Hitting the Ice with T1D

Jan 14

Advancements in medical care and technologies have enabled participation in sports like hockey far easier for children and adults with diabetes. Growing up, I played hockey in all forms from ice and roller to street, and it was a literal shot in the dark to manage blood sugar and insulin before and during the activity.

Our son plays U10 hockey and I’ve been fortunate to be on the ice helping kids expand their knowledge of the game, and I even started playing again. I have two different insulin strategies for my time on the ice; coaching obviously requires a little different approach compared to the quick, high intensity skating efforts of games.

Coaching

For as long as I can remember, my blood sugar tends to run low daily from 2-5pm. I often joke that I could suspend insulin on my Tandem Insulin Pump during this time and remain in target. This makes cardiovascular activities somewhat challenging during this timeframe, and our ice time usually falls within this window.

Set a temp basal one hour prior to practice. Either suspend during practice based on my daily trend or exit Control IQ and run a temp basal rate of .25%.
I keep skratch chews in my pocket and eat one or two every 15 minutes for the duration of the 75 minute practice.
I resume Control IQ ten minutes prior to the end of practice.

Playing

When our son took interest in hockey I decided to buy pads and play in a lunch pickup game along with adult skills practices. At the low level I play hitting is not allowed, although I hit the ice enough given my eclectic skating technique. Therefore, I never wear my pump during these sessions, even with plenty of padding it still makes me uncomfortable.

I treat full skating sessions much like a track session for running. High intensity and short efforts spike my blood sugar.

I stay in Control IQ up until the moment I get on the ice.
Before taking my pump off, I bolus 1-3 units, depending on my daily trends.
I have my phone near the bench and I’m able to monitor blood sugar levels through my Dexcom G7 app and make adjustments as needed. I keep skratch chews handy and if I’m trending too high, I’ll go back to the locker room and take a bolus.
Once I’m done, I’ll reconnect and bolus 1-2 units depending on my current blood sugar and daily trends.

My time on the ice provides a reprieve from daily thoughts related to healthcare and chronic illness management. I love spending time with our son and his teammates, and enjoy the camaraderie the sport offers.