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World J Diabetes. May 15, 2023; 14(5): 539-548
Published online May 15, 2023. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v14.i5.539
Exercise interventions for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus: A narrative review with practical recommendations
Fernando Martin-Rivera, Sergio Maroto-Izquierdo, David García-López, Jesús Alarcón-Gómez
Fernando Martin-Rivera, Jesús Alarcón-Gómez, Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Valencia, Valencia 46010, Spain
Sergio Maroto-Izquierdo, David García-López, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University, Valladolid 47012, Spain
Author contributions: Martin-Rivera F, Maroto-Izquierdo S, García-López D, and Alarcón-Gómez J wrote and reviewed the paper.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Fernando Martin-Rivera, PhD, Professor, Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Valencia, 3 C/Gascó Oliag, Valencia 46010, Spain. fernando.martin-rivera@uv.es
Received: December 19, 2022
Peer-review started: December 19, 2022
First decision: January 3, 2023
Revised: January 8, 2023
Accepted: April 11, 2023
Article in press: April 11, 2023
Published online: May 15, 2023
Processing time: 147 Days and 0.5 Hours
Abstract

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic endocrine disease that results from autoimmune destruction of pancreatic insulin-producing β cells, which can lead to microvascular (e.g., retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy) and macro-vascular complications (e.g., coronary arterial disease, peripheral artery disease, stroke, and heart failure) as a consequence of chronic hyperglycemia. Despite the widely available and compelling evidence that regular exercise is an efficient strategy to prevent cardiovascular disease and to improve functional capacity and psychological well-being in people with T1DM, over 60% of individuals with T1DM do not exercise regularly. It is, therefore, crucial to devise approaches to motivate patients with T1DM to exercise, to adhere to a training program, and to inform them of its specific characteristics (e.g., exercise mode, intensity, volume, and frequency). Moreover, given the metabolic alterations that occur during acute bouts of exercise in T1DM patients, exercise prescription in this population should be carefully analyzed to maximize its benefits and to reduce its potential risks.

Keywords: Type 1 diabetes mellitus; Exercise; Resistance training; High-intensity interval training; Aerobic training; Quality of life

Core Tip: Our manuscript analyzed the benefits of physical exercise for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Benefits of different types of physical exercise (e.g., aerobic training, resistance training, and high-intensity interval training) and the possibilities of application for each were analyzed. We discussed the level of physical and physiological fitness as well as the implications of exercise on quality of life, quality of sleep, enjoyment of exercise, and motivation towards physical exercise. Finally, a practical proposal of a physical exercise program for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus was created.