Meet the TNN Research Group

17 December 2019

Throughout 2019, an expert team of exercise physiologists has undertaken detailed observations of the Team Novo Nordisk riders during their training camps and races. The Research Team consists of a group of experts from the UK, USA, Canada, Austria, Italy and Switzerland with various specialties relating to exercise, type 1 diabetes, metabolism and endocrinology. Their aim is to gain an insight into how the riders at Team Novo Nordisk are able to compete against the best day in, day out while managing their diabetes.

It is hoped that these observations will provide insight into the physiology of these athletes to better understand their responses to extreme exercise and the strategies they use to manage their blood glucose levels. The Research Team plan to use their work to not only help improve the performance of the Team Novo Nordisk riders but to share their findings to help people all over the world living with type 1 diabetes to be more physically active.

So far, the Research Team have followed Team Novo Nordisk during their training camp in Spain as well as stage races in California, Slovenia and Denmark. The researchers were able to measure the cyclists’ glucose levels continuously throughout the races as well as recording injected insulin doses, meal composition and in-ride nutrition. Details on the findings from their work presented so far can be found here:

Moving forward, the Research Team plan to investigate how factors such as changes in humidity, extreme heat and altitude influence the strategies that the riders have to use to manage their diabetes. The research team also hope to make their findings available to wider audiences through presenting at scientific conferences and publishing their work in leading scientific journals.