I'm Running on Insulin: Summary of the history of the International Diabetic Athletes Association

The changes that physical activity brings in the functioning of the human body have a special interest to active individuals with diabetes. Certain adjustments in dosing are necessary. Even today, with such an emphasis on healthy life-style, little information is available to assist an individual with diabetes to exercise safely. Granted, no easy formula exists. Many different factors influence blood glucose. Most often, individuals with diabetes learn by trial and error how to best manage their favorite activity. In 1985, Paula Harper founded the International Diabetic Athletes Association (IDAA) in hopes of educating people with diabetes about the benefits of regular exercise. For most individuals with insulin-dependent (type I) diabetes mellitus, it is not encouragement, but safety that is the issue. The IDAA offers great opportunities for sharing ideas at its annual meetings. These meetings attract an exceptional faculty of speakers and offer a mix of workshops led by experienced diabetic athletes on various sports. A quarterly newsletter is published that presents new information and recognizes success stories. IDDA chapters exist in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain.