ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the interplay of nutrition and exercise on the individual with diabetes. Type I Diabetes affects approximately one million United States (US) children and adolescents. The nature of the disease requires a keen knowledge of one’s dietary intake and anticipated activities. The diabetic youngster who partakes in athletics must be able to handle a diet regimen, exercise, and insulin administration. It is necessary to compare the control of serum glucose in healthy individuals to those with Type I diabetes during exercise. General factors and hormones affect metabolic fuel utilization during exercise as well as glucose homeostasis. The aerobic physical fitness of an individual affects the metabolic fuel preferentially used during exercise. The pre-exercise diet plays a role in substrate utilization during exercise. The effects of feeding supplemental drinks or snacks on glucose homeostasis prior to exercise has received much attention.
