Diabetic Athlete's Handbook » (New Edition)

Sheri R. Colberg is an exercise physiologist and professor of exercise science at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She specializes in exercise and diabetes and conducts extensive research in these areas thanks to funding from the American Diabetes Association and other organizations.

Dr. Colberg has over 40 years of practical experience as an athlete living with type 1 diabetes. She is the director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Old Dominion and is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. She is also a professional member of the American Diabetes Association and serves on the board of directors for the Diabetes Exercise and Sports Association.

Dr. Colberg has written hundreds of articles on exercise and diabetes and is the author of five books: The Science of Staying Young (McGraw-Hill, 2007), 50 Secrets of the Longest Living People with Diabetes (Marlowe & Co., 2007), The 7 Step Diabetes Fitness Plan (Marlowe & Co., 2006), Diabetes-Free Kids (Avery, 2005), and The Diabetic Athlete (Human Kinetics, 2001). Her expertise on diabetes is also frequently shared in interviews and articles in popular magazines, including Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Diabetes Health, Diabetes Forecast, Newsweek International, and USA Today.

A resident of Virginia Beach, Virginia with her husband and three sons, she enjoys participating in myriad recreational sports and fitness activities, as well as exercising with her growing boys.

Stay healthy, train smart, and maximize sports performance with The Diabetic Athlete’s Handbook. Featuring up to date information with more than 100 sport-specific training guidelines for fitness, endurance, power, and outdoor activities, it is a practical guide specifically for athletes of all ages with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Ronald N. Cohen, MD(University of Chicago Medical Center)
Description:This is a guide for established athletes with diabetes, as well as for patients with diabetes who wish to start an athletic program. Part I covers exercise in patients with diabetes, and part II discusses specific activities, ranging from fitness activities to endurance sports to power sports. It provides suggestions about adjusting insulin therapies when competing, as well as important dietary approaches.
Purpose:The purpose is to serve as a guide for athletes with diabetes, particularly people who wish to combine tight control of their diabetes with an active, athletic lifestyle. The author does an excellent job of meeting this goal.
Audience:The audience of diabetic patients who are athletes is broad, ranging from individuals who include exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle to professional athletes and everyone in between. The book is geared specifically to patients who want to keep excellent control of their diabetes.
Features:After discussions of diabetes basics, diabetes medications, and dietary approaches, the book focuses on specific athletic activities and the best way to adjust insulin, other medications, and diet in order to optimally participate in the sport. (All approaches are noted to be suggestions, with the understanding that each person will react a bit differently to these activities.) A huge range of sports is discussed, including running and jogging, rowing, soccer, scuba diving, and almost every other sport imaginable. The book incorporates profiles of individual athletes, including their personal stories as well as their suggestions.
Assessment:This is a very interesting book. It provides excellent suggestions about how to include exercise as part of a diabetic lifestyle, and how to optimally adjust therapy before, during, and after exercise. It is a very helpful book for diabetic patients who want to incorporate sports and exercise into their active lifestyle.

Pt. I Diabetic Athlete's Toolbox 1

Ch. 1 Training for Fitness and Sports 3

Ch. 2 Balancing Exercise Blood Sugars 21

Ch. 3 Ups and Downs of Insulin and Other Medications 45

Ch. 4 Diet and Supplements for Active People 57

Ch. 5 Exercise and Blood Glucose Monitoring Guidelines 81

Ch. 6 Thinking and Acting Like an Athlete 95

Ch. 7 Preventing and Treating Athletic Injuries 107

Pt. II Guidelines for Specific Activities 127

Ch. 8 Fitness Activities 129

Ch. 9 Endurance Sports 157

Ch. 10 Endurance-Power Sports 187

Ch. 11 Power Sports 215

Ch. 12 Outdoor Recreational Activities and Sports 229

App. A Diabetes and Athletic Organizations 261

App. B Diabetes, Sport, and Nutrition Web Sites 263

Suggested Reading 265

Selected Bibliography 266

Index 275