Considerations for Swimmers with Type 1 Diabetes: A Narrative Review.
8 affiliations
- 1Medical Department, Serbian Institute of Sport and Sports Medicine, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
- 2Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
- 3PR Consulting and Testing TCH, Psychologist and Psychotherapist, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
- 4Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases "Dedinje", 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
- 5Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
- 6Center of Excellence for the Study of Redox Balance in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia.
- 7Department of Pathophysiology, First Moscow State Medical University IM Sechenov, 119435 Moscow, Russia.
- 8Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Abstract
Achieving success at the highest level in swimming requires exceptional physical abilities and technical skills. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) poses an additional challenge to maintaining optimal glycemic control. Most information on the nutritional aspects of competitive swimming is available in the literature, but specific considerations for swimmers with T1D are scarce. To excel, swimmers' nutrition and fueling strategies must align with the varied training and competition requirements, which can elicit different glycemic responses. Continuous glucose monitoring can help develop optimal fueling strategies. Dryland and altitude training will require different approaches than regular pool sessions. Competition-related stress can make glycemia unpredictable, and practiced scenarios must be established. The importance of early recognition of hypoglycemia with planned and practiced treatment scenarios should be established. There is limited evidence on the safety of using ergogenic aids other than caffeine in swimmers with T1D. Given the higher incidence of disordered eating behaviors and eating disorders among swimmers and other individuals with T1D, coaches and everyone involved in the swimmers' environment should be educated on how to communicate potential body composition issues and, if necessary, manage body composition safely. Swimmers and their team members should be aware of the specific considerations for T1D in swimming for safe sports participation, as presented in this review.
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BibTeX
@article{djuranovic2026considerations,
title = {{Considerations for Swimmers with Type 1 Diabetes: A Narrative Review.}},
author = {Andrija Djuranovic and Sebastijan Higl and Tijana Cirkovic Higl and Milena Antic and Gordana Korolija Mrdjanov and Djordje Batinic and Milos Maletic and Jovana Ristic and Vladimir Jakovljevic},
journal = {Sports (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/sports14100422},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42931559},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Considerations for Swimmers with Type 1 Diabetes: A Narrative Review.
AU - Andrija Djuranovic
AU - Sebastijan Higl
AU - Tijana Cirkovic Higl
AU - Milena Antic
AU - Gordana Korolija Mrdjanov
AU - Djordje Batinic
AU - Milos Maletic
AU - Jovana Ristic
AU - Vladimir Jakovljevic
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Sports (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/sports14100422
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42931559
AB - Achieving success at the highest level in swimming requires exceptional physical abilities and technical skills. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) poses an additional challenge to maintaining optimal glycemic control. Most information on the nutritional aspects of competitive swimming is available in the literature, but specific considerations for swimmers with T1D are scarce. To excel, swimmers' nutrition and fueling strategies must align with the varied training and competition requirements, which can elicit different glycemic responses. Continuous glucose monitoring can help develop optimal fueling strategies. Dryland and altitude training will require different approaches than regular pool sessions. Competition-related stress can make glycemia unpredictable, and practiced scenarios must be established. The importance of early recognition of hypoglycemia with planned and practiced treatment scenarios should be established. There is limited evidence on the safety of using ergogenic aids other than caffeine in swimmers with T1D. Given the higher incidence of disordered eating behaviors and eating disorders among swimmers and other individuals with T1D, coaches and everyone involved in the swimmers' environment should be educated on how to communicate potential body composition issues and, if necessary, manage body composition safely. Swimmers and their team members should be aware of the specific considerations for T1D in swimming for safe sports participation, as presented in this review.
SN - 2075-4663
ER -