Strengths and Challenges of Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery During Exercise in People With Type 1 Diabetes: Potential Future Directions

Exercise has many physical and psychological benefits and is recommended for people with type 1 diabetes; however, there are many barriers to exercise, including glycemic instability and fear of hypoglycemia. Closed-loop (CL) systems have shown benefit in the overall glycemic management of type 1 diabetes, including improving HbA1c levels and reducing the incidence of nocturnal hypoglycemia; however, these systems are challenged by the rapidly changing insulin needs with exercise. This commentary focuses on the principles, strengths, and challenges of CL in the management of exercise, and discusses potential approaches, including the use of additional physiological signals, to address their shortcomings in the pursuit of fully automated CL systems.

Automated summary

Exercise has many benefits for people with type 1 diabetes, but there are barriers such as glycemic instability and fear of hypoglycemia. Closed-loop systems have shown benefits in glycemic management, but face challenges in managing insulin needs during exercise. This commentary discusses the principles, strengths, and challenges of closed-loop systems in exercise management, and explores potential approaches to improve their shortcomings for fully automated systems.