ABSTRACT: AIM:To examine the metabolic, gluco-regulatory-hormonal and inflammatory cytokine responses to large reductions in rapid-acting insulin dose administered prandially before and after intensive running exercise in male type 1 diabetes patients. METHODS:This was a single centre, randomised, controlled open label study. Following preliminary testing, 8 male patients (24±2 years, HbA1c 7.7±0.4%/61±4 mmol.l-1) treated with insulin's glargine and aspart, or lispro attended the laboratory on two mornings at ?08:00 h and consumed a standardised breakfast carbohydrate bolus (1 g carbohydrate.kg-1BM; 380±10 kcal) and self-administered a 75% reduced rapid-acting insulin dose 60 minutes before 45 minutes of intensive treadmill running at 73.1±0.9% VO2peak. At 60 minutes post-exercise, patients ingested a meal (1 g carbohydrate.kg-1BM; 660±21 kcal) and administered either a Full or 50% reduced rapid-acting insulin dose. Blood glucose and lactate, serum insulin, cortisol, non-esterified-fatty-acids, ?-Hydroxybutyrate, and plasma glucagon, adrenaline, noradrenaline, IL-6, and TNF-? concentrations were measured for 180 minutes post-meal. RESULTS:All participants were analysed. All glycaemic, metabolic, hormonal, and cytokine responses were similar between conditions up to 60 minutes following exercise. Following the post-exercise meal, serum insulin concentrations were lower under 50% (p<0.05) resulting in 75% of patients experiencing hyperglycaemia (blood glucose ?8.0 mmol.l-1; 50% n?=?6, Full n?=?3). ?-Hydroxybutyrate concentrations decreased similarly, such that at 180 minutes post-meal concentrations were lower than rest under Full and 50%. IL-6 and TNF-? concentrations remained similar to fasting levels under 50% but declined under Full. Under 50% IL-6 concentrations were inversely related with serum insulin concentrations (r?=?-0.484, p?=?0.017). CONCLUSIONS:Heavily reducing rapid-acting insulin dose with a carbohydrate bolus before, and a meal after intensive running exercise may cause hyperglycaemia, but does not augment ketonaemia, raise inflammatory cytokines TNF-? and IL-6 above fasting levels, or cause other adverse metabolic or hormonal disturbances. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01531855.