I don’t have diabetes, but my friend does and he wants to play hs football with me. Is he able to do so, and how much harder is it vs someone who doesn’t have diabetes? Also, what would he have to do in games and practices to stay safe?
Absolutely. There are T1's playing in the NFL right now.
The very generic simple answer is they just have to watch their blood sugar. Since exercise uses up glucose in the bloodstream, they might need to eat extra carbs before, or during.
Thank you for the response, isn’t mark Andrews diabetic? Makes sense about the carbs tbh.
He is indeed. Good player too. I think there's a couple interviews he did about it. Might be worth a watch to your friend.
Tbh I would watch them too, loud probably be interesting tbh. He is definitely a good player, I feel bad that his career will be defined by the playoff drop that didn’t even cost them the game
Smokin Jay Cutler became the bears all time QB stat leader while a T1 diabetic! If he can do it so can your friend!
Oh wow! Never knew cutler was diabetic!
He certainly can! I like to say the only thing a diabetic person can't do is leave their phone (or receiver) behind 😅.
One of my friends has a high schooler with T1D. He covers his pod & Dexcom with a sleeve and/or athletic tape to help lower the chances of contact ripping it off. Other than that, there is plenty of great advice in this thread already, so I won't beat the dead horse.
Thank you for the response, and honestly an athletic sleeve in football just makes you look cooler.
This disease presents itself in so many different ways for different people it's really difficult to provide a definitive answer to many of these questions. The answer is always "it depends on the individual".
Generally speaking, there are tons of examples of diabetics living very normal lives when it comes to activities and diets. Many aren't as lucky and the disease is harder to manage, and it's better not to do certain things that others find normal.
We should never use anyone else as a measuring stick in what is "normal" for this disease, but you can look at examples in others to see if they also apply to you.
Yes but there’s different answers for type 1 or type 2, my explanation will be from a T1D perspective. He just needs to be able to recognize his lows and highs and treat accordingly. With highs, I always used half of the amount of insulin I normally would take as a correction. With lows, my go to was a regular Gatorade and some peanut butter, then wait 5 mins or so and I was good to go. Results may vary for each T1D tho
And as a type 2, you really don't need to worry as long as your diabetes is under control. Maybe just have some carbs before and during halftime. Drink water instead of sugary Gatorade, because some high intensity workouts can cause a spike in BG.
Yes, there are people with diabetes in the NFL! He can do everything you can do. He just will have to make sure not to have too much insulin on board before practice and have a lot of sugar with him in case he goes low. I’m sure he knows how to manage that part.
I played competitive soccer in high school with Type 1 diabetes and had no problems. Football wouldn’t really be much different, and in many ways would be easier because there are more stoppages and ability to sub out quickly if need be.
Just always be sure to have sugar (Gatorade, glucose tabs, etc.) on the sideline, check your blood sugar often (whether with a CGM or finger sticks), and spend some time learning how your blood sugar reacts to different situations. Some forms of exercise will drop your blood sugar fast, while adrenaline can spike it.
It would be important for coaches to know some basics and talk through how low blood sugar will be handled if and when it happens. Being able to quickly leave the field to address a low with a simple signal to the coach, and then to just a
Thank you so much for the response
There are T1s in the NFL NBA MLB
Isn’t mark Andrews?
Yep 100% T1...thats why I forgave him for dropping that TD ..his glucose was 700...lol
Didn’t notice your a ravens fan, was his glucose at 700 proven?
Lol no I have no clue what his glucose was. But they monitor constantly and have glucose at the ready...i was just joking he flat out dropped it
I know he dropped it, I am a diehard bills fan. But, just wondering jf it was true lol. Does he monitor it or have someone do it for him?
I am sure they monitor in the sidelines as well as he does . He wears a pump as well...
Makes sense, would also explain why they still have 2 good tes that both play a lot at different times
A CGM would be pretty important if a diabetic plays any high energy sport. If he doesn't have one of them, then basically any time he gets a chance, between quarters, time outs etc, he should be testing his BG.
I'm type 1. I played lacrosse in high school and college with no issues. Just let the coaches know.
Just needs an okay from a health screening. Coach may need some additional emergency info, but not a big deal usually.
I've had type one for 20 years now and I played a bunch of high school sports. I've been able to do/eat literally anything someone without diabetes can.
Anyone with type 1 that says they can't just don't know how to take care of themselves or want attention
Noah Grey was diagnosed in college. https://www.juiceboxpodcast.com/episodes/jbp1517
When I was in high school in NYC there was a medical form needed to be filled out to play sport
Your friend will have to disclosed it and it depends on the school district regulation if it allowed or not
No! They'll explode! Haven't you read the literature??
I coached high school football for many years, and I’ve had type 1 diabetics on my teams. As with anything, talk to your doctor about it, but t does happen.
I made sure that they came off the field regularly, that they were checking their phone frequently, and I informed the refs to keep an eye out for them. Never had an issue.
Thank you so much for the response
Exercise is good for every one, as is eating well. No sugar drinks, but plenty of whole foods and greens.
The question is, why can they not “do a thing?”
My nephew says the only thing he "can't do" is leave the house without his phone.
*I know it is technically fully possible for him to actually go without his phone, but then he'd be flying blind & his cgm/pump wouldn't work*
You right, I just didn’t know.
He can do anything …. But n fact exercise is encouraged.
He will just need to monitor his blood sugars closely if he’s type one as having a “low” BS read is likely to happen. (Usually checking bs, and and taking meds with shots around meals)
If he’s type two he’ll be in better standing and it’ll be great for him. (Usually they are overweight, and it’s reversible)
You can do anything but be a commercial pilot or join the military (unless with extreme and unlikely exceptions)
They should really change the military one, no use in nit allowing it nowadays
You need to monitor bs closely as exercise lowers bs
Of course
The next step, after asking random internet strangers, is for your friend to contact the coach and ask them: "I have diabetes, how does that affect my ability to be on the team? And what do I need to do so that it is not factor in whether or not I make the team?"
As long as you're monitoring sugar levels and injuries I would imagine it would be more recommended than not.
It is totally possible. I did and once your friend learns how their sugars react to that activity, he should be able to come up with a plan for his insulin/food/snacks or whatever.