Project 466903

Post-menopausal women with type 1 diabetes are at higher risk of heart disease, muscle loss, and bone density loss than women without diabetes, leading to an increased risk of frailty. Existing evidence suggests that resistance exercise reduces these risks, however, it can also increase instability of blood glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes. To date, no research has been published documenting the exercise experience of this population, making it difficult to provide evidence-based recommendations for safe exercise practices. This pilot study will recruit 15 post-menopausal women with type 1 diabetes to test the efficacy and safety of two different resistance exercise protocols (one high-repetition, light weight, and one moderate-repetition, moderate weight), comparing acute changes in blood glucose levels both during, and for the 24 hours after exercise using continuous glucose monitoring. We expect the latter protocol to be associated with smaller blood glucose declines during exercise and lower mean glucose levels overnight following exercise. After completing the testing sessions, participants will be invited to take part in a focus group to discuss their experience, protocol preference, barriers to exercise, and other information they feel may improve their exercise experience. The goal of this research is to provide initial data, proof of recruitment feasibility, and participant feedback to tailor further research. Combined, these data can then be used to build an optimal resistance exercise program that is both safe and effective for women with type 1 diabetes. Researchers developing closed-loop insulin delivery systems may also use these data to create age and sex-specific glucose management algorithms for exercise.