Grant: Project Grant

Improvements in diabetes care and technology have led to people with type 1 diabetes living longer. There are now more seniors than ever living with this complex health condition. With aging, type 1 diabetes affects both bone (more brittle), and muscle (loss of size and strength). This loss happens faster and to a greater extent in females than in males, and greatly increases the risk of frailty and falls. It may also occur more quickly in individuals who have higher blood glucose (sugar) levels. Frailty is an important factor to address. In older females, even mild frailty decreases the ability to perform day-to-day tasks, and increases the risk of fractures, falls, hospitalization, and even death. Performing regular exercise helps to maintain the strength and quality of both muscles and bones with aging. The best type of exercise to help maintain the ability to perform activities of daily living (known as functional mobility) for this population is currently unknown. Resistance exercise (weightlifting) helps to prevent decreases in mobility in seniors without diabetes. However, in the context of type 1 diabetes, high blood sugar levels could negatively impact these potential strength benefits and low blood glucose could lead to falls. As such, any exercise program that causes swings in glucose levels may hinder rather than help. Our goal is to evaluate the effect of weightlifting over a 6-month timeframe on functional mobility in postmenopausal females with type 1 diabetes, compared to a group that does not train. We will also assess its effects on blood sugar variability and the risk of hypoglycemia. Like different medications, not all exercise is equal. Creating more knowledge about the benefits of specific types of exercise in this population will allow us to be more precise in our exercise recommendations for living longer and more independently with type 1 diabetes.