Exercise: will it make your blood sugar go high, or low…and what can be done about it? The answer depends on a number of factors. For over 25 years, Michael C. Riddell has focused his research on the area where kinesiology and diabetes meet. Press play to learn:

• How an emerging technology could sense when the body is initiating increased activity or exercise, and respond accordingly to keep insulin at the appropriate level
• Why eating a large carbohydrate-rich meal prior to exercise has different effects in people who have type I diabetes versus type II diabetes
• How tailoring the intensity of an exercise regimen could be safer and have beneficial effects on people with diabetes

Riddell is Full Professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University, where his research program is aimed at examining the mechanisms that underlie exercise in people with pre-diabetes or type I or type II diabetes. Why is exercise beneficial, and what are the challenges that come along with it in terms of fluctuating blood glucose levels? What type of technology can be employed to decrease the chances of glucose levels dipping too low or shooting too high during exercise? These questions are being explored by Riddell and his team, and he discusses the details of what they've discovered so far.

He also discusses the impressive amount of valuable information hat has been gained from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), why doctors and scientists are pushing for ambulatory glucose profiles using CGM as opposed to A1C tests, in what way the addition of glucagon to insulin pumps can act as the "brakes" when blood sugar levels get too high, and more.

For access to Riddell's lectures and papers on these topics and more, visit https://mriddell.lab.yorku.ca/. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK