Swimming and hypo

[dnl.phillips]

Hi all,
I'm a lap swimmer and experience a dip in my levels while I swim. I counter this by usually eating a carb meaI an hour before heading to the pool. I don't take any insulin to cover the meal and keep juice nearby. I usually check my levels before, halfway through and after. I haven't experienced a major low but im worried about it. Wondering if anyone else has any insight or tips? Is it ok to replace insulin with exercise? What's the science? Thanks

 

[tim2000s]

Have you taken a look at http://www.runsweet.com/ This page is especially useful: http://www.runsweet.com/DiabetesAndSport.html

It is okay to reduce the bolus you take for the meal prior to swimming to reduce the risk of hypo during exercise.

 

[dnl.phillips]

Have you taken a look at http://www.runsweet.com/ This page is especially useful: http://www.runsweet.com/DiabetesAndSport.html

It is okay to reduce the bolus you take for the meal prior to swimming to reduce the risk of hypo during exercise.

great links thanks!

 

[noblehead]

Hi all,
I'm a lap swimmer and experience a dip in my levels while I swim. I counter this by usually eating a carb meaI an hour before heading to the pool. I don't take any insulin to cover the meal and keep juice nearby. I usually check my levels before, halfway through and after. I haven't experienced a major low but im worried about it. Wondering if anyone else has any insight or tips? Is it ok to replace insulin with exercise? What's the science? Thanks

If it ain't broken don't fix it, in other words if your regime works then leave it be.

Your taking all sensible precautions by testing your bg and keeping some juice close-by, keep it up as exercise is an important tool in diabetes management.

 

[RuthW]

Not only is it OK to replace insulin with exercise, it is actually better! Ideally, we should use/produce as little insulin as possible (without making our lives unbearable) because then we don't develop insulin resistance (the root cause of Type 2).

When exercising your muscles do not need insulin to take up glucose. There is an alternative mechanism available to them. Recently, I asked myself, "so what about my brain? I'm not unconscious while I'm exercising, so how does my brain work? I googled it, of course. Apparently, our brains also take a break from glucose consumption, and work on lactate.

Exercise also has a temporary and limited inflammatory effect (that is, it makes our muscles ache) and when the body repairs this inflammation, it simultaneously repairs any other inflammation (e.g in blood vessels) which is what causes most complications in diabetes.

Swim on!

 

[dnl.phillips]

Great insight thanks Ruth! I'm newly t1 but have been swimming for years. I also just read about the 10 second sprint pre-workout. Does anyone else do this?

 

[gpurdey]

Hi dnl.phillips, I agree with another poster, if it isn't broken don't fix it, you have been doing it for years after all. Definitely a good things to check before, during and after. On top of that, swimming is one of the best exercises for your body anyway. Would stick to lap swimming though, Swimming miles out to sea might be a bit different!

 

[RuthW]

I haven't done the sprint thing, but I have done: warm-up, weights, exercise bike, and it followed the fall-rise-fall pattern, as predicted.