Expertise I am an exercise physiologist with a PhD who specializes in diabetes. My expertise lies in answering questions about diabetes (of any type) and physical activity. I can help you if you want to begin exercise or if you're already a diabetic athlete, and I am prepared to respond to questions about physical activity to which even your diabetologist may not know the answer. I can give suggestions about changes in your diabetic medications that differing types and intensities of exercise may necessitate, but I will have to refer you to your regular health care team to get final approval to make such changes. I can also answer questions about physical fitness, exercise metabolism, prediabetes reversal, and prevention of type 2 diabetes and diabetic complications.
Experience I have both personal and professional experience in the areas of diabetes and exercise. On a personal level, I have had type 1 diabetes since 1968, and I have been an avid exerciser since I was a child. Professionally, I have been conducting clinical studies on diabetes and exercise since 1992, largely with funding from the American Diabetes Association. I am also the author of four books related to diabetes and exercise: The Diabetic Athlete (2001, but soon coming out in a 2nd edition), Diabetes-Free Kids (2005), The 7 Step Diabetes Fitness Plan (2006), and 50 Secrets of the Longest Living People with Diabetes (2007).
Organizations I am a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, a professional member of the American Diabetes Association, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Diabetes Exercise & Sports Association.
Publications I have published research and review articles in the following journals and magazines: Diabetes Care, Diabetes, Journal of Diabetes & Its Complications, Diabetes Self-Management, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Journal of Applied Physiology, The Physician and Sportsmedicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, International Journal of Obesity, FASEB Journal, The Diabetes Educator, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, Clinical Exercise Physiology, Clinical Diabetes Reviews, Insulin, ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, Biomechanics, On the Cutting Edge, Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, Microvascular Research, Drug Benefit Trends, ACSM Certified News, Diabetes Health, SportEX Health, Diabetes Focus, Diabetes In Control, dLife-For Your Diabetes Life, Pediatrics for Parents, and My TCOYD (Taking Control of Your Diabetes) Newsletter. I have also been interviewed in myriad other magazines, such as Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Diabetes Forecast, Countdown Magazine, Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness, Health, Tidewater Parent, Barron's News, Diabetes New Day, and Newsweek International.
Education/Credentials I have an undergraduate degree (1985) from Stanford University, a Master's degree in exercise physiology (1987) from the University of California, Davis, and a Ph.D. (1992) from the University of California, Berkeley, in the same field. I also spent two years in an NIH-funded postdoctoral research position in endocrinology (studying obesity, diabetes, metabolism, and exercise) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (1993-1994).
Awards and Honors • Fellow, American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM) - 1996
• Old Dominion University Darden College of Education Young Investigator Grant Award – 2003
• Academic Keys Who’s Who in Education – 2003-2007
• Marquis Who’s Who in America – 2004-2007
• Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Old Dominion University Chapter – 2004-Present
• Great Women of the 21st Century by the American Biographical Institute – 2005 Edition
• Marquis Who’s Who of American Women – Included in 2006-2008 Editions
• Marquis Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare – Included in 6th Edition, 2006-2007
• Old Dominion University Darden College of Education Largest Research Grant Award – 2006
• Old Dominion University Darden College of Education Publications Award (for greatest number) – 2006
Past/Present Clients I have consulted for numerous groups, including the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training(about candidates with diabetes), Animas Corporation (an insulin pump company), Therasense, Inc. (makers of the Freestyle blood glucose meters), Council of Healthcare Advisors, and the City of Chesapeake (Virginia) Health Department.
Q: Right now I am not in school but I want to continue my education and i cant decide should i go to a ... A: You say you want to become a pediatrician, so why are you going toward nursing?? Admission to ...
Q: Is there a limit to how many steroid shots a diabetic should get or is it ok if it is not affecting ... A: It is my understanding that a thorough post operative exercise program is essential for adequate ...
Q: I am 41 one, female, and in reletivly good health although I should excersize. For about the past ... A: The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. ...
Q: I have type II diabetes. I take Actos each day to keep it under control. I have consistently been no ... A: Oh dear!! You have what is called "hypoglycemia un-awareness." When you have very tight control over ...
Q: . I always used to take epsom salt baths to relax my body and sore muscles. I bought a box the ... A: Epsom Salts is Magnesium Sulfate: The Epsom Salts - Magnesium Sulfate is absorbed through the ...
Q: He has a funny smelling, very different body odor that comes and goes. He isn't on any medication ... A: Samara, Have you noticed anything else that goes along with this odor? Eating certain types of ...
Q: My name is Nicol and I am a 17 years old student from Canada. To be trueful, my mother's family runs ... A: Nicol, Certainly, when people get diabetes and do not control their blood sugars well, they can ...
Q: After usual fine 1/08 bloodtests, active dynamic 83 year old male drives to hospital 3/08 with 900 ... A: I forgot to add to my answer below that the endocrinologist who provided the responses below needs a ...
Q: Colberg, Can you tell what branch of medicine specializes in the pancreas? Would it be ... A: Ed, Yes, a gastroenterologist would be the specialist to see for pancreatitis. The pancreas has ...
Q: I am a 30 year old guy from the UK. I am very thin. My weight is about 10 stones. I am 6'2. I used ... A: Dale, First, I have to remind you that I'm an exercise physiologist who specializes in diabetes, ...
Q: My daughter has been urinating quite frequently. We started charting how often and she goes ... A: Cheri, The glucose levels for kids are the same as for adults: less than 100 mg/dl fasting ...
Q: I recently found out that I had Type 2 diabetes. I get on a treadmill for an hour a day. However I ... A: Andy, Yes, your age is irrelevant. However, to avoid getting an athletic injury, you may want to ...
Q: I recently found out that I had Type 2 diabetes. I get on a treadmill for an hour a day. However I ... A: Andy, Yes, you can do both, but I would suggest that you try to alternate the parts of your body ...
Q: What are the symptons of diabeteies and how can you tell if you have it or not???? My grandad has ... A: At 12, the chances are that you do NOT have diabetes. However, the symptoms are: Extreme thirst ...
Q: I was just wondering if you might be able to answer a question of mine. This time last year I was on ... A: It's entirely possible that you could become diabetic in the future, even though you try to eat ...
Q: i've recently been diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic. my fasting blood sugar was 140 and 150. A1C is ... A: Sorry to hear of your diagnosis. Unfortunately, although stress WILL raise blood sugar, it won't ...
Q: Hey I read your mini story. You sound like a fighter. You are very brave. My boyfriend also has ... A: If he does nottake care of himself andthe diabetes then yes, it is likely he can have the same ...
Q: I am hoping that you or anyone else on this site that has information that could help me. I ... A: Kristin, For the thyroid, they often measure TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), T3 and T4 ...
Q: I am 27 years old and recently my mother was diagnosed with diabetes(my grandmother has it and 3 out ... A: Karen, I would guess that you don't have diabetes, but you may have hypoglycemia, which is ...
Q: 10 months ago I had a routine blood test and was told that I had pre-diabetes. My fasting blood ... A: Royston, Do you remember if you had symptoms like a higher resting HR when you were off of fruits ...
Q: Can drugs such as cocaine affect your metabolism when you are taking medicine for hypothyroidism? ... A: Joanna, This is not my area of expertise, but it is possible for anything to interact with your ...
Q: I have hypothyroidism and for this reason i have to take thyroid pills each morning. I heard that ... A: Joanna, From what I've read, it does appear that you should try to take your thyroid medication on ...
Q: I am hoping that you or anyone else on this site that has information that could help me. I ... A: Kristin, Without knowing the actual results of your blood test, it's hard to say if there is ...
Q: Brian, My mother has been an insulin dependant diabetic for 34 years & went through a quadruple ... A: Firstly, my prayers are with your mother and all of you. I ran some high sugars also due to the ...
Q: Sheri I am borderline hypothyroid,that is my T tests come back near normal,but I have almost all the ... A: Barry, Your doctor's approach sounds like a reasonable one. For hypothyroid, the treatment is ...
Q: Colberg, I understand your specialty is in diabetes, but I have a (hopefully) brief question about ... A: Sarah, Is a chest x-ray safe? Probably. They do them for all sorts of reasons, including ...
Q: I am a 52-year-old female with a family history of Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. Lately, I felt ... A: (I like your name -- *grin*) The best thing I can suggest for you to nip type 2 in the bud is ...
Q: i took a blood test a while ago and i found out that my TSH levels were at 5.6, while normal levels ... A: The following input is provided for informational purposes only, and it is not intended to be ...
Q: I just wanted to know if you can tell me if diabetes can be detected by such lab tests as ... A: Lena, If the test is done fasting (first thing in the AM before you eat) and contains a blood ...
Q: i am a 20 year guy.I am having just 48kg weight and i am diabetic also.so please tell me the perfect ... A: Sagar, You will definitely want to go to the gym and lift weights. In addition, you need to ...
Q: My endocrinologist just perscribed januva to help me gain better control over my high sugar levels ... A: John, It's common for physicians to prescribe combination therapies to treat diabetes, so ...
Q: this is gonna sound kind of weird & it's kind of complicated ok so I'm 14 years old a couple of ... A: Julia, You can catch a cold any time of the year (two of my sons have one right now, and I had ...
Q: this is gonna sound kind of weird & it's kind of complicated ok so I'm 14 years old a couple of ... A: Julia, Some of your symptoms could be diabetes-related, but it's hard to say. There are a lot of ...
Q: I have neuropathy in my feet and a little in my hands. My blood glucose test scores are nearly ... A: The following input is provided for informational purposes only, and it is not intended to be ...
Q: I give myself insulin injections in my stomach each day(I HATE it) and I have noticed that I have ... A: Elisa, Some people do have reactions to certain types of insulin. What type are you using, and ...
Q: I give myself insulin injections in my stomach each day(I HATE it) and I have noticed that I have ... A: The following input is provided for informational purposes only, and it is not intended to be ...
Q: I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 5 years ago at the age of 35. At 5'7", I weigh(ed) 138lbs, eat ... A: Melanie, There are endocrinologists who specialize in diabetes, and just straight endos, which is ...
Q: my mom has recently been diagnosed with type II diabetes.she has lost alot of weight and manages her ... A: Lori, The FreeStyle meters are fine, as are most of the other ones. The cost of strips to use in ...
Q: I am a young diabetic. I am 25 years old and was diagnosed at the age of 20. I am a type 2 I am not ... A: The following input is provided for informational purposes only, and it is not intended to be ...
Q: I have Type 2 Diabetes. I was diagnosed about 7 years ago. I am 42 years old, abou 5'5" and weigh ... A: Darla, You can end up in the hospital with elevated BG levels of only 400-500 mg/dl! Are there ...
