High blood sugar after running

webby1967

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi there

I was hoping someone could give me some advise. I have recently started training for a 10km run. This morning, before my run my blood sugar was 9.6, I did a correction of 1 unit whereas my meter told me to correct by just .50. Although after the run I did my blood sugar and it was 18.6. Has anyone else had this experience? I have recently just come off the pump and returned to the pen where I take half long acting insulin at night and then the other half in the morning. I would have thought my blood sugar would have gone down not up?

Thanks
Liz
 

urbanracer

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
5,186
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Dislikes
Not being able to eat as many chocolate digestives as I used to.
Hi there

I was hoping someone could give me some advise. I have recently started training for a 10km run. This morning, before my run my blood sugar was 9.6, I did a correction of 1 unit whereas my meter told me to correct by just .50. Although after the run I did my blood sugar and it was 18.6. Has anyone else had this experience? I have recently just come off the pump and returned to the pen where I take half long acting insulin at night and then the other half in the morning. I would have thought my blood sugar would have gone down not up?

Thanks
Liz

This is most likely a 'stress reaction'.

Have a butcher's at this page................
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-sport-and-blood-sugar.html

There are some other avid sports fans on the forums who may stop by and offer advice. You can also loook at the http://www.runsweet.com/ website which is aimed at sporty diabetics. Hope this helps.
 

webby1967

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin

ElyDave

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,087
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
You're basically running too hard.

Depends what you're trying to do, basic, general fitness, or training for a 10k race?

If the former, strict HR control along with managed bolus/basal and you'll see better BG control along with fat burn. If training for a race, then interval sessions may be needed, sop be prepared for the BG spike. Just be careful not to over correct - it's a dump from the liver that should be absorbed once the adrenaline has worn off. Over correct and you could crash later on.
 
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louch1

Well-Known Member
Messages
62
Hi. I am a type 2 diabetic and I run 3 times per week. I am a bit of a novice runner. My longest run is 5.6km run in under 1hr. I must admit my blood sugar levels rise into double figures when I come back from my run. I test my blood 3 times per day and I test before I go for a run. I used to test afterwards but through costs of the strips and now only getting I packet /allowance a month I need to be careful when I test. I always make sure I drink plenty of fluids before and I carry jelly babies with me. So far I have never had to use them in an emergency . Then I drink milk on return from my run. Hope it helps. :)
 

Lozj82

Well-Known Member
Messages
92
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I also like to run and experienced this first off, i run about 5k in just under 30 mins. My diabetic dr told me to eat breakfast and to half the units for breakfast and have some insulin for the cortisol an depending on what you sugar is when you wake up to take any corrections, its the cortisol that causes the problem with exercising in the morning apparently, (for example i wake up with a ugar of 5.5 - no corrections needed, i take 2 units for cortisol and 2 for my breakfast (which should really be 4)) this seems to work for me, good luck!
 

Bebo321

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,001
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Hi. I am a type 2 diabetic and I run 3 times per week. I am a bit of a novice runner. My longest run is 5.6km run in under 1hr. I must admit my blood sugar levels rise into double figures when I come back from my run. I test my blood 3 times per day and I test before I go for a run. I used to test afterwards but through costs of the strips and now only getting I packet /allowance a month I need to be careful when I test. I always make sure I drink plenty of fluids before and I carry jelly babies with me. So far I have never had to use them in an emergency . Then I drink milk on return from my run. Hope it helps. :)

Hi there,

Depending on how you treat your diabetes (so if you are using diet/exercise/metformin), you may not need to drink that milk after your run. If you know your BGs are likely to already be high, then the milk will only raise your blood glucose level even higher. Better to wait for a couple of hours when you know your BGs will have normalised, or even go without altogether. The energy you burnt (in the form of glucose) be replaced by converting fat stores anyway.:)
 

Bebo321

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,001
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Hi there

I was hoping someone could give me some advise. I have recently started training for a 10km run. This morning, before my run my blood sugar was 9.6, I did a correction of 1 unit whereas my meter told me to correct by just .50. Although after the run I did my blood sugar and it was 18.6. Has anyone else had this experience? I have recently just come off the pump and returned to the pen where I take half long acting insulin at night and then the other half in the morning. I would have thought my blood sugar would have gone down not up?

Thanks
Liz

Follow the wise words of @ElyDave - he knows his stuff.:)

Something else you might like to look up: www.teambloodglucose.com and consider joining the Sporty Type 1's FB group (good to help keep you motivated!)
Here's a movie that will remind you of the basics. Happy running!

 

oldnevada

Well-Known Member
Messages
328
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Sugar, in all it's iterations.
Before going on Glyburide, my BG would always go high especially after a 4 or 6km jog. I told my doctor and he just said it's just your fuel, which I assumed he meant, my body was converting my fat (yup I'm a fatty) back into sugar.
 

ElyDave

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,087
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
The mechanisms for fat metabolism are very different to glucose metabolism. I can't see how fat burning would result in a BG rise, it's much more likely that you have increased the counter regulatory hormones, i.e. adrenaline, cortisol which both elevate blood sugar. The only reason these would be elevated is stress - in a physiological sense.

In itself that is neither good nor bad, depending where you are in terms of training, but you need to be aware of it as a factor.
 
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I think your running cannot increase your blood sugar level, but you should take small intervals in your running. This will definitely help you.
 

Lozj82

Well-Known Member
Messages
92
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Soooo..... I have only recently been experiencing highs around 3 hours after finishing my exercise rountine (had 2 weeks on holiday, wondering if this is the reason). I try and run for 30 mins at speed 10.8, pulse is around 155 to 160 at the end and then do 10 to 15 mins on bike or cross trainer. Would you guys recommend slowing the pace down or slowing the time i run down and im assuming this is just till you (i) get fitter and my pulse isnt as high?

Thanks in advance
 

ElyDave

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,087
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I think your running cannot increase your blood sugar level, but you should take small intervals in your running. This will definitely help you.
You're wrong.

Anaerobic exercise of any form will increase BG, because it results in stress hormones such as adrenaline, cortisol etc being produced and a release of glycogen from the liver stocks - the fight or flight response.

Aerobic exercise does not do this, and uses both fat burning and glucose burning metabolisms. Fat burning is slower but more efficient overall.
 
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ElyDave

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,087
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Soooo..... I have only recently been experiencing highs around 3 hours after finishing my exercise rountine (had 2 weeks on holiday, wondering if this is the reason). I try and run for 30 mins at speed 10.8, pulse is around 155 to 160 at the end and then do 10 to 15 mins on bike or cross trainer. Would you guys recommend slowing the pace down or slowing the time i run down and im assuming this is just till you (i) get fitter and my pulse isnt as high?

Thanks in advance

How old are you? A good rule of thumb for an aerobic heart rate is 180-age, so it sounds like you could be going a bit harder than that.

REmember though that anaerobic exercise in itself is not bad, but can be a useful part of an overall training programme. I'm going into a phase ove the next 4-6 weeks of only aerobic running and cycling, but I'll still be doing some weights and yga sessions which are both anaerobic. As I move towards my next race I'll start doing anaerobic intervals once or twice a week.

Overall though, the vast majority of your training/exercise should be aerobic for general fitness, with a mix of anaerobic and strength raining thrown in as well.

A word of caution as well, be carefull about over-corecting the post exercise high, as the glycogen released from the liver will then be reabsorbed and will replenish the muscles.