Introduction: Physical activity is regarded as one of the four basic factors influencing the concentration of glucose in the blood of diabetic patients. Despite this, concerns about hypoglycaemia and exposure of chronically ill children to excessive fatigue mean that their physical activity is frequently inadequate. Until now, physical endurance of diabetes mellitus patients has been assessed more frequently than their physical fitness.
Aim of the study: An attempt to assess physical fitness of a group of children and teenagers suffering from type 1 diabetes (DM1).
Materials and methods: Physical fitness was assessed in 40 children with DM1: mean age for girls (n=20) was 10.58±2.63 years old (7.03-16.11), and for boys (n=20) 12.25±2.62 years old (7.23-16.52). Physical fitness was assessed on the basis of the result of 8 out of 9 tests from the European test of physical fitness (Eurofit) set. The results of individual trials were expressed as percentile measurements read against percentile grids designed by Stupnicki, Przewęda and Milde.
Results: When compared against healthy peers, girls with DM1 achieved significantly lower scores in balance maintenance, long jump and hand grip tests. Boys with DM1 were fitter than girls with DM1 in tests assessing balance, hand grip and agility, yet they were less fit than their healthy peers in balance and hand grip tests.
Conclusions: Physical fitness of children and teenagers suffering from DM1 differs between the sexes. In boys it was assessed as being close to that of their healthy peers, while in girls it was assessed as being inadequate. It is likely that the girls' poorer physical fitness results from both their state of health and environmental conditions, which were not defined in this study. It seems that diabetic girls should be especially encouraged to take part in regular physical exercise, since it is regarded as one of the key components of correct therapeutic procedures in diabetes.