Relationships Between Fitness, Physical Activity, Hemoglobin A1c, And Motor Proficiency In Adolescents With T1D

Engaging in physical activity (PA) improves blood glucose and insulin sensitivity, important factors for the management of type 1 diabetes (T1D). PA is recommended for those living with T1D as it has been shown to improve glycemic control, reduce cardiovascular (CV) disease, improve lipid metabolism, sleep, and mood. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition, PA participation, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, and motor proficiency in adolescents with T1D. METHODS: Pediatric patients with a diagnosis of T1D enrolled in a sports medicine program were invited to participate in this study. Retrospective clinical chart reviews were conducted to determine participant’s sociodemographic and anthropometric measures and most recent HbA1c level. Assessments included cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 max), hand grip strength, push-ups, sit-and-reach, body composition measured by bioelectric impedance analyses, and motor proficiency testing. Participants self-reported weekly PA minutes. A Spearman's correlation was conducted to evaluate the relationship among components of fitness, PA, HbA1c and motor proficiency. RESULTS: A total of 17 patients (13.8 + 2 years; female, n = 10, 58.8%; white, n = 16, 94.1%) participated in the study. Fitness testing results included VO2max (40.7 + 6.7 ml/kg/min), hand grip strength (33.6 + 11.8 kg), pushups (16 + 7.2), sit-and-reach (28.5 + 8.9 cm), and percent body fat (24.2 + 10.0; 6.3 – 42.9%). PA minutes ranged from 180 to 1500 minutes/wk. HbA1c was 7.9 + 1.7 mmol/l and the motor proficiency standard score was 48.7 + 8.4. There was a statistically significant inverse relationship between body fat and motor proficiency, p < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this investigation showed a significant relationship between body fat percentage and motor proficiency. No other components of fitness, weekly PA, or HbA1c were noted. Continued research exploring the relationships between fitness, PA, HbA1c and motor proficiency is warranted.