AboutSheri Colberg, PhD 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.
Expert: Sheri Colberg, PhD Date: 5/6/2008 Subject: ok so i got tested but...
Question QUESTION: this is gonna sound kind of weird & it's kind of complicated
ok so I'm 14 years old
a couple of months ago a bunch of weird stuff started happening to my body
and than one night while me & my cousin were watching discovery health a thing about diabetes came up
and all the symptoms the lady was talking about were happening to me
I told my mom and she thought I was lying, she said all the stuff's happening cause I'm growing
I missed a couple of days of school because i ended up feeling really bad(after a couple of days of starving at my cousin's house, we were home alone all day & there's like no food there) so than my mom said she'll get me tested. But, because we don't have health insurance she said it'd cost a lot she got my uncle to do it, he's a lab specialist at some hospital. He told me not to eat or drink anything for 12 hours and than took a blood & urine sample
....a couple of days later he called & said my blood glucose level was 70.
the weird things still happen sometimes
my head hurts a lot at school when I'm hungry, it gets better when I eat something
and now we have to do a school project on disease, I picked diabetes
and as I was researching it in computer class today I looked at the symptoms of hypoglycemia
I noticed all the stuff's happening to me, except seizures
I get confused a lot, I can't focus, i can't even sleep at night sometimes, i shake a lot & have weird twitches, usually near my mouth & eyes oh and sometimes stuff just gets blurry, i can't see from that far & sometimes it's just fine, i'm always tired & hungry(i complain about that WAY too much, my friends are getting sick of it) my head hurts a lot, I can't concentrate and when someone's trying to explain something to me...it takes me about 5 times to finally understand it(and this is sudden, I'm usually the smartest person in the room explaining everything to everyone else...wow that sounded selfish)weird mood swings sometimes I'm suddenly clumsy, i trip & drop stuff a lot
and just weird stuff...I even keep making these weird typos & when I'm writing something i have one word on my mind but another totally different word comes out on paper.
I also looked at the two tests they talked about on diabetes.org
and i don't think at all that the test i got was accurate
I'm supposed to get a regular test soon
but before that
can you tell me whether the other test was accurate or not
and if you think i might have diabetes...or....whatever is happening to me
because if i get tested & i don't have diabetes
my mom's gonna think i lied & well it's not gonna end too good
so can you please help me?
cause I'm really scared
of diabetes...and my mom
thanks in advance
ANSWER: Julia,
Some of your symptoms could be diabetes-related, but it's hard to say. There are a lot of potential causes of your various symptoms. It's good that you'll be getting another test done for diabetes, though. A fasting blood sugar of 70 is in the normal range (70-99 mg/dl), which is good, but there are other ways to diagnose diabetes, if you have it. You could also possibly have hypoglycemia, which would make you feel shaky and disoriented, or you may just be having a lot of symptoms related to the hormonal changes you are going through as your body matures. If you haven't had an annual checkup recently, tell your mom that you need one of those, and definitely mention all of your symptoms to your doctor. Also, if you start eating a really good diet, that may help you feel better. Stay away from too much sugar, regular sodas, caffeine, and anything made with white flour for a week and see if you feel better. Also, try to get some regular exercise, even if it's just walking. These are things that you can do on your own without involving your mom much.
Good luck with it. Sheri
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: ok thank you so much.
but i think the stuff i eat isn't too bad
i only drink diet sodas, mostly diet coke
and this weird thing happened when i drank a couple of cans of regular sodas, cause pathmark ran out of diet coke in cans(i know crazy) so we bought regular coke and after drinking like two cans
i just went crazy...& i never get like sugar high or anything & i was like bouncing off the walls
and i don't eat too much junk food or candy or anything
but at school they serve really fatty foods & we can't get anything else so i have to eat it...
and last night (ok this is probably totally unrelated) i got a really bad headache and my nose is stuffed and i can't stop coughing...my mom told me to stay home. my temp. is 99 degrees
but i have no clue how on earth i'd catch a cold or flu....it's 74 degrees outside!
i don't know it's really random
oh...is there any way i can have hypoglycemia without having diabetes???
Answer Julia,
You can catch a cold any time of the year (two of my sons have one right now, and I had one two weeks ago). Yes, it is possible to have hypoglycemia without having diabetes, but it increases your risk of getting type 2 diabetes later on. Try eating some more high-quality proteins (low-fat cheeses, yogurt, soymilk, egg whites) and see if that helps. These types of foods help stabilize your blood sugars if you have hypoglycemia (which means that your body overproduces insulin when you eat carbs and your blood sugar ends up low). Sheri
