Sports, diabetes and your child

Children with diabetes have to learn earlier than most that their behavior directly affects their health. It can be highly rewarding to realize that when they take good care of themselves, they can do something they enjoy.

Having a child active in sports is a good way to foster responsibility for his or her own health. It also helps start healthy habits early, increasing the likelihood that your child will remain active into adulthood. Among other benefits, regular activity or exercise helps children and adults manage diabetes well.

Have a solid game plan

Children with diabetes can play the same sports that other kids play. They just need to test their blood sugar more frequently because exercise lowers blood sugar.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can cause confusion, seizures or loss of consciousness. To avoid those problems, work with your child, his or her physician or diabetes educator, coaches and teachers to establish and follow a solid game plan.

Before your child begins a new sport, you and your child should talk with your physician or diabetes educator who helps coordinate meals, snacks and blood tests. Explain the kind of activity your child will be doing, and what the activity schedule will be. Discuss keeping an exercise record and what, if any, changes should be made to your child's diabetes management plan.

You should also meet with your child's coaches and teachers. They need to know the dangers of hypoglycemia and what to do if your child shows signs of low blood sugar, such as feeling shaky, tired, hungry, confused or nervous. Providing this information in a letter to the coach can be helpful.

Set realistic expectations

Your child needs to understand how important it is to know and do something about the early warning signs of low blood sugar. Being the only kid on the team who has diabetes may make your child feel self-conscious, even reluctant to let coaches or teachers know when there's a problem.

Make sure you discuss the importance of taking care of low blood sugar as soon as it occurs and never trying to hide the symptoms. That's simply dangerous, and your child needs to know it.

Related Links

Diabetes eMagazine

Diabetes Condition Center

First published: 02/15/2000
Last updated: 09/29/2004

Reviewed by: Paul Kleeberg , MD, medical director, Internet/Intranet Services, Allina Hospitals & Clinics