Newly diagnosed type 1

[Luke2]

Hi all,

First post on here after lurking for a few weeks!

My name is Luke, 34, and I was diagnosed with type 1 four weeks ago today!

Whilst it’s been pretty tough four weeks, I’ve done a lot to bring my levels within range, which I’m immensely proud of.

Now, my question is that I love going to the gym. Whilst I know everyone is different, what sort of tips do people have when tackling the gym? I don’t do cardio it’s mainly weight training, low rep high weight.

Is it best to have some carbs pre gym and take something with me to keep bloods at a good level?

Timings, is it best to avoid going to the gym fairly soon after having novarapid? I find even if I go for a walk somewhere my levels plummet, even after a meal!

I don’t want to have a hypo whilst training

I’m currently on novarapid three times a day and lantus once a day. My average mmol/L for the last two weeks is 7.9 (this weeks is even lower). When I first went to the hospital it was about 25 and ketones were at 2.8

Also, I’ve got a libre 2 sensor which has been great!

Thanks

 

[Antje77]

Hi @Luke2 , welcome to the forum.

Wonderful to hear you're doing pretty well so quickly after diagnosis!

Is it best to have some carbs pre gym and take something with me to keep bloods at a good level?

Timings, is it best to avoid going to the gym fairly soon after having novarapid? I find even if I go for a walk somewhere my levels plummet, even after a meal!

Some of us will rise in the gym, others will drop. And many people found it depends on the type of exercise as well.
I'm sorry, just like almost all things diabetes, this is one to work out yourself.

Also, I’ve got a libre 2 sensor which has been great!

Perfect!
What about checking it between every exercise to see what's happening?
This way youll likely catch a drop if it occurs so you can prevent the hypo rather than treat it.
When I go swimming I always bring my regular quick acting hypo treats, but also an apple. If I'm dropping but am not too low yet, I'll have a couple of bites from the apple and just keep going. But when I go to the gym I usually rise, and I even need a little insulin for this. No way to tell what it will be for you until you've done some experimenting.

Also tagging @In Response , who has much more experience than I have with exercise and T1.

 

[Luke2]

Thank you for the kind words, it’s been tough but I’m exploring lots of food now, which is all part of the journey!

That’s great thank you!

I’ll take an apple with me, some of my other go to hypo treats, and my quick acting insulin just to be safe.

I’m finding I’m pretty sensitive to insulin at the moment. So I may try avoiding the gym until quite a bit of time has passed after taking it.

This morning I had 36g carbs and 1 unit of insulin as had to take a bit of a walk and my bloods didn’t go up at all!

 

[MommaE]

Hi all,

First post on here after lurking for a few weeks!

My name is Luke, 34, and I was diagnosed with type 1 four weeks ago today!

Whilst it’s been pretty tough four weeks, I’ve done a lot to bring my levels within range, which I’m immensely proud of.

Now, my question is that I love going to the gym. Whilst I know everyone is different, what sort of tips do people have when tackling the gym? I don’t do cardio it’s mainly weight training, low rep high weight.

Is it best to have some carbs pre gym and take something with me to keep bloods at a good level?

Timings, is it best to avoid going to the gym fairly soon after having novarapid? I find even if I go for a walk somewhere my levels plummet, even after a meal!

I don’t want to have a hypo whilst training

I’m currently on novarapid three times a day and lantus once a day. My average mmol/L for the last two weeks is 7.9 (this weeks is even lower). When I first went to the hospital it was about 25 and ketones were at 2.8

Also, I’ve got a libre 2 sensor which has been great!

Thanks

Hi Luke, I too do a lot of weight training and typically find during a session like you described my blood sugars rise a little. I do still carry glucose tabs with me though just in case. You can enjoy feeling stronger and healthier than you did a few weeks ago now you are getting your blood levels in order.

 

[Antje77]

I’m finding I’m pretty sensitive to insulin at the moment. So I may try avoiding the gym until quite a bit of time has passed after taking it.

This morning I had 36g carbs and 1 unit of insulin as had to take a bit of a walk and my bloods didn’t go up at all!

Sounds like the way to go if you need so little insulin at the moment.
Being newly diagnosed, you're likely in the honeymoon period where your pancreas is still producing some insulin. You might even find you sometimes don't need insulin for a meal, at least for a while, if your pancreas is in the mood to do something.

Do you use a half unit pen? NovoRapid cartridges can be used with the refillable Novopen Echo, which does half units.

 

[In Response]

As you say, we all react differently to exercise but it vaguely depends upon
- how fit you are or how used to exercise your body is. For example, if exercise is really hard work, your body will be stressed so your BG may go up. This may vary with different types of exercise for the same person.
- how long you exercise for. The (simplified) way I understand it is that two things happen . Firstly, we get a good ole liver dump which raises our BG. If we keep going, we get a second reaction - our body becomes more used to the exercise and starts using.insulin more efficiently and our BG goes down.
- the type of exercise. Generally, aerobic exercise makes our BG go down and resistance exercise makes our BG go up.

I spend a fair amount of time at the gym but that is either an aerobic class (e.g. Spin) or a workout which is a combination of aerobic (e.g. rowing) and resistance (usually lightish free weights).
On a workout, I can use the exercise type to balance my BG to some extent - if my BG is on the higher (but not too high) level, I start with cardio. If it is too low for cardio, I start with weights.

For gym, I try to avoid eating (and bolus) 3 or 4 hours beforehand.

Maybe closer to your low rep, high weight exercise is climbing. This has the added fun of adrenaline. The stop start and resistance nature of climbing usually results in my BG going up. I now use a pump so things are a bit different but when I was injecting, I would start my climbing session with a "correction" bolus aiming for 3mmol/l if I wasn't climbing. The affect of this type of exercise, counteracts the "excess" insulin and keeps my BG stable(ish).

Whatever type of exercise I do (unless it is very light and doesn't raise my heart rate), my BG can fall over the next 24 to 48 hours so I reduce my basal. This worked for me on Lantus despite my DSN suggesting it could take a few days for a basal change to have any affect.

Sorry, I have waffled a bit.
If I was to summarise, I would say "it depends" and recommend trial and error with a very close eye on your BG.
Start with no "insulin on board" (no bolus.. or food ...for 3 or 4 hours beforehand), hypo treatment very close to hand and see what happens.
It may take a few trial sessions, especially as you may be more nervous the first time which in itself can push your BG up.

 

[Luke2]

Hi Luke, I too do a lot of weight training and typically find during a session like you described my blood sugars rise a little. I do still carry glucose tabs with me though just in case. You can enjoy feeling stronger and healthier than you did a few weeks ago now you are getting your blood levels in order.

Thank you for this.

The last part is really reassuring. It was one of the reasons I went to the doctors in the first place to get checked up on.

I go to the gym five times a week and I was struggling to put on any sort of muscle even though I was eating A LOT (4500 calories a day ) if anything I was losing weight at times.

I absolutely adore going to the gym (some may say I’m crazy!) but it gives me such a buzz and make me feel great.

Fingers crossed I can start putting a bit of weight back on and feel good in myself.

 

[Luke2]

Sounds like the way to go if you need so little insulin at the moment.
Being newly diagnosed, you're likely in the honeymoon period where your pancreas is still producing some insulin. You might even find you sometimes don't need insulin for a meal, at least for a while, if your pancreas is in the mood to do something.

Do you use a half unit pen? NovoRapid cartridges can be used with the refillable Novopen Echo, which does half units.

I don’t use half unit pens. I’ve just noted this to ask the diabetic team to see if I can be prescribed them. I’ve thought over the last few days ‘3 units seems too little and 4 seems too much’.

Thank you!!!

 

[Luke2]

As you say, we all react differently to exercise but it vaguely depends upon
- how fit you are or how used to exercise your body is. For example, if exercise is really hard work, your body will be stressed so your BG may go up. This may vary with different types of exercise for the same person.
- how long you exercise for. The (simplified) way I understand it is that two things happen . Firstly, we get a good ole liver dump which raises our BG. If we keep going, we get a second reaction - our body becomes more used to the exercise and starts using.insulin more efficiently and our BG goes down.
- the type of exercise. Generally, aerobic exercise makes our BG go down and resistance exercise makes our BG go up.

I spend a fair amount of time at the gym but that is either an aerobic class (e.g. Spin) or a workout which is a combination of aerobic (e.g. rowing) and resistance (usually lightish free weights).
On a workout, I can use the exercise type to balance my BG to some extent - if my BG is on the higher (but not too high) level, I start with cardio. If it is too low for cardio, I start with weights.

For gym, I try to avoid eating (and bolus) 3 or 4 hours beforehand.

Maybe closer to your low rep, high weight exercise is climbing. This has the added fun of adrenaline. The stop start and resistance nature of climbing usually results in my BG going up. 8 now use a pump so things are a bit different but when I was injecting, I would start my climbing session with a "correction" bolus aiming for 3mmol/l if I wasn't climbing. The affect of this type of exercise, counteracts the "excess" insulin and keeps my BG stable(ish).

Whatever type of exercise I do (unless it is very light and doesn't raise my heart rate), my BG can fall over the next 24 to 48 hours so I reduce my basal. This worked for me on Lantus despite my DSN suggesting it could take a few days for a basal change to have any affect.

Sorry, I have waffled a bit.
If I was to summarise, I would say "it depends" and recommend trial and error with a very close eye on your BG.
Start with no "insulin on board" (no bolus.. or food ...for 3 or 4 hours beforehand), hypo treatment very close to hand and see what happens.
It may take a few trial sessions, especially as you may be more nervous the first time which in itself can push your BG up.

No waffling. Brilliant advice and I’ll be giving the gym a go on Wednesday. First time in four weeks!

I can’t wait

Thank you!!

 

[Antje77]

No waffling. Brilliant advice and I’ll be giving the gym a go on Wednesday. First time in four weeks!

I can’t wait

Thank you!!

Enjoy!

And no matter what your BG does, it's a learning opportunity and you'll be better prepared on thursday, friday and next week.
It's ok if you go high or low, it simply tells you something about what to try next time until you get it right.

 

[MommaE]

I don’t use half unit pens. I’ve just noted this to ask the diabetic team to see if I can be prescribed them. I’ve thought over the last few days ‘3 units seems too little and 4 seems too much’.

Thank you!!!

Not sure where you live Luke but I get 1/2 unit pens, no charge, just by asking the pharmacist for one. It is the pharmacist I use to buy insulin and steroids from but they have never charged for pens.

 

[MommaE]

No waffling. Brilliant advice and I’ll be giving the gym a go on Wednesday. First time in four weeks!

I can’t wait

Thank you!!

First time in weeks? Look forward to the ache!

 

[Luke2]

First time in weeks? Look forward to the ache!

I actually can’t wait for the ache!!!

I live in the UK so all prescriptions are free for me

 

[Luke2]

Enjoy!

And no matter what your BG does, it's a learning opportunity and you'll be better prepared on thursday, friday and next week.
It's ok if you go high or low, it simply tells you something about what to try next time until you get it right.

Thank you

 

[In Response]

Not sure where you live Luke but I get 1/2 unit pens, no charge, just by asking the pharmacist for one. It is the pharmacist I use to buy insulin and steroids from but they have never charged for pens.

If you get “penS” that suggests you use single use pens.
I highly recommend requesting reusable pens and cartridges. The cartridges take up far less space in your fridge that the pens, the reusable pens are far more robust and, if you use a NovoNordisk insulin (NovoRapid, Fiasp, Tresiba, Levemir), the pens have a reminder of your last dose. In addition, you produce far less waste.

 

[MommaE]

If you get “penS” that suggests you use single use pens.
I highly recommend requesting reusable pens and cartridges. The cartridges take up far less space in your fridge that the pens, the reusable pens are far more robust and, if you use a NovoNordisk insulin (NovoRapid, Fiasp, Tresiba, Levemir), the pens have a reminder of your last dose. In addition, you produce far less waste.

Oops, yes I get reusable pens, not single use ones. Currently using one 1/2 unit pen for Admelog. Only put plural because I keep a spare in its packaging “ just in case” and have, over the years have needed to replace the original.

 

[Luke2]

Hi all,

First time back at the gym today, and it felt amazing. I felt same strength as previously even though I’ve had four/five weeks off since diagnosis.

My BG has shot up to 11ish even though I didn’t have any carbs pre gym.

I’m just about to eat, I’m thinking about injecting same amount of insulin as I have been doing for lunches as I don’t want to overcompensate!

I feel great. Wow, I’m so happy to be back

 

[Luke2]

Hi all,

First time back at the gym today, and it felt amazing. I felt same strength as previously even though I’ve had four/five weeks off since diagnosis.

My BG has shot up to 11ish even though I didn’t have any carbs pre gym.

I’m just about to eat, I’m thinking about injecting same amount of insulin as I have been doing for lunches as I don’t want to overcompensate!

I feel great. Wow, I’m so happy to be back

That being said, it’s already dropping, with no food or insulin (just cooking )

 

[Antje77]

That being said, it’s already dropping, with no food or insulin (just cooking )

You might find you actually need a little less insulin after exercise. Again, the only way to find out is to try, and keep a close eye on your numbers of course.
And perhaps think about what nice dessert you want, should you need to have dessert for medical reasons.

 

[Luke2]

You might find you actually need a little less insulin after exercise. Again, the only way to find out is to try, and keep a close eye on your numbers of course.
And perhaps think about what nice dessert you want, should you need to have dessert for medical reasons.

I’ve tried a little less insulin this time round.

If my levels drop I’ve got an awful mug sponge cake recipe I can rustle up. What a shame that would be as it tastes horrible…. haha!