nightscout
Feature Request: Dedicated “Sport Mode” UI Toggle for Exercise Support in AAPS
Summary
Physical activity significantly affects glucose dynamics in type 1 diabetes.
Managing these changes safely and efficiently with AAPS currently depends on manual Automations, which are powerful but complex, error-prone, and difficult to explain or delegate (e.g., to caretakers or parents of active children).
From user experience:
- Automations often fail to trigger if another Temp Target (TT) or profile % change is already active.
- This requires multiple manual workarounds and conditions, making it hard even for experienced users — and nearly impossible for others to reproduce safely.
- For active children (e.g., BMX, downhill, hiking, etc. or even just playing), switching to “sport” settings before training is a frequent task and needs to be intuitive and safe.
Problem
Insulin pump therapy and AID systems face unique challenges during and after exercise:
- Rapid increase in insulin sensitivity, altered absorption, and counter-regulatory hormone effects (Frontiers Endocrinol 2018).
- Even advanced hybrid closed-loop systems require manual adjustment before activity (PMC 10347984).
- Many users (especially children/adolescents) struggle to adapt pump settings quickly, leading to increased risk of hypo- or hyperglycaemia
While AAPS already offers:
- Profile switch / % reduction
- Temp Targets
- Automations
these features are fragmented, require specific preconditions, and are not grouped into a single coherent workflow for exercise.
Proposed Solution
Implement a dedicated “Sport Mode” accessible via a button/toggle in the AAPS UI.
UI
- Add toggle/button: Sport Mode ON/OFF on the main screen or quick-access bar.
- When ON: Apply pre-configured sport settings.
- When OFF: Revert to normal (baseline) configuration.
Settings Panel (“Sport Mode Configuration”)
- Checkbox: SMB on/off when active
- Numeric input: Profile % (e.g. 70 %)
- Checkbox: Pause Loop / change APS mode when active
- Checkbox: Use Activity Temp Target when active
- Numeric input: Target value (e.g. 120 mg/dL)
- Optional dropdown: Sport Type (Endurance / Strength / Mixed), each with individual settings
Behaviour
- Sport Mode ON → applies configured settings immediately or at safe point.
- Sport Mode OFF → reverts to normal settings.
- SportMode status exposed as an automation trigger (“SportMode = ON/OFF”) for advanced users.
- Safety check: warn/block activation if conflicting state (e.g., existing TT or profile switch).
- Clear visual indication when Sport Mode is active (icon, color, etc.).
Benefits
- One-click switch to sport settings — safer and faster.
- Reduces cognitive load and setup errors, especially for children and caretakers.
- Makes sport-related adjustments accessible to non-technical users.
- Maintains advanced flexibility for expert setups (multiple sport profiles, automations).
- Encourages safe, consistent handling of exercise in pump + AAPS therapy.
User note:
“From experience with two active children with T1 D, Automations can work but are too complex for daily use and very hard to explain to caretakers. A built-in Sport Mode would greatly simplify and standardize safe adjustments before, during and after physical activity.”
