Understanding Exercise Physiology for the Diabetic Youth Athlete

Episode 13

Join us for an enlightening episode of The Healthy Youth Sports podcast with special guest Dr. Sheri Colberg, a leading expert in physical activity and exercise in people with diabetes. Dr. Colberg shares her expertise on how the body responds physiologically to different types of sports and activities in diabetic youth.

In this episode, we explore the body’s energy systems and their impact on exercise, how to identify which energy system is being used, and why this is crucial for youth athletes with diabetes. Dr. Colberg also discusses the role of carbohydrates and fats in exercise, offering insights into the best dietary practices for these young athletes.

Whether you’re a parent, coach, or athlete, this episode provides valuable information on optimizing performance and managing diabetes through a better understanding of exercise physiology.

Guest bio: Sheri Colberg, PhD, FACSM, is is a world-renowned expert in physical activity and exercise in people with diabetes. She’s a professor emerita of exercise science from Old Dominion University, an author of 12 books and hundreds of book chapters, articles and blogs, a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, and the 2016 recipient of the American Diabetes Association Outstanding Educator in Diabetes award.

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GSSI Pre-Conference

The Physiology of Hydration: More Than Water Alone

This session explores the physiology of hydration through an integrated lens—examining how carbohydrate, sodium, flavor, and fluid interact to influence intake, absorption, retention, and performance. We’ll review current research on fluid balance, osmotic drivers, and palatability, highlighting mechanisms that underpin voluntary intake and thermoregulation. Attendees will gain insight into individualized strategies, including sweat profiling and timing approaches, to optimize euhydration and mitigate performance decrements associated with >2% body-mass loss. Practical applications will be linked to laboratory- and field-based research, ensuring translation from bench to field. This pre-conference equips you with evidence-based tools to support athlete hydration across diverse environments and sporting contexts. 

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  • Session 1: Sweating the detail: New insights on hydration considerations for athlete performance
    • Lewis James, PhD, Associate Professor in Human Nutrition in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University
  • Session 2: Functional ingredients in fluid replacement beverages for athletes
    • Lindsay Baker, PhD, Director at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute
  • Session 3: The hydration toolkit: Practical approaches to athlete support
    • Floris Wardenaar, PhD, Associate Professor at the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University