CrossFitting with Type 1 Diabetes

September 4, 2012

Keka Schermerhorn

"The most amazing results have been watching my blood glucose graphs going from a roller coaster to basically just a flat line."



 

Mel Hullings and Kevin Jay were blindsided by their Type I diabetes diagnosis. After struggling with the challenges of the disease, they turned to CrossFit and the paleo diet.

While Type II diabetes can often be prevented and is usually associated with older age, obesity and physical inactivity, Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease with no known method of prevention.

Type I diabetes destroys the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin, the hormone that allows sugar and starches (glucose) to enter cells and be converted into energy. When glucose and fats aren’t used and remain in the blood, they can cause lasting damage to the body. Effective treatment of the disease requires daily insulin injections.

Hullings, 25, was diagnosed during a routine physical in her senior year of high school.

“I started out by limiting carbohydrates and following a dietary plan, but as my body continued to make less and less insulin, I started taking insulin shots a year later,” Hullings says.

Having always been athletic, Hullings was encouraged by her doctors to keep running, spinning, kickboxing and playing field hockey. But the activities caused her blood sugar to crash (hypoglycemia). She was also advised to eat a diet rich in low-fat foods, vegetables and whole grains.

“Everyone seemed to focus on whole grains and cardio as the answer, and my blood sugar would constantly be going up and down all day,” Hullings recalls. “I started using a continuous glucose-monitoring system and would watch my blood sugar going up and down all day.”

Jay, meanwhile, contracted a stomach virus on a business trip. He had a genetic predisposition to Type I diabetes and his doctors believe the virus triggered its onset.

“I ended up at the Joslin (Diabetes) Center for treatment and was told I would need to inject insulin every day for the rest of my life, starting that morning,” the 49-year-old says. “I felt like diabetes was manageable, I simply needed to approach it with discipline.”

Jay experimented with his diet and learned how to count carbohydrates. He tried to match his insulin intake to his meals, but kept running into trouble when consuming food high on the glycemic index.

“I cut back on foods that had an unpredictable effect on my sugar levels or that had too many carbohydrates,” Jay says. “I gradually eliminated bread, rice, other grains and, of course, sugar from my standard diet – not to say that I don't occasionally cheat. Paleo turned out to be the natural conclusion to the path I was already on.”

He then stumbled on CrossFit while researching options for a home gym.

“It was daunting, but it made complete sense,” he says. “I had tried various exercise approaches and none of them stuck. Here was an approach that offered a measurable, varied, fully functional workout that could be done in an hour without expensive machines.”

While working as a research technician, Hullings noticed one of the other researchers in the lab eating "weird" meals and asked her about it. The other researcher explained she had started CrossFit and was doing a paleo challenge.

“I started to read about paleo and look at all the science involved,” Hullings says. “I read testimonies and scientific articles and it really started to all make sense.”

CrossFit seemed to be a perfect match. Hullings is a member of CrossFit NYC.

“Immediately upon starting CrossFit, I fell in love. The workouts were so much fun, the people were great, my coaches were amazing,” Hullings says. “I looked and felt better 40 days after I started CrossFit and paleo than I ever had, and my blood sugar was stable almost all day, everyday. The most amazing results have been watching my blood glucose graphs going from a roller coaster to basically just a flat line.”

Hullings’ basal insulin intake — the standard dose prescribed to her for daily intake — has now been cut by half.

“Being in a community where I can discuss and learn about nutrition and fitness has only made it easier to stick to it,” she says.

Jay also credits CrossFit with making exercise a routine part of his life. His is a member of CrossFit New England.

“Exercise was an off-and-on proposition for me until I started CrossFit,” he explains. “I understood how important it was, but I'd have trouble staying on the wagon for more than a few months at a time. CrossFit is different. The program, the trainers, the element of competition and the amazing community keep me coming back regularly.”

Jay’s basal insulin intake also has decreased, as has his blood pressure — going from 130/80 to 115/69. He also has seen a change of his HDL cholesterol, rising from 47 to 68 and his triglycerides decreasing from 78 to 44.

“I'm not sure how meaningful those changes are,” he says, “but they seem significant to me and definitely I feel better.”