My daughter is on a highly competitive, travel soccer league - she’s 16 years old.
currently she on the basal bolus but is having a hard time keeping her BS stable after games and practices.
Any suggestions?
She needs to remember that exercise, especially intense exercise like playing soccer, doesn’t only lower blood sugar with out the need of insulin but also increases insulin sensitivity for hours after. I have had the same problem during and after long runs. I increased my carb intake during long runs and always eat after I run (protein, carb and fat).
She should experiment and find a food that works for her and then stick to it.
Don’t let her give up there have been professional players in the British Premier League with type 1 diabetes. (and soccer is the best team sport in the world).
Intense physical activity can also raise blood sugars, especially in high-adrenaline situations like a game. It’s not at all clear whether you are talking about her blood sugar going low or high or both.
It’s also not clear what her current plan is for managing her blood sugars during and after games and practices.
There are no simple solutions.
Get the Diabetic Athletes Handbook by Sheri Colberg-Ochs. See what other people have done in similar situations.
I hope someone who plays soccer or a similar sport can find this thread and help you out.
Good luck.
Hi Tricia,
I play soccer once or twice a week. When I play games, my BS spikes due to adrenaline, I’m often battling mid 200’s! When I practice, my BS often goes low like 60, 50, 40…
How I handle this is I cut my basal rate on practice days (a couple hours before practice) and also make sure I have gatorade on hand. After practice I eat a good meal and often bolus 25% less than normal.
As for games, I am very careful what I eat ahead of time and I have to actually raise my basal to counteract the spike caused by the adrenaline. AFTER the games is when my BS shoots down, so I am always careful to watch it closely and eat a good meal once it’s normalized.
I basically test A LOT during games and practices so there are no surprises.
Hope that helps!
Vanessa
The levels are mostly high.
I just about this book and will definitely purchase it. The author teaches at ODU - where I graduated from and lives in VA Beach, where I grew up…
thanks - very helpful. I guess she just needs to adjust it.
But she is a typical teenager. She will take a shot before she eats but since school started, she will only very little so she doesn’t have to take a shot at school. She doesn’t want to miss out her lunch time social time.
I don’t know if you are still wondering but…I’ve played competitve soccer since I was about 8. I’m now 20 and have had diabetes for almost 7 of those years.
The best way that I have found to stablize BGs is to be aware of everything that is happening. Everything everyone above has said is very true. She just has to test a lot to get things stable. I have found out if I have a practice I’m fine with my pump on (Omnipod) and I kick it down 10%-20%. I usually end up the high 100’s post practice but I will take it. During games it’s a whole another story. At the beginning of the game (right before kick off) I kick my basals down 50%. Then I test everytime I come off the field (which is usually only half time). If i’m above 250 I will correct and take about 80% of the correction. By the time the game comes to a end i’m usually somewhere in the high 100s low 200s and starting my post game drop. I always go low about 8 hours after exercise no matter how intense. Hopefully she has figured out somethign that will help her out!
And hopefully her coach knows? I know I went low and was dropping during a game and my coach noticed right away that something was wrong and pulled me off. Hopefully she keeps playing. 
I am playing college soccer and still love every minute of the game.
Hey Amanda,
thanks for responding - Katie loves soccer, have been playing competitive since 8 as well, on a highly competitive team, traveled to Florida, NJ, MD and NC for college recruiting tournaments lately. It’s crazy, You’ve been through this so you know!
It sounds like you have taken your diabetes situation under control. Katie is 16, and as her endo has said, it is the teenage years that are the most rebellious and defying. Not too terribly crazy but enough that the only thing I get upset about is her high BS. Lately she just wants to ignore it… She is on the basal bolus regiment. She will check her BS in the morning, take/correct for breakfast, eat little for lunch since she will not take a shot during school and when she comes home, of course her BS is high corrects it. There are so many spikes when her endo downloads her BS readings. Her coach (she played for Florida State) has talked with her about tightly managing her diabetes. With other words of wisdom, Katie is not motivated
I found omnipod and am completely sold on it. But of course I am not a diabetic. We got a test model but it’s been sitting on the counter for about 3 weeks now. She said she may try it after the summer ends since she doesn’t want it obvious in her bathing suit or shorts.
what advice do you give? did you got through the same, What did you parents do?
I’m guessing from the way you talk about her that she isn’t very comfortable about her diabetes. She doesn’t like the idea of being different from everyone else. I was diagnosised at 13, I know exactly how it goes. I fought with my parents tooth and nail about wearing a medical alert (for the last 4 years I have been finally wearing it religiously…besides soccer games of course).
I don’t know if she has ever met other type 1s? I think that’s quite helpful. Knowing that you aren’t the only one out there was probably the best thing for me. I have been to serveral childrenwithdiabetes.com conferences (they have a big one in Orlando every June/July which is FANTASTIC. I actually work with other T1 kids there…) and just being with other diabetics who test their bgs ALL THE TIME and pull out the needles and just give the shot right there or pull the pump out and bolus makes a difference. I’m so used to people staring and asking me about my pump (as the omnipod is a big lump sometimes under your shirt or on your tummy or leg) that it doesn’t phase or bother me.
My parents were VERY involved when I was first diagnosised. After the first few months they kinda backed up and let me handle it. They started getting tough on me when my A1C started creeping up. I can’t say I have never taken care of my health though. I think the highest my A1C was like 7.8 or so? The fact that she won’t take a shot is really kinda scary. She goes to school and drives (maybe she doesnt drive…) and concentrates at school with high bg? Ick. I couldn’t do it.
You have to find ways to work with her. Maybe she goes to the bathroom and tests and takes a shot? maybe the nurse? maybe she goes to a empty classroom and do it. Unfortunely we are different and in order to take care of ourselves we have to test and take shots. I would def recommend a pump in her case. Usually very hideable under clothes, I often do bgs tests under the table during college as long as the meter doesn’t beep. No one really notices and no one really cares if they do see it. Otherwise you have to start hovering. Nothing a child hates more then you hovering over our every move. That got me to perk up real quick. PLus things like driving (I can’t to this day leave the house without telling my mom my bg or testing in front of her…and I don’t even live in the house anymore!) are things we have to take seriously. We pass out from a low or something is wrong it’s VERY dangerous. I would recommend you checking out childrenwithdiabetes.com they have tons of pages on this stuff on how to work with your child into testing. Doctors and psychologists and just other parents who have had to dealt with it.
She will understand one day. The day she can’t play soccer (which I’m assuming she loves) because she feels like horse crap because the ketones of the day have added up…been there done that.
you’re awesome!! I checked out the conference - I’ve actually been to that hotel on several of my business trips, coordinating our (aerospace) conference. It’s a great facility - and I see you are working there?? I am wondering, since Katie is 16 are there many kids her age that attend? Sold my husband on going, now it’s Katie’s turn. I am supposed to be in Chicago on another business trip the weekend before and have the luxury of delegating it out - I hope to meet you and have Katie meetyou as well.
There are TONS of teens that attend. I went to my first conference at 17, so it was kinda awkward and freaky but the kids are awesome and still are. I would DEF recommend it. Like I said it’s the number 1 thing that helped me handle my t1. To know that I wasn’t alone. Plus you never know you might find someone that lives relatively close to you that she can go to if she has problems and doesn’t want to talk to you (parents). Or at least have a lot of online friends
If you do come out I would love to meet Katie. Give her a idea on college soccer. And how much trainers and coaches get on your case about your bgs…
we are signed up!!! we are planning to arrive Monday ad leave probably on Sun! I kinda had to bribe her to go, using Universal Studios as the bribe.
when are you arriving? are you working the youth group? Are you going to Epcot on Fri with the teens?
I will be arriving Tuesday morning and i’m staying in Orlando till Sunday (I will be going to visit my grandparents after that to extend my vacation a little bit). I’m working with the elementary kids so not with your daughter but the teen leaders are great. You will get a kick out of Natalie. She is a hard ■■■ that everyone loves (excuse my language). I don’t go to Epcot on Friday with the teens (make sure she hits up Mission to Mars we went last year and it was AWESOME) as I will be on onsight with the elementary kids. As long as she tries to be open about the experience she should have a lot of fun and make a lot of new friends.
You as the parents as well may learn a thing or two from other parents. My mom and dad come pretty much every year (not this year) and usually learn a thing or two. You also recieve tons and tons of free things. Pens, glucose tabs, info about things coming to diabetes, frisbees, backpacks…etc. Be warned!
Hey there -
we are all psyched about next week. well at least i am
We are arriving Monday evening and leaving Sun am.
I hope we can meet you. Feel free to leave a message in our room or call me on my cell 571-436-6477. Totally understand if we can’t meet- you have to work, but at least it’s a fun work. see ya next week.
Tricia
I will be everywhere when I get there Tuesday afternoon-Sunday. Very good chance we could run into each other at the opening of the exhibit hall or getting meals or really anywhere. I’m one of the few people from Minnesota that come to the conference so you can’t miss me. I hope your daughter has some fun! Let me know how it goes for you guys!
I was highly competitive in high school sports and I remember having the hardest time with soccer, but what I used to do was keep two water bottles- one with gatorade and one with water. I always had to test at half time and after the game and depending on how my numbers were would dictate what I would drink. Best part about this is that you don’t have to eat anything and it doesn’t appear as if you are doing something different than anybody else. At half time I almost always drank the gatorade. I also found that with all my sports I had to eat something with peanut butter in it after practice or a game so that I could keep my blood sugar stable. So if I was under 100 I would eat something with a little sugar and then peanut butter crackers and if I was over 100 I would just eat peanut butter crackers. It is definitely difficult to eat those afterward, but I would manage because that is what I had picked out. I’ve found that now I like to use a GU to help keep my BS numbers stable, but I didn’t know about those when I was in high school.
My mom would take me shopping for my food at the beginning of each season so I could stock up on what I wanted. Being able to make decisions over what food I had available helped a lot. Some seasons it was lifesavors, others it was starburst, basically anything but a glucose tab.
I’ve played competitive soccer since I was 5, played in college, and still do so today playing in the top Premier league in San Diego. I also play indoor a couple of times a week as well. I can honestly say it’s tough with soccer maintaining tight control during the games. I like to go into a game around 160 or so, but I’ve had times where I’ll plummet during the game, and times where I’ll be high 200’s immediately after. Check at half time to see where you’re at, chug some gatorade if you’re low, bolus if you’re too high.
There are just so many variables that seem to affect me, heat, dehydration, intensity of the game, what I ate prior, etc. Just be careful. Then there’s the lag of ‘coming down’ right after the game and if I shower immediately after. I’ll have a tendency to drop within an hour, but by then I’m usually hungry! Just have to test often and monitor your BG’s. Playing soccer affects my BG’s much differently than working out which I do twice a day. I can stay consistent and not hit any lows, but chasing a ball, I can be all over the place…literally 