Omaha, Nebraska — When Creighton basketball player Isaac Trout’s teammates take a break during practice, they might chat while drinking water or work on a task.
Trout does the same, but before doing so, he checks his blood sugar levels by attaching a device to his body. Depending on the content, you may need to take nutritional chews for energy. The routine is the same during halftime of the game.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone chew through a box of food faster than Isaac,” said athletic trainer Ben McNair. “He could probably knock those pucks down in 10 to 15 seconds.”
Trout was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 16 years ago at the age of 4, but he never let that stop him from playing the sport he loves. He is scheduled to play in the Blue Jays’ NCAA Tournament opener Thursday against Akron in Pittsburgh.
The 6-foot-10, 235-pound forward grew up in Grand Island, 130 miles west of Omaha, and was a two-time all-state player and the 2022 Nebraska High School Player of the Year. He played his first college season. He redshirted at the University of Virginia and announced his transfer to Creighton last March.
Trout played in 28 of the Blue Jays’ 32 games, averaging just under 10 minutes per game and shooting 43.6 percent from 3-point range. He started the first two games of the season and hit five threes off the bench against Central Michigan, scoring a season-high 18 points.
Former NBA players Chris Dudley, Adam Morrison, and Gary Forbes, and former WNBA player Lauren Cox are among high-level basketball players who have had to manage diabetes.
Trout said many parents of recently diagnosed children have asked her to encourage their children.
“It’s important for them to know that their dreams can still be achieved,” Trout said. “They can still compete in their sport. I think that’s what a lot of them are concerned about. I just want to inspire them and show them that you can play at the highest level. ”
“It doesn’t really matter if you’re diabetic or not. It’s just more responsibility. It’s more demanding, but ultimately possible.”
Advances in technology have made it easier to manage diabetes in athletes, said Dr. Lori Ruffel, an endocrinologist and clinical researcher for children and adolescents at Harvard Medical School’s Joslin Diabetes Center.
He says that in the 1950s, people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes were encouraged to engage in strenuous exercise due to the risk of hypoglycemia. Subsequent studies showed the positive effects of exercise, but athletes were forced to inconveniently prick their fingers during practices and games to check their blood sugar levels.
In recent years, athletes have been using continuous blood glucose monitors that communicate with their insulin pumps to keep blood sugar levels within target ranges. The CGM sends readings to an app on an athlete’s phone, showing their blood sugar levels at five-minute intervals and whether they are trending up or down.
Trout said she took daily insulin injections until she switched to an insulin pump at age 7. The latest insulin pump he currently uses can adjust his insulin automatically. For example, increase your insulin dose if your blood sugar levels are too high, and decrease your insulin dose if your blood sugar levels are too low. The pump and his Dexcom CGM, which he has used since he was 13 years old, are attached to his body under his uniform.
“Obviously, in my short life, it’s come a really long way,” he said. “Compared to 40 years ago, I couldn’t even imagine going through this without technology. It would be really difficult.”
He doesn’t really need CGM to know that something is wrong with his body. When your blood sugar levels are low, you feel dizzy and tired. High temperatures can make you thirsty and make your body ache.
McNair said Trout is good at predicting when he needs to raise his blood sugar levels during practice and games.
“As soon as we feel like he’s going downhill a little bit, we almost always do a chew and then it’s not that long after that he’s pretty much back on the floor,” McNair said.
Ruffel hasn’t treated Trout and doesn’t know him, but listening to him speak, he knows he’s had strong support from his family and Creighton’s medical and coaching staff. Told.
“It’s always exciting to see people living to their fullest potential, working, and thriving despite living with type 1 diabetes,” Raffel said.
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