Diabetes and NuunMany athletes with type 1 diabetes prefer to use Nuun rather than sports drinks containing carbohydrates, because it gives them greater control over the amount of carbohydrate they consume.
T1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder of the pancreas that halts the body’s natural production of the hormone insulin. All athletes need to fuel with carbohydrates while training, but those with diabetes often need to have precise information about how many carbs they consume so they can measure their insulin dose accordingly.
It is difficult to know just how many grams of carbohydrate are in a "gulp" of sports drink. The carb content of solid foods or sports supplements such as gels, blocks, etc., is much easier to gauge. That’s why so many diabetic athletes choose Nuun for fluid and electrolyte replenishment and leave carb replacement to solid foods.
Team Type 1 - sanofi-aventis, based in Atlanta, GA, is the professional cycling arm of Team Type 1. Six of the 21 athletes on the team are type 1 diabetics. With proper management, technology as a guide and a healthy lifestyle, diabetes can be controlled. Fabio Calabria and teammates Martijn Verschoor and Joe Eldridge race at the highest level of professional cycling with no restrictions.
“I’m lucky to be racing a bike professionally, lucky to be travelling the world, lucky to have this dream come true. Managing my diabetes and mastering control of it is what makes everything possible, and for me to be able to tell you this is solid proof that diabetes is no limit in my life. ”
- Team Type 1 professional men’s team cyclist, Fabio Calabria.
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetics can benefit from using Nuun.
Diabetics need to carefully monitor their sugar intake. So with Nuun, they can stay optimally hydrated without the hassle of counting sugars. It’s one less thing to worry about.
Diabetics can also benefit from keeping Nuun on hand for sick days. When someone with diabetes gets sick, blood sugar tends to go up. Additionally, if they have symptoms or other conditions that cause them to lose extra fluids and electrolytes, they run an even greater risk of becoming dehydrated—which can lead to serious complications.
“I recommend my patients keep Nuun on hand specifically for sick day management. It stores easily and is a great way to provide fluids and electrolytes without adding carbohydrates that could further elevate blood sugars. And because it tastes so much better than electrolyte drinks made for sick children, kids are more likely to drink it and actually rehydrate as recommended. There's nothing worse than trying to force yourself to drink some nasty tasting beverage when you're sick. Nuun is yummy and easy to drink, even when sick.”
- Sally Hara, MS, RD, CSSD, CDE, Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator
“I just had to write and tell you how much my family and I appreciate your product. My husband is a forty-five year old type 1 diabetic who was just diagnosed two years ago with multiple sclerosis. His mountain bike is his key to good health and when his ms attacked his optic nerve, he thought he might not be able to ride anymore. Luckily, this episode was only temporary, but the new ms medication made him feel like he had the flu all of the time and he couldn’t ride without throwing up and cramping immensely. All of the hydration drinks he tried had waaaaaayyyyy too much sugar and really didn’t do much of anything. We stopped the ms medication but the cramping continued. Then Emily at the Bicycle Trip in Santa Cruz, California recommended Nuun. It saved my husband. He now rides without cramping (no more nighttime cramp attacks either), his blood sugar is stable and he is hill-climbing better than ever.”
- Tami from Santa Cruz
“We had a 67-year-old man arrive at the ER in a near comatose state. He had been losing fluids for six days, and his wife had been giving him water to keep him hydrated. Earlier that morning, his mental status deteriorated to the point where he was non-responsive. Serum sodium was found to be 118 when it should be over 132, and people are normally symptomatic at 125. We put him on an IV drip for 24 hours per protocol, which would normally do the trick. The problem was that he was diabetic, and after 24 hours he was still only at 122. We tried using Gatorade, but his blood glucose was going nuts and we couldn't control it. At that point, I suggested trying Nuun. I showed Nuun to the nutritionists, and we gave it a go. After 24 hours and 12 Nuun tabs, he was up to 131, with symptoms gone and blood sugar under control. Pretty cool. It really was the perfect product for that, and I am so glad it got to shine a bit for us at the hospital.”
- An MD in Seattle with lots of reasons to love Nuun.