)

4.  Medical clearance: It was previously recommended that anyone with diabetes who is about to begin a program more vigorous than walking should have medical clearance first.  This has been relaxed a little - now, this need for clearance is more focussed on middle aged and older people who wish to undertake prolonged or very vigorous exercise, and of course, anyone with symptoms suggestive of cardiovascular disease.

People with more advanced diabetic eye disease should be treated and stabilized before vigorous exercise, and people with severe diabetic nerve disease in their feet/legs should inspect their feet daily and wear appropriate footwear.   It is also recommended to ideally see a qualified exercise specialist before starting strength training (eg weights) to avoid injury.

5.  There is a great list of suggested strategies to help people with type 1 diabetes reduce the risk of lows with exercise.


Bonus Practical Stuff: 

Resources for people with diabetes: (scroll down to Exercise) - including info on how to plan and maintain physical activity, videos on resistance exercises, and more!

Resources for health care providers: under 'Management' - scroll down to 'Physical Activity and Diabetes' - tools including how to write an exercise prescription


Enjoy - and have fun!

Follow me on twitter! @drsuepedersen

www.drsue.ca © 2018

Read more...

Sudden Death During Triathlons

Ever think that a triathlete seems invincible? They can swim, they can ride, they can run…. 

It turns out that the risk of sudden death during a triathlon is higher than the risk of sudden death in the general population.  

A recent study is the first to collect data on sudden deaths during triathlons.  (Triathlons consist of a swim, followed by cycling, followed by a run.)  The study reviewed race related deaths during 30 years of triathlons in USA, with data from over 9 million participants.  They identified 135 deaths, for a risk of death of 1.74 per 100,000 participants.  

Perhaps surprisingly, most of the sudden deaths and cardiac arrests (90) occurred during the swim (which starts the race), with 7 during cycling, 15 during the run, and 8 during the post race recovery.  Men age 60 and older were at the highest risk of death at 18.6 per 100,000.  There were also 15 trauma related deaths during cycling. 

Of the 135 deaths, 61 autopsies were performed.  At least 18 of these deaths were due to narrowing of the arteries of the heart.

Why do so many of these sudden deaths occur during the swim, which is at the start of the race?  This may be due to the adrenaline rush at the start of the race increasing the risk of heart arrhythmias, crashes in the water, and/or difficulty in identifying events and initiating rescue, defibrillation and CPR.  This contrasts with data in marathoners (a race of running only), which suggests that sudden deaths in marathons most commonly occur at the end of the race.  Cardiovascular disease accounts for the the majority of marathon-related cardiac arrests.

Bottom Lines:  

1.  Screening for cardiovascular disease when appropriate is important, and triathletes are no exception.  

2.  Organization of races to reduce risk is important: eliminating mass swim starts, and having coordinated safety responses to identify and help people in trouble are key.

Follow me on twitter! @drsuepedersen

www.drsue.ca © 2018

Read more...