Type 1: Extremely high blood sugars after exercising before breakfast

waz_4987

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi All,

I thought I would be brave by waking up 30 minutes earlier than I normally do, to squeeze in a workout - as I just cant be bothered to during my lunch break or when I get back home from work.

I decided to do a low intensity, 20 minute cycling session on my stationary bike. I checked my bs before the workout, it was 6.8

20 mins after the workout, (had a shower and porridge oats for breakfast) I checked my bs again and it was 25.6

I was in absolute shock... how on earth could doing exercise make my bs jump soo high?

This has now put me off doing any exercise in the morning...

I gave myself extra insulin, and ended up having a hypo at around 11am...
 

Mep

Well-Known Member
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1,461
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Yeh, that's a high reading... sorry to hear you had this. You may have not had enough insulin available during exercise to combat the glucose release into your muscles during exercise. Then you had a carb breakfast that would've added to it. But basically your body needs more glucose when exercising and if you haven't eaten anything prior to exercising, then your liver is going to dump that glucose because your muscles need it. It's obviously dumped too much. I think that's why it's best to eat something before exercising (I was always told to do that). I hope that helps. :)
 

donnellysdogs

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Do you ever test at 4am and an hour before ferting up and 30 mins after getting up?

If you do this for three days with exercise and without exercise it would give you a clue as to a) whether its DP or b) DP and waking phenonemon c) a one off..
 

Llinz04

Well-Known Member
Messages
81
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Hi,

I used to eat porridge everyday for breakfast and I was having the same results. I looked into it and apparently it's the worst type of food you could eat with diabetes since it's high in sugar. I've switched from having porridge everyday to 3 eggs and 1 piece of toast. It does a world of difference and it keeps you full for a long time, same as porridge.

Hope this helps :)
 

catapillar

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,390
Type of diabetes
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You didn't just exercise, sounds like you also ate breakfast befor testing and getting a high reading. Did you test and bolus before eating breakfast? You blood sugar could have been rising from liver giving out glucose during the prolonged fast and exercise and if you ate while it was rising, it just will have carried on soaring befor your bolus gets a chance to do anything so you get a big spike (and then a big drop from stacking insulin and probably the after effects of exercise)
 

waz_4987

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Yeh, that's a high reading... sorry to hear you had this. You may have not had enough insulin available during exercise to combat the glucose release into your muscles during exercise. Then you had a carb breakfast that would've added to it. But basically your body needs more glucose when exercising and if you haven't eaten anything prior to exercising, then your liver is going to dump that glucose because your muscles need it. It's obviously dumped too much. I think that's why it's best to eat something before exercising (I was always told to do that). I hope that helps. :)
I will give that a try
 
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waz_4987

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Do you ever test at 4am and an hour before ferting up and 30 mins after getting up?

If you do this for three days with exercise and without exercise it would give you a clue as to a) whether its DP or b) DP and waking phenonemon c) a one off..
Getting up at 4am sounds tough. Not too sure what you mean by DP?
 

waz_4987

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi,

I used to eat porridge everyday for breakfast and I was having the same results. I looked into it and apparently it's the worst type of food you could eat with diabetes since it's high in sugar. I've switched from having porridge everyday to 3 eggs and 1 piece of toast. It does a world of difference and it keeps you full for a long time, same as porridge.

Hope this helps :)
Really, I thought porridge oats was supposed to be a super food?
 

azure

Expert
Messages
9,780
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Pump
Hi,

I used to eat porridge everyday for breakfast and I was having the same results. I looked into it and apparently it's the worst type of food you could eat with diabetes since it's high in sugar. I've switched from having porridge everyday to 3 eggs and 1 piece of toast. It does a world of difference and it keeps you full for a long time, same as porridge.

Hope this helps :)

Porridge has carbs but no sugar (unless you add it) Many Type 1s eat porridge and cereal. Generally an advance bolus works great for such meals. If you weren't bolusing sufficiently in advance that could have been an issue.

Porridge isn't a bad food :) Porridge is absolutely fine :)
 

azure

Expert
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Type of diabetes
Type 1
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So did you bolus and eat your porridge immediately after your workout? It's possible you were rising, and then ate without allowing time for your bolus to work first.

I'm not clear if you tested before eating either?
 

donnellysdogs

Master
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DP is dawn phenomen and some people go low (some without realusing it) somewhere between 3 and 4am and then their liver kicks in and levels will climb.

If you can establish this now just for a few days and an immediate waking and a 30 -60 min afternwaking level you will get the best idea of what is really happening.

You don't have to do this every night forever!! Just to find outnwhat is trult hapoening. Getting the full story.
 

Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
18,232
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Porridge isn't a bad food :) Porridge is absolutely fine :)

The milk in it to be fair, can act as a bit of a "wild card" for some folk.. ;)


Hi All,

I thought I would be brave by waking up 30 minutes earlier than I normally do, to squeeze in a workout - as I just cant be bothered to during my lunch break or when I get back home from work.

I decided to do a low intensity, 20 minute cycling session on my stationary bike. I checked my bs before the workout, it was 6.8

20 mins after the workout, (had a shower and porridge oats for breakfast) I checked my bs again and it was 25.6

I was in absolute shock... how on earth could doing exercise make my bs jump soo high?

This has now put me off doing any exercise in the morning...

I gave myself extra insulin, and ended up having a hypo at around 11am...

Hi,
It's got great yer 'avin a go at some excersise before work. I get a couple of mad hours prior to heading of with a small dog! Lol
Plus another sesh in when I get back. All by torch light at the moment. :D

What was the time scale between the 6.8 reading & 25.6? (You should have a date & time stamp on your meter for reference.)
Just an idea of the routine you had set yourself before going to work? Assuming the 11am hypo was at work..

What insulin regime are you on?
Just my thought, but..
My way of thinking is if your blood sugars are going up during excersise? There isn't enough insulin onboard to maximise feeding potential "energy" to the body..? (In laymans terms.)