Categories: Diabetes
      Date: Sep 14, 2009
     Title: Training with Diabetes: Must-Have Equipment for the Diabetic Triathlete
Diabetics need their own type of equipment to deal with the needs of managing blood glucose levels while training and racing. Here are some of the essentials:

Salt tablets:

 Diabetic athletes need twice as much attention to electrolytes than everyone else. I wrote an article on how high blood glucose levels can affect electrolyte balance, especially for potassium. (You can read the full article here).

Every time blood glucose levels are high, your system works to get rid of the excess sugar, via urine, which of course also flushes away water and salts.

For that reason it is very important to supplement with electrolytes in the week leading up to your important races, as well as during those races in the case of longer events, if you have hyperglycemia. Keep those tablets always in stock and handy. 

Emergency gel flask, bottle & snacks in the transition bag

Carrying a spare sugary snack is not new for a diabetic. In races, you never know when you will need it. That’s why the safest option is to spread a few “back-up snacks” around the course. A key location is your transition bag, since you have access to that before and after the race as well as during the event sometimes.

I’ve also used liquid sugar because nothing gets into your blood stream faster. One gel flask can carry as much as 400kcal of this product, which is available at any diabetes shop. Taking one flask on the bike is always a great idea. Also take one for the run or leave in the special needs bag.

Another way to stock up on some calories is through an extra bottle of your caloric drink (usually based on maltodextrin). Each bottle can carry as much as 1000kcal if concentrated - more than enough to get your blood glucose to safer levels.


Spare glucometer & insulin:

Those are essentials in a diabetic’s life. There are only so many hours you can live without it. That's why you have to be 110% sure you will have access to it whenever you may need it.

In my Ironman racing days I would take as many as 5 glucometers for race weekend. One is for the transition bag, to do the tests before and after the race. Another two meters would go into the bike fanny pack since very often one of them would not work for some reason, one more for the run bag and the last glucometer would stay in the hotel room as a backup.

The story wasn’t very different with the insulin. The refill was left in the hotel room fridge while I had full syringes all over the place: transition bags, special needs bags & bike/run bags.


Bento box, fanny pack, cycling jerseys, tri shorts with pockets:

I cannot forget what you need to carry all this gear. Fortunately there are a lot of triathletes without diabetes that carry all sorts of things when racing and training such as MP3 players, water bottles, money/ID, food & gels, etc.  There is no lack of options to carry your diabetes devices - just be creative to adapt to your own needs!


Vinnie Santana, Coach - Bangkok, Thailand

http://www.ironguides.net
* * * Your best is our business.™ * * *