Swimming

[joanne75]

Hi All

I swim 3 days a week and kind of trying to get some kind of control whilst in the pool, I generally don't do too bad, I have my background insulin before I leave at 6.45am and have a banana on route and swim 40 lengths so 40mins and then get out. My bloods are normally 7-8 before I start and around 5-8 when I finish, by the time I have showered and got out my blood seems to shoot right up to around 10??

Anyone else experience this or have any advice.
Thanks

 

[GrantGam]

@Snapsy is a regular swimmer, and although a pump user - I think I remember her saying that she has a similar situation to you. i.e. prolonged high BG post swim if she doesn't set an increased temporary basal rate immediately after getting out the pool.

Hopefully she'll come along soon and offer some advice

What happens to your bloods after the spike to 10mmol/l @joanne75; do they stay there, fall gradually, fall quickly, climb, etc? You can always perform a correction dose post exercise, but for obvious reasons this isn't a quick fix due to the time it takes for the insulin to start working.

 

[ickihun]

I'm type2 with severe insulin resistance. I have to not eat banana and eat pork scratchings, cheese or nuts instead before my swim. Getting dress raises my bgs always, without this liver block.
I'm on mixed insulin, still.

 

[Snapsy]

Hi @joanne75 , and thanks @GrantGam for the tag - I don't have any carbs before I swim, and I take half a unit of Novorapid (pump) beforehand.

My routine is:
0600 get up
0615-ish take half a unit of insulin (quarter of a unit more if I'm above 6.5, quarter of a unit less if I'm below 5.5)
0640 disconnect pump and swim for around 20-30 minutes, steam for around 10 minutes, shower for around 5 minutes
I'm generally 5-6 when I get back to the changing room after that lot.
I immediately reconnect my pump and have my breakfast insulin (it being 20 minutes before my two boiled eggs, at that point).
At the same time I set a temporary basal rate of usually 130% for 60 minutes, these days. Although that depends on the number of lengths I've done, or whether I've got stuck in the steam room with somebody really chatty, or if I decide to use conditioner on my hair that day......................

When on MDI I would have insulin and porridge before I swam, based on very complicated timings depending on my blood sugar on waking - i.e. I would have either one unit or two units with 20g CHO-worth of porridge, depending on whether I was below 5 or above 7, timed at either immediately before my porridge if I was below 5, or 20 minutes before my porridge if I was above 7 - frankly it was a PITA doing the weeks and weeks of trial and error which were required....... but if I got it RIGHT I managed to swim THROUGH the porridge spike AND not go low afterwards.

It sounds like you've got it absolutely right vis a vis the banana and the immediate-end-of-swim blood sugar - that sounds great! In your shoes I would be tempted to have a small amount of insulin as soon as you finish your swim, to 'mop up' that adrenaline-related sugar spike. But DO DO DO keep testing frequently up to and including 6 hours AFTER your swim. My pattern is that I go massively high immediately afterwards (well, I would if I didn't tweak my basal rate AND have my breakfast bolus straight away) and drop like a stone quite a few hours afterwards.

I'm off exercise at the moment thanks to an injury and generally going through a bit of overwhelm. And so I would just like to say THANK YOU so much in advance, @joanne75 , for the swim I am planning in the morning. You've inspired me to get back in the pool!

Love Snapsy

 

[Medusa41]

Hi @joanne75 - this happened to me this morning after a 30 minute swim. I had a quick correction but kept monitoring as I was then due to walk 2miles. I had forgotten about what @Snapsy suggested - thanks will try this next time How have your sugars been since @joanne75?

 

[joanne75]

Hi All

Thanks for your replies, so once I am out of the pool, showered and changed its around 10 and by the time I have got home it is 13, so I have on another occasion been around 11 once I have got out and changed etc, given 2 units as a correction whilst getting changed and by the time I have got home its around 13-14 so have left it another 1hr and its stayed the same have given a 3unit correction still not eaten anything and then by 3pm I have dropped down to around 4 but it takes absolutely ages to fall back down any ideas??

 

[joanne75]

Hi @joanne75 , and thanks @GrantGam for the tag - I don't have any carbs before I swim, and I take half a unit of Novorapid (pump) beforehand.

My routine is:
0600 get up
0615-ish take half a unit of insulin (quarter of a unit more if I'm above 6.5, quarter of a unit less if I'm below 5.5)
0640 disconnect pump and swim for around 20-30 minutes, steam for around 10 minutes, shower for around 5 minutes
I'm generally 5-6 when I get back to the changing room after that lot.
I immediately reconnect my pump and have my breakfast insulin (it being 20 minutes before my two boiled eggs, at that point).
At the same time I set a temporary basal rate of usually 130% for 60 minutes, these days. Although that depends on the number of lengths I've done, or whether I've got stuck in the steam room with somebody really chatty, or if I decide to use conditioner on my hair that day......................

When on MDI I would have insulin and porridge before I swam, based on very complicated timings depending on my blood sugar on waking - i.e. I would have either one unit or two units with 20g CHO-worth of porridge, depending on whether I was below 5 or above 7, timed at either immediately before my porridge if I was below 5, or 20 minutes before my porridge if I was above 7 - frankly it was a PITA doing the weeks and weeks of trial and error which were required....... but if I got it RIGHT I managed to swim THROUGH the porridge spike AND not go low afterwards.
@Snapsy thank your detailed reply, I am going high after swimming and even if I correct straight after its still shoots up,
It sounds like you've got it absolutely right vis a vis the banana and the immediate-end-of-swim blood sugar - that sounds great! In your shoes I would be tempted to have a small amount of insulin as soon as you finish your swim, to 'mop up' that adrenaline-related sugar spike. But DO DO DO keep testing frequently up to and including 6 hours AFTER your swim. My pattern is that I go massively high immediately afterwards (well, I would if I didn't tweak my basal rate AND have my breakfast bolus straight away) and drop like a stone quite a few hours afterwards.

I'm off exercise at the moment thanks to an injury and generally going through a bit of overwhelm. And so I would just like to say THANK YOU so much in advance, @joanne75 , for the swim I am planning in the morning. You've inspired me to get back in the pool!

Love Snapsy

Hi @joanne75 , and thanks @GrantGam for the tag - I don't have any carbs before I swim, and I take half a unit of Novorapid (pump) beforehand.

My routine is:
0600 get up
0615-ish take half a unit of insulin (quarter of a unit more if I'm above 6.5, quarter of a unit less if I'm below 5.5)
0640 disconnect pump and swim for around 20-30 minutes, steam for around 10 minutes, shower for around 5 minutes
I'm generally 5-6 when I get back to the changing room after that lot.
I immediately reconnect my pump and have my breakfast insulin (it being 20 minutes before my two boiled eggs, at that point).
At the same time I set a temporary basal rate of usually 130% for 60 minutes, these days. Although that depends on the number of lengths I've done, or whether I've got stuck in the steam room with somebody really chatty, or if I decide to use conditioner on my hair that day......................

When on MDI I would have insulin and porridge before I swam, based on very complicated timings depending on my blood sugar on waking - i.e. I would have either one unit or two units with 20g CHO-worth of porridge, depending on whether I was below 5 or above 7, timed at either immediately before my porridge if I was below 5, or 20 minutes before my porridge if I was above 7 - frankly it was a PITA doing the weeks and weeks of trial and error which were required....... but if I got it RIGHT I managed to swim THROUGH the porridge spike AND not go low afterwards.

It sounds like you've got it absolutely right vis a vis the banana and the immediate-end-of-swim blood sugar - that sounds great! In your shoes I would be tempted to have a small amount of insulin as soon as you finish your swim, to 'mop up' that adrenaline-related sugar spike. But DO DO DO keep testing frequently up to and including 6 hours AFTER your swim. My pattern is that I go massively high immediately afterwards (well, I would if I didn't tweak my basal rate AND have my breakfast bolus straight away) and drop like a stone quite a few hours afterwards.

I'm off exercise at the moment thanks to an injury and generally going through a bit of overwhelm. And so I would just like to say THANK YOU so much in advance, @joanne75 , for the swim I am planning in the morning. You've inspired me to get back in the pool!

Love Snapsy

thank you Snapsy it all makes sense what you say but I am not sure on the eating so much before a swim and especially at that time of the morning if I obv was to have porridge or something similar, its a bit of trial and error but I don't want to focus too much time and effort on this at the moment as I am going to be going onto a pump in July and no doubt that will throw up a whole new set of issues. I think I will do as you have said and inject immediately after my swim and see how I get on I wonder if it has anything to do with my muscles releasing too much glucose its just so strange. the thing is im trying to loose weight so I don't want to have to eat too much to exercise and then the calories been swallowed up in food if that makes sense. I am so glad that I gave you inspiration and I hope you enjoyed your swim, I love a swim at that time in the morning it sets you up for the day take care

 

[Snapsy]

Didn't swim in the end as I'd spent the whole night being 2.7! Grrrrrrrrr............

I spent months working on the ideal porridge scenario (small enough portion to not make me queasy, etc etc, insulin dose and timing factors) and just when I'd nailed it I started pumping! Cue a whole different working-out scenario!

I'm sure you'll get there with it. Do report back!

I don't have carbs before I swim now I eat LCHF - no food at all, in fact - and then eggs after my swim. I have to say I'm more comfortable swimming without a full tummy (even when I had porridge it was 20g oats, so half the portion size recommended on the box). Even that little was a challenge.

To reassure you on the weight issue, I lost quite a bit of weight when I started pumping. It was SUCH a relief to not be chasing insulin with food any more, after 29 years of doing just that! I suddenly wasn't needing to eat all the time - it was so liberating!

Happy swimming, @joanne75 !

 

[Medusa41]

Hi @joanne75 , and thanks @GrantGam for the tag - I don't have any carbs before I swim, and I take half a unit of Novorapid (pump) beforehand.

My routine is:
0600 get up
0615-ish take half a unit of insulin (quarter of a unit more if I'm above 6.5, quarter of a unit less if I'm below 5.5)
0640 disconnect pump and swim for around 20-30 minutes, steam for around 10 minutes, shower for around 5 minutes
I'm generally 5-6 when I get back to the changing room after that lot.
I immediately reconnect my pump and have my breakfast insulin (it being 20 minutes before my two boiled eggs, at that point).
At the same time I set a temporary basal rate of usually 130% for 60 minutes, these days. Although that depends on the number of lengths I've done, or whether I've got stuck in the steam room with somebody really chatty, or if I decide to use conditioner on my hair that day......................

When on MDI I would have insulin and porridge before I swam, based on very complicated timings depending on my blood sugar on waking - i.e. I would have either one unit or two units with 20g CHO-worth of porridge, depending on whether I was below 5 or above 7, timed at either immediately before my porridge if I was below 5, or 20 minutes before my porridge if I was above 7 - frankly it was a PITA doing the weeks and weeks of trial and error which were required....... but if I got it RIGHT I managed to swim THROUGH the porridge spike AND not go low afterwards.

It sounds like you've got it absolutely right vis a vis the banana and the immediate-end-of-swim blood sugar - that sounds great! In your shoes I would be tempted to have a small amount of insulin as soon as you finish your swim, to 'mop up' that adrenaline-related sugar spike. But DO DO DO keep testing frequently up to and including 6 hours AFTER your swim. My pattern is that I go massively high immediately afterwards (well, I would if I didn't tweak my basal rate AND have my breakfast bolus straight away) and drop like a stone quite a few hours afterwards.

I'm off exercise at the moment thanks to an injury and generally going through a bit of overwhelm. And so I would just like to say THANK YOU so much in advance, @joanne75 , for the swim I am planning in the morning. You've inspired me to get back in the pool!

Love Snapsy

Great advice @Snapsy - I used a temp basal of 130% after my 40 lengths y'day & it worked Thank you for that!

 

[joanne75]

Didn't swim in the end as I'd spent the whole night being 2.7! Grrrrrrrrr............

I spent months working on the ideal porridge scenario (small enough portion to not make me queasy, etc etc, insulin dose and timing factors) and just when I'd nailed it I started pumping! Cue a whole different working-out scenario!

I'm sure you'll get there with it. Do report back!

I don't have carbs before I swim now I eat LCHF - no food at all, in fact - and then eggs after my swim. I have to say I'm more comfortable swimming without a full tummy (even when I had porridge it was 20g oats, so half the portion size recommended on the box). Even that little was a challenge.

To reassure you on the weight issue, I lost quite a bit of weight when I started pumping. It was SUCH a relief to not be chasing insulin with food any more, after 29 years of doing just that! I suddenly wasn't needing to eat all the time - it was so liberating!

Happy swimming, @joanne75 !

Thank you for your help snapsy, hope you manage to get back to swimming soon, I too didn't go that day either I was up through out the night surfing around 3.8 so didn't see the point in going eating more and risking going low whilst swimming so I am back on it tomorrow. I am really looking forward to starting on the pump and hoping I get on ok with it and yes am too looking forward to not chasing insulin all the time and finally loose some weight

 

[Snapsy]

All sounding really cool, @joanne75 - do keep us posted with news of your pumping journey! And yay @Medusa41 - I'm really pleased to hear that!

 

[joanne75]

@Snapsy Im now on the Omnipod and 2 days in.....due to a shoulder injury I have not been swimming for about a month but would like to get back into it, but now a little apprehensive being on a pump and what to do, my DSN suggested testing at the poolside every 10mins, the prob is the water comes up over the side so that's not a possibility and the thought of getting out and being looked at every 10mins also puts me off. Can you give me any tips being on the omnipod means its on all the time, I suppose I could change the basal rate, its just I noticed you take yours off altogether so you have no insulin at all is that correct?? any help would be very much appreciated

 

[azure]

Tagging @noblehead and @catapillar as they use or have used the Omnipod.

I have a pump but it's a Vibe so I just take mine off. I don't need the insulin while swimming. I test frequently, but how often depends on how energetic I am and what my starting sugar was. If it's your first time with a pump, I'd test lots. I put my meter and glucose on a towel on a bench by the pool and I honestly don't think anyone notices or cares what I'm doing when I test.

 

[noblehead]

Can you give me any tips being on the omnipod means its on all the time, I suppose I could change the basal rate, its just I noticed you take yours off altogether so you have no insulin at all is that correct?? any help would be very much appreciated

You have the option of suspending the insulin delivery or you can use a -TBR (temporary basal rate) if you find the swimming makes you go hypo, usually the advice is to change the basal rate 1-2 hours before the activity.

 

[cz_dave]

Hi All

I swim 3 days a week and kind of trying to get some kind of control whilst in the pool, I generally don't do too bad, I have my background insulin before I leave at 6.45am and have a banana on route and swim 40 lengths so 40mins and then get out. My bloods are normally 7-8 before I start and around 5-8 when I finish, by the time I have showered and got out my blood seems to shoot right up to around 10??

Anyone else experience this or have any advice.
Thanks

I experience this after tennis and badminton which are anaerobic sports, so different from swimming but still. I think it could be related to the mere fact that you suddenly go from burning a lot of glucose to burning very little and so your BS shoots up momentarily. Does your BS drop within an hour or so? Mine does.

 

[Snapsy]

@Snapsy Im now on the Omnipod and 2 days in.....due to a shoulder injury I have not been swimming for about a month but would like to get back into it, but now a little apprehensive being on a pump and what to do, my DSN suggested testing at the poolside every 10mins, the prob is the water comes up over the side so that's not a possibility and the thought of getting out and being looked at every 10mins also puts me off. Can you give me any tips being on the omnipod means its on all the time, I suppose I could change the basal rate, its just I noticed you take yours off altogether so you have no insulin at all is that correct?? any help would be very much appreciated

Yay that you're up and running on your pump!

Yes I do take mine off to swim, and if I'm swimming first thing in the morning I always have 0.5u before I go to the pool, otherwise I end up high. I don't bolus in that way if I swim at other times of day.

I don't test poolside - but make sure I do beforehand, and straight after.

For exercise where I don't take my pump off I reduce my basal rate - so for running and gymming I lower it often to from 50% right down to 10% or even 0% sometimes.

 

[catapillar]

@Snapsy my DSN suggested testing at the poolside every 10mins,

The PDM isn't waterproof, so testing at the poolside requires a bit of caution, and a towel. People arent going to notice you testin really, but I can understand the reluctantance to it so frequently.but if it'ss creating a pain for you, even if it's a temporary one, it's worth flagging that to DSN

 

[Snapsy]

Just to clarify my above post @joanne75 - I bolus before swimming because a) exercise initially makes me spike and b) due to removing my pump I have no basal insulin happening. This is therefore not necessarily something you would be doing!