Walking and reduced BG.

[Fleegle]

Hi there. Once again I am trying to find out what people think and have experienced. I also think it might help others in the future.
I found whenever I am confused this forum provides much more practical real world experience than a lot of the papers on the net.

So I managed to consume something I should of known better - I bought some low carb bread but it had wheat in and my BG shot of like a space shuttle. Climbed 4mmol within 1h 45mins and showed no sign of returning to earth. So I went for a good 30min semi-power walk. And the results were excellent. By time I had sat down and sorted myself out I had lost 3mmol and by this time 2hours had well past so the BG would of started to naturally decline as well I think.

But it started to make me wonder about insulin resistance. I was wondering why the body becomes more able to use glucose when you do moderate exercise. What unlocks and allows the insulin you have to be able to get the BG absorbed I don't really understand that bit if I am being perfectly honest.

Don't get me wrong - delighted to have found something to help a little in my moments of need!

 

[bulkbiker]

You use the glucose in your blood to fuel yourself if it is available. So.. you went for an energetic walk after you ate the carbs so you burned them off.
If you hadn't eaten the carbs and had gone for a walk fasted you would probably have used body fat for fuel instead and because you hadn't triggered an insulin response by eating then the fat would have been released.
If you had eaten a LCHF meal before walking then you would have used the fat in your meal for fuel and if not enough was there then some body fat too.
This also explains why long distance runners doing marathon while eating carbs hit 'the wall" when their carb stores run out and why fat fuelled runners seem to avoid this problem.
That's a simplified version of what is a very complex metabolic mechanism but in very rough terms I hope explains what happens in my view.
Hope that helps.

 

[GrantGam]

I was wondering why the body becomes more able to use glucose when you do moderate exercise. What unlocks and allows the insulin you have to be able to get the BG absorbed I don't really understand that bit if I am being perfectly honest.

Exercise stimulates your GLUT4 glucose transporters which are the means in which glucose enters the cells of your muscles.

This is why exercise if your best friend in combating insulin resistance.

 

[douglas99]

Hi there. Once again I am trying to find out what people think and have experienced. I also think it might help others in the future.
I found whenever I am confused this forum provides much more practical real world experience than a lot of the papers on the net.

So I managed to consume something I should of known better - I bought some low carb bread but it had wheat in and my BG shot of like a space shuttle. Climbed 4mmol within 1h 45mins and showed no sign of returning to earth. So I went for a good 30min semi-power walk. And the results were excellent. By time I had sat down and sorted myself out I had lost 3mmol and by this time 2hours had well past so the BG would of started to naturally decline as well I think.

But it started to make me wonder about insulin resistance. I was wondering why the body becomes more able to use glucose when you do moderate exercise. What unlocks and allows the insulin you have to be able to get the BG absorbed I don't really understand that bit if I am being perfectly honest.

Don't get me wrong - delighted to have found something to help a little in my moments of need!

Definitely exercise drives down BG.
The good news is it also keeps it down, for hours, or even days after.

I prefer to do harder exercise, (such as your power walking) as it has a must more beneficial effect than gentle exercise.
Oddly enough the heart muscle is one of the muscles that really uses glucose at a high rate.
I always like to at least double, if not triple my resting heart rate when I exercise.

 

[Lamont D]

Don't forget that walking even power walking does not produce liver dumps.
Strenuous exercise does unless you are in fat burning mode already!

 

[Fleegle]

Excellent information - really helpful, hope others find it so too

 

[douglas99]

Don't forget that walking even power walking does not produce liver dumps.
Strenuous exercise does unless you are in fat burning mode already!

I find I use my liver dump during exercise, then my body spends quite a while refilling all the reserves, so the actual benefits are quite long term, both from driving down my insulin resistance, and then from my body actively using my BG to refill my reserves again.
And after the first few strenuous exercises, the insulin resistance is fairly well improved, so the liver dump isn't noticeable any more.

What is the mechanism the stops liver dumps in fat burning mode,?

 

[Poosecat]

Today after my 40 min power walk I was down to 4.2. Earlier this week after my hockey match I was 19! One hell of a liver dump!!

 

[douglas99]

Today after my 40 min power walk I was down to 4.2. Earlier this week after my hockey match I was 19! One hell of a liver dump!!

I would guess as a type 1, insulin resistance isn't an issue though.
And I how no idea how that even affected the insulin you injected, so maybe other type 1's can help you out here.

 

[Japes]

I'm certainly someone for whom moderate paced walking for at least an hour lowers my blood sugar far better than a shorter more strenuous walk of half an hour. I've tried the strenuous version on "pushed for time" days, but my systems just go "Ha, we know what you're trying to do and we're not co-operating".

Weird things our bodies and their different reactions.

 

[sheepie123]

This may sound silly but given exercise is stimulation would one of those vibrating boards or the pads for the tummy u use overnight not also cause your carbs to reduce

 

[noblehead]

Walking has so many health benefits, had a long walk this morning and another this afternoon

Keep up with the exercising @Fleegle