Utilization of major metabolic substrates during aerobic exercise in patients with type 1 diabetes

Abstract

The Impact of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM-1), Including its late complications, on the utilization of major metabolic substrates during aerobic exercise was studied. A bicycle ergometic slowly increasing exercise test protocol was used in 123patients with DM-1 and 36 healthy volunteers. The ratio of fat/carbohydrate intake was estimated by Indirect calorimetry. During limbering-up, DM patients showed no metabolism transformation in response to the predominant use of fats, which was observed in healthy volunteers. With the further more strenuous exercise, there was a significantly ropider rate of utilization of carbohydrate sources in the maintenance of muscle contraction In patients with DM-1 irrespective of the severity of microangiopathy. In patients with DM-1, muscle tissue had a reduced ability to utilize fats during an aerobic exercise phase, which may Induced the accelerated uptake ofmyoglycogen, thus limiting exercise tolerance in this category of patients.