Elite sport is hard work – and for people with type 1 diabetes, every competition is a balancing act between performance and health. High training loads, competitions around the globe, jet lag, or extreme weather conditions can all cause significant blood glucose fluctuations, making training especially challenging.
The Zverev Foundation, founded by tennis professional Alexander Zverev, has donated €10,000 to the Challenge-D research project at the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI). The donation supports the telemedical care of elite athletes with type 1 diabetes.
Individualized, Data-Driven, Available Worldwide
Under the scientific leadership of Prof. Katarina Braune, diabetologist and Head of the "Digital Health – Non-Communicable Diseases" research group at the Hasso Plattner Institute, and Ulrike Thurm, diabetes educator, pioneer in the field of diabetes and elite sports, and recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, athletes receive support via telemedicine. This digital approach allows experts to continuously analyze data from insulin pumps and glucose monitoring systems, adjust therapy to training and competition conditions, and answer questions on demand. Initial results show that continuous, individualized care enables athletes to fully realize their performance potential.
"As people who live with type 1 diabetes ourselves and who have also been deeply involved in elite sports, we know how challenging it can be to manage everyday life – and for elite athletes under high physical and mental strain, it is particularly complex," say Prof. Braune an Ulrike Thurm. "With our project, we are creating continuous telemedical care that is individually tailored to training and competition situations for the first time."
Digital Technologies as a Key Enabler
The project combines medical expertise with state-of-the-art digital health technology: data from sensors, pumps, and training plans are scientifically analyzed to optimize therapeutic decisions. At the same time, qualitative interviews are conducted to better understand stresses, barriers, and success factors in elite sports.
In the long term, Challenge-D aims to support elite athletes reliably and to make the knowledge gained accessible to all physically active people with type 1 diabetes through digital platforms.
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