Rising BG After Exercise

[Magill]

Haven't posted for a while as the arrival of a grandson amongst other things have kept me pretty busy. I do however visit the site and keep up to date. I have gone along quite happily since I last posted but recently I have been very prone to infections which has really mucked up my BG control. However, usually continuing with low carb diet and continuing exercise when I am able and I can get it back under control. Exercise was always the godsend when I am ill as I always seem to spike usually mid 10's but it can get up to 11's and this latest infection I hit 13.1 despite eliminating all wheat from my diet. But I also had a weird reaction to exercise which has never happened before.

Basically, my body seemed to know I was getting ill before I did. I felt fine, put in 45 mins in the gym followed by 45 mins Aqua Zumba. My BG that had been 6.4 post breakfast (2 hour) had suddenly shot up to 10.3 after the exercise. I still had my low carb lunch and 3 hours on it did start to drop but never got below 8.2. This did concern me and I know stressing doesn't help! Next day I had a not so glorious 24 hours of sickness and diarrhea. At least this settled me down as it then dawned on me that this was probably the cause of the weird sugar readings. Kept an eye on the readings as I wasn't keeping much down. Next day I felt much better so started on very restrictive low carbing to get control back as even my low carb meals were causing a spike to the mid 10's. 4 days on and I finally got a day where I varied between 7.1 to 7.6. I was 7.1 when I went to bed and still 7.1 on rising. Felt the control was coming back so went off to the gym today and as I felt fine I did the same two 45 min sessions. I had dropped to 6.9 before going to the gym and post exercise it happened again - checked when I came home and I had gone up to 10.6!! Reluctantly I ate lunch and 2 hours later I had dropped to 8.6. Had my evening meal 5 hours later and have just checked again and I am now at 6.4.

I am obviously happy the readings are dropping back but I really don't like these high spikes following exercise. As far as I can see it is a "liver dump" causing the spike as I have breakfast and BG is fine. I hit the gym about 3 hours after breakfast and I only take water until I get home again. In the past exercise always knocked me down into the mid 4's or low 5's. So it is not food causing the spike.

Has anyone else had this problem? I enjoy exercising but I am wondering if I should maybe be eating something else about an hour before I go to the gym? Would this counteract whatever the liver is up to? Or am I just being impatient and my body is still stabilising after the latest infection?

 

[Magill]

Haven't posted for a while as the arrival of a grandson amongst other things have kept me pretty busy. I do however visit the site and keep up to date. I have gone along quite happily since I last posted but recently I have been very prone to infections which has really mucked up my BG control. However, usually continuing with low carb diet and continuing exercise when I am able and I can get it back under control. Exercise was always the godsend when I am ill as I always seem to spike usually mid 10's but it can get up to 11's and this latest infection I hit 13.1 despite eliminating all wheat from my diet. But I also had a weird reaction to exercise which has never happened before.

Basically, my body seemed to know I was getting ill before I did. I felt fine, put in 45 mins in the gym followed by 45 mins Aqua Zumba. My BG that had been 6.4 post breakfast (2 hour) had suddenly shot up to 10.3 after the exercise. I still had my low carb lunch and 3 hours on it did start to drop but never got below 8.2. This did concern me and I know stressing doesn't help! Next day I had a not so glorious 24 hours of sickness and diarrhea. At least this settled me down as it then dawned on me that this was probably the cause of the weird sugar readings. Kept an eye on the readings as I wasn't keeping much down. Next day I felt much better so started on very restrictive low carbing to get control back as even my low carb meals were causing a spike to the mid 10's. 4 days on and I finally got a day where I varied between 7.1 to 7.6. I was 7.1 when I went to bed and still 7.1 on rising. Felt the control was coming back so went off to the gym today and as I felt fine I did the same two 45 min sessions. I had dropped to 6.9 before going to the gym and post exercise it happened again - checked when I came home and I had gone up to 10.6!! Reluctantly I ate lunch and 2 hours later I had dropped to 8.6. Had my evening meal 5 hours later and have just checked again and I am now at 6.4.

I am obviously happy the readings are dropping back but I really don't like these high spikes following exercise. As far as I can see it is a "liver dump" causing the spike as I have breakfast and BG is fine. I hit the gym about 3 hours after breakfast and I only take water until I get home again. In the past exercise always knocked me down into the mid 4's or low 5's. So it is not food causing the spike.

Has anyone else had this problem? I enjoy exercising but I am wondering if I should maybe be eating something else about an hour before I go to the gym? Would this counteract whatever the liver is up to? Or am I just being impatient and my body is still stabilising after the latest infection?

I suspect I am answering my own question. Exercised again yesterday - just a brisk walk on a treadmill - but again BG rose. Not as bad this time up to 8.5 and it dropped back to 6.9 within the hour. It had been 3 hours since dinner so I cannot see it being anything other than a liver dump.

I am also still not convinced I have returned fully to "normal" after the latest infection as readings in the 6's (ignoring the exercise spikes) still seems a bit high for the low amount of carbs I am consuming daily. However, I feel fine (I just don't like illogical spikes). Will see if my Doctor has any other ideas on my next visit.

 

[MaryJ]

Hi Magill,

seems weird when you had complete control and knew your bodies patterns.

Like you suggested is it worth having something carby before you work out? then test and see how it goes.

Interesting little bu**er this db is, isn't it.

Mary x

 

[hanadr]

Rising BG after exercise is a well documented phenomenon. I don't know the mechanism
Hana

 

[didie]

I've had problems with this as well. Cardio work puts my levels up.

Phoenix posted this useful link which explained it for me.


http://www.runsweet.com/HeartRate.html

 

[Magill]

Didie, Many thanks for a really useful link. That makes a bit more sense now but still a bummer....the harder you work your BG goes up! I know I'm being over simplistic and to be fair it does come back down again but subconsciously you can't help feeling a bit cheated having murdered yourself for 90 mins.

I'll have a good read at it as it seems very interesting and will try a bit of fiddling about with something carby before I go to the gym. I suppose the good news is I must be working harder as my BG certainly used to drop immediately post exercise. Also my other readings are getting lower again. Last one was 6.1 so I seem to be heading back towards "normality" for me. I am still getting food spikes despite very tight carb control but the spikes are shrinking so I must still have some residue from my latest infection.

Totally agree Mary - utter swine this DB. Just when you think you have it sussed it kicks you with something else. :crazy:

 

[didie]

It's really frustrating. I like to get my heart really pumping when I exercise, but it's self-defeating if it raises my levels. I've reduced the intensity of my workouts so my heart rate peaks between 150-155 occasionally rather than continually as it did before. Last night after a workout my levels were 4.4 which I was quite happy with.

 

[Magill]

Yah! Heading back to "normality" - No food spike tonight (and I eat more than normal on a Sunday). 6.1 pre dinner and 6.0 two hours post.

Now to see what happens tomorrow at the gym with a bit of variation.

 

[Magill]

Went to gym earlier today so it was only just over 1 hour past breakfast. I was at 7.4 then but I had eaten a fairly good breakfast. Got through my workout and thankfully back to levels dropping again as I was at 6.1 when I got home. I didn't ease off too much so it seems the food closer to exercising helped.

Hopefully this means normality is being restored.

 

[CarbsRok]

Another thing to consider is hydration. Are you sure you are not dehydrated due to exercising? Being dehydrated will cause blood sugars to rise as well.

 

[shirederby]

may sound a cop out but i can train for 3 minutes interval training best done on a bike 20 seconds as hard as possible 10 secs rest the 20 then 10 then 20 then 10 repeat three times this brings my bg reading down 1.5 to 2 points works for me!

 

[Defren]

may sound a cop out but i can train for 3 minutes interval training best done on a bike 20 seconds as hard as possible 10 secs rest the 20 then 10 then 20 then 10 repeat three times this brings my bg reading down 1.5 to 2 points works for me!

This was the routine that was explored on a recent TV program isn't it? I did watch it with great interest. So you also say it works for you? Interesting.

 

[Magill]

Another thing to consider is hydration. Are you sure you are not dehydrated due to exercising? Being dehydrated will cause blood sugars to rise as well.

No - not dehydrated CarbsRok. I drink gallons of water (well at least it feels like gallons sometimes). I always have my litre bottle of water handy and drink away at it while exercising.

 

[shirederby]

hi defren
yes i tried this after the programme although i have trained like this before in the gym a good time ago and as my son trains daily he and his friends always use this method on the tread mill so it has been a well established way of training for donkeys years i had just not associated it with reducing bg level i am now doing this between an hour or two after a meal and it works every time. i am generally on a low carb intake and 4 500mg metformin a day so do not get to many big spikes but on the odd occassion i fall off the wagon and during experimenting with this(purposly giving high spike) this is very effective. its well worth a try but only if you are fit and approved by gp to do it i do not want any one having a heart attack!! you will be amazed how long 3 mins is doing this!!