The Effect of Exercise on Metabolic Parameters, Anthropometric Measurement Values and Quality of Life

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by insulin deficiency. T1DM is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. In the 10th Diabetes Atlas (2021) data of the International Diabetes Association (IDF), it is stated that the population of children aged 19 and under is 2.61 billion in the world, approximately 1.2 million of these children have T1DM, and there are approximately 150 thousand new children diagnosed with T1DM every year in the world. In the same report, it was stated that there are approximately 26 thousand children aged 19 and under with T1DM in Turkey. T1DM, whose treatment and management is complex, causes both children and their parents to encounter many problems. These problems cause deterioration in quality of life and perceived well-being in children with T1DM. The problems experienced in this direction, adaptation problems and decreased quality of life lead to deterioration of metabolic control in children with T1DM. Children with T1DM who cannot adapt to their disease may have acute and chronic complications that lead to deterioration of metabolic control. One of the most important complications seen in children with T1DM is osteopenia, which tends to increase gradually. Proper nutrition, physical activity, insulin therapy and follow-up of complications have an important place in preventing complications that may develop in children with T1DM, ensuring metabolic control and increasing their quality of life. Exercise in T1DM; reducing the need for insulin and increasing its effect, providing blood glucose control, increasing muscle strength, providing weight control, increasing body fat and muscle mass, increasing body fluid ratio, increasing bone mineralization, positively affecting the cardiovascular system, reducing blood fats, increasing self-conditioning, It provides many benefits such as increasing confidence and reducing stress. Despite the numerous benefits of exercise, studies have shown that children with T1DM do not exercise regularly and do not want to do traditional (walking, running, cycling, swimming, etc.) exercises. In this direction, exercise that requires continuity in diabetes management can be made dynamic for children with T1DM by using different approaches. For this reason, it is thought that structured exercise with augmented reality glasses (AR) that can respond to the reactions of the child with T1DM will be more dynamic and will prevent macrovascular complications such as osteopenia and increase the quality of life in children with T1DM by providing metabolic control.