Should Diabetic Runners Use Sports Drinks?

I get a lot of questions from diabetic runners about the use of sports drinks during exercise. Should they drink straight water or a “diet electrolyte solution”? Can they mix in or use a regular carbohydrate-electrolyte solution for carbohydrate replacement and energy?

Great question! Drilling down a title further, most diabetics are truly concerned about spikes in blood sugar and bottoming out during exercise, which may cause fatigue symptoms and decreased endurance. There is some validity to these concerns, but studies show the benefits out weigh the risks as long as you are utilizing 5-8% carbohydrate solution. Higher concentrations will delay gastric emptying an actually slow rehydration which can lead to dehydration especially in our hot climates. A recent article actually explains this well: “Drinking carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions before exercise does produce, during exercise, rapid rises in blood glucose and insulin concentrations, followed by a sharp fall in blood glucose. However, as exercise continues, blood glucose concentrations normally return to pre-exercise values. It is interesting to note that, even on the occasions when blood glucose concentrations fall to hypoglycemic values during the early part of prolonged exercise, the subjects in these studies do not report any adverse sensations.”

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