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Fasted Cardio

M

Miss90

Well-Known Member
Messages
223
Location
UK
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Diabetes
Hi all,

I wanted to see if anyone else does fasted cardio in the mornings and what it does to blood sugars? Mine ALWAYS raise without fail and while they do drop after, I have to always take at least 2 units of fast acting before training, and my BS levels still rise. Has anyone found a way to combat this at all?
 
I assume you are referring to exercise before breakfast.
I occasionally do this at the weekend: go to the gym as soon as I get up.
Normally, I need to significantly reduce my basal before the gym to avoid hypos but first thing in the morning, I don't.
I have always assumed this is related to Dawn Phenomenon. I find a slight improvement if I have a small carb snack (e.g. apple) with the normal insulin dose, before I go. I guess this reminds my body I have enough energy/glucose on board so it doesn't need to release more.
 
Hi @Miss90 I don't do this, however I do run in the mornings and I tend to find my levels don't rise if I eat something with less than 10g of carb in it, it's down to trial and error though how much insulin you take for this, I personally use a pump so although will take the insulin for the carbs but I also turn my basal down to 20% for 30 mins prior to and during the run, and always stay around 2 mmol/l. In the absence of carbs my liver will release glucose to help manage the exercise, so having something small on board prevents this glucose release.
 
Juicyj said:
Hi @Miss90 I don't do this, however I do run in the mornings and I tend to find my levels don't rise if I eat something with less than 10g of carb in it, it's down to trial and error though how much insulin you take for this, I personally use a pump so although will take the insulin for the carbs but I also turn my basal down to 20% for 30 mins prior to and during the run, and always stay around 2 mmol/l. In the absence of carbs my liver will release glucose to help manage the exercise, so having something small on board prevents this glucose release.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your feedback - sometimes I have to take as much as 5 units of insulin to stop me from rising. It's such a pain in the butt (literally ha!) as this is the best way to burn fat but at the same time a BS of 15/16 is not great!
 
51 years on insulin in Oz.
If I exercise gently, no sprints, no fast pace, perhaps longer session but less intensive I have less problems with raised BSLS just after exercise. I think it is that the more hectic routines cause release of Adrenaline which in turn causes release of glucose from the liver.
A brisk walk is less jarring on feet and jointed and is less likely to cause injury and will still provide cardio-fitness if done regularly and for a long enough time period each time ? 45 minutes.
If more or less goes without saying that using good shoe wear and walking/running on soft surfaces reduces long term injuries.
Also before I started on an insulin pump and was still on MDI. , I had to ensure that my long-acting insulin was still active, and not about to expire in that time period before breakfast. Very little insulin on board means that any blood sugar rise is less under any control.
Hope that helps. Enjoy your journey.
 
Miss90 said:
Hi all,

I wanted to see if anyone else does fasted cardio in the mornings and what it does to blood sugars? Mine ALWAYS raise without fail and while they do drop after, I have to always take at least 2 units of fast acting before training, and my BS levels still rise. Has anyone found a way to combat this at all?
Click to expand...
Hi Miss, how long do they take to drop?
 
Miss90 said:
Hi all,

I wanted to see if anyone else does fasted cardio in the mornings and what it does to blood sugars? Mine ALWAYS raise without fail and while they do drop after, I have to always take at least 2 units of fast acting before training, and my BS levels still rise. Has anyone found a way to combat this at all?
Click to expand...

Hi Miss90,
I will briskly walk or run at an aerobic pace fasted in the morning. I have to take 1-2 units of insulin to cover the BG rise...I think the combination of having just woken and then exercising releases more cortisol. If I do any anaerobic exercise - sprints/HIIT/weights - I try my best to do so in a non-fasted state and later in the day or else my BG rises more significantly. Are you doing slow, steady cardio or a more intense workout? How long do you exercise for? If I run for more than an hour - I don't often do this - my BG will start to come down.
I haven't tried eating before my morning run because I don't enjoy the feeling of running when just fed. I'm not sure if you feel the same but maybe a small handful of something might help?
 
Happens to me, I have stopped worrying about it and sort it out afterwards. As long as I can exercise that’s the main priority. Short term highs I don’t obsess about.
This occurs whether I fast or eat.
 
Miss90 said:
Hi all,

I wanted to see if anyone else does fasted cardio in the mornings and what it does to blood sugars? Mine ALWAYS raise without fail and while they do drop after, I have to always take at least 2 units of fast acting before training, and my BS levels still rise. Has anyone found a way to combat this at all?
Click to expand...

I do fasted exercise every single morning and it does wonders for my diabetes. You need to make sure it is high intensity and for between 30-50 minutes imho
 
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