Diabetes and exercise: the role of the athletic trainer.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the role that exercise plays in the management of diabetes mellitus and to provide the reader with guidelines for preventing and treating exercise-related complications. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE was searched from 1985 to 1996 using the key words "diabetes," "exercise," "Type I diabetes," and "athlete." DATA SYNTHESIS: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by an abnormally elevated blood glucose level. It is a disease that has long-term ramifications for the body's organ systems. The primary goal of diabetes management is to normalize the blood glucose level. Exercise, along with dietary modifications and insulin, is an important component of the management scheme. While exercise is not consistently associated with improvements in long-term blood glucose control, it does lead to other benefits that may reduce the severity and number of diabetes-related complications. CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: The athletic trainer can help athletes with diabetes to compete safely by understanding their unique physiologic responses to exercise, as well as the risks and benefits of exercise.