Diabetes And Athlets 

There have been many successful athletes and sports personalities who have had diabetes but were able to control their illness enough to not interfere with their activities. Three famous athletes who had diabetes are the boxing great Joe Frazier, one of baseball's top hitters Ty Cobb, and tennis star Arthur Ashe.

For an athlete to be comfortable, that person needs to know that help will be available in the rare case of a medical emergency. As such, the coach or physical fitness trainer has to be aware of the athlete's diabetic condition.

Athletes with diabetes compete in a wide variety of sports, including marathons, cycling, and football. What these athletes do, as should any person with diabetes wanting to compete in sports or exercise, is take responsibility for their disease. Taking responsibility means doing the following:

Testing your blood sugar before you start playing and right after you stop
Test every half hour while playing if the activity is intense
If your blood sugar levels are too high, avoid playing until you have lowered them through medication
Do not play immediately after eating.  

A one-hour delay is advisable in most cases. Wear proper-fitting shoes as diabetics tend to have poor circulation.