Abstract
Seventeen type I male diabetic adolescents and 17 control subjects matched for age,
height, and weight were submitted to maximal exercise on a bicycle ergometer. The
diabetic subjects were divided into two groups according to their degree of metabolic
control using total glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1): group 1, diabetics with HbA1 < 8.5% (n=9) and group 2, diabetics with HbA1 < 8.5% (n=8). Oxygen uptake, pulmonary ventilation, and heart rate were recorded
at rest and at maximal load. Glucose, lactate, and free fatty acids were determined
in blood before and after exercise. Maximal work load and oxygen uptake were significantly
lower in the two diabetic groups than in the healthy controls. An inverse relationship
was observed between HbA, concentration and the maximal work load (r = -0.63; P < 0.01). It can be concluded that diabetic adolescents should obtain the best possible
degree of metabolic control to improve their performances.
Key words
diabetes mellitus - adolescents - glycosylated hemoglobin - exertion - aerobic capacity
