Impact of a 4‐week intensive track and field training intervention on glycaemia in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: The ChilDFiT1 study

Abstract

AimTo investigate the safety and efficacy of track and field training compared with intensification of insulin treatment only in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D).Materials and MethodsEighteen adolescents (seven females) with T1D were included (age 15.1 ± 1.1 years, HbA1c 7.3% ± 1.0% [56.3 ± 10.9 mmol/mol]). After a 4‐week observational control phase, participants were randomized to either stand‐alone intensive glycaemic management (IT; telemedicine or on‐site visits, three times/week) or additionally performed track and field exercise (EX; three 60‐minute sessions/week) for 4 weeks. Glycaemia was assessed via continuous glucose monitoring during observational control and intervention phases.ResultsTime in range (70‐180 mg/dL; 3.9‐10.0 mmol/L) significantly improved from the observational control phase to the exercise intervention phase in EX (69% ± 13% vs. 72% ± 11%, P = .049), but not in IT (59% ± 22% vs. 62% ± 16%, P = .399). Time below range 1 (54‐69 mg/dL; < 3.9 mmol/L) improved in IT (3.1% ± 1.9% vs. 2.0% ± 0.8%, P = .017) and remained stable in EX (2.0% ± 1.7 vs. 1.9% ± 1.1%, P = .999). The EX group's HbA1c ameliorated preintervention to postintervention (mean difference: ΔHbA1c −0.19% ± 0.17%, P = .042), which was not seen within the IT group (ΔHbA1c −0.16% ± 0.37%, P = .40). Glucose standard deviation was reduced significantly in EX (55 ± 11 vs. 51 ± 10 mg/dL [3.1 ± 0.6 vs. 2.8 ± 0.6 mmol/L], P = .011), but not in IT (70 ± 24 vs. 63 ± 18 mg/dL [3.9 ± 1.3 vs. 3.5 ± 1.0 mmol/L], P = .186).ConclusionTrack and field training combined with intensive glycaemic management improved glycaemia in adolescents with T1D, which was not observed in the non‐exercise group.