Parkrun and spiking blood sugars

Type1Bri

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Living and running with type 1 diabetes throws many challenges. Even different intensitys of the same activity produce hugely different results!!
Have a look at how my 50th Parkrun, where i ran my 2nd fastest 5k ever, took effect on my blood sugar levels.
 

Type1Bri

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It happens to me whenever I try and do a fast parkrun last time I went up to 25 when I tested at the end puts me off doing them abit
Yeah it takes a few trial and errors but I try to never let it put me off doing it
 

Alexandra100

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It happens to me whenever I try and do a fast parkrun last time I went up to 25 when I tested at the end puts me off doing them abit

It is now years since I ran a parkrun, but I am still hoping to get back to them when my health has settled down enough for me to train consistently. Good luck!

[Potentially dangerous medication advice removed by Moderator.]
 
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My understanding is that when you exceed your aerobic threshold, you begin shifting more toward burning only glucose, and so the liver will begin secreting more of it. I believe that this “threshold” (which isn’t actually a ‘line in the sand’ at all) is generally somewhere around 180bpm (beats per minute) minus age. The closer to it, or the further you go above it, the more likely you are to experience a blood glucose spike.

This topic is a practical example of why you’ll see many people refer to “moderate” exercise being ideal for diabetics - anything too much more for too long will raise your glucose level instead of lowering it. Brisk walking and mild resistance training = good. Olympic 400m hurdles = bad.

I am however very sure that there’s far more to it than my simplistic explanation :)
 
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Alexandra100

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I believe that this “threshold” (which isn’t actually a ‘line in the sand’ at all) is generally somewhere around 180bpm (beats per minute) minus age.
That computation would mean that at 76 (180-76=104) I could not run at all, nor even walk uphill. As far as I can tell neither running in training nor training with weights raises my bg, but I'll know more when I have had a go with a Libre. Meanwhile, I suspect that when I FEEL very tired, no matter how slowly I walk, my bg goes up.
 

KK123

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My understanding is that when you exceed your aerobic threshold, you begin shifting more toward burning only glucose, and so the liver will begin secreting more of it. I believe that this “threshold” (which isn’t actually a ‘line in the sand’ at all) is generally somewhere around 180bpm (beats per minute) minus age. The closer to it, or the further you go above it, the more likely you are to experience a blood glucose spike.

This topic is a practical example of why you’ll see many people refer to “moderate” exercise being ideal for diabetics - anything too much more for too long will raise your glucose level instead of lowering it. Brisk walking and mild resistance training = good. Olympic 400m hurdles = bad.

I am however very sure that there’s far more to it than my simplistic explanation :)

Jim, I think you're right. I was told that generally speaking, if I ran at a measured pace (around 160bpm) for 40 minutes or less, my bg probably wouldn't rise but if I either ran faster or for longer, it would rise because my body required more energy to keep up and once it depleted whatever was already knocking around my body, it would then release extra glucose to cope. Now that's not particularly a scientific explanation so I tested it. It was true, you have to find your own thresholds obviously but as you said 'moderate' exercise keeps it from rising mostly. Having said that when I do go mad, it does rise BUT always comes down within an hour and then is massively lower for the rest of the day so I guess it's swings and roundabouts. I, personally don't mind if it goes high for a very short period of time on the days I am pushing it to my limit.
 
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That computation would mean that at 76 (180-76=104) I could not run at all, nor even walk uphill. As far as I can tell neither running in training nor training with weights raises my bg, but I'll know more when I have had a go with a Libre. Meanwhile, I suspect that when I FEEL very tired, no matter how slowly I walk, my bg goes up.

Yeah for sure. I doubt it’s a linear calculation, or even an accurate one. It’s undoubtedly multifaceted, and almost certainly dependent on your current level of aerobic fitness and insulin function. I think that the “threshold” is merely used to differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic. More of the latter and less of the former can generally be expected to require more glucose.
 
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Type1Bri

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As with everything diabetes, we are all different. Nobody can say do "x" and "y" will happen. A more sensible approach for me is try "x" see what happens, learn from it, make adjustments and try "x" again till you get the results you are looking for.
I wrote a bit about running with insulin a while back
https://type1bri.com/running-on-insulin
 
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Juicyj

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I try never to race round the park run apart from not having the stamina it’s becau
Living and running with type 1 diabetes throws many challenges. Even different intensitys of the same activity produce hugely different results!!
Have a look at how my 50th Parkrun, where i ran my 2nd fastest 5k ever, took effect on my blood sugar levels.


Well done on your 50th parkrun Bri :)
 
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Juicyj

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Hello @Alexandra100 Are you an insulin dependent diabetic and what levels does your BG go up to ?
 

Type1Bri

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I try never to race round the park run apart from not having the stamina it’s becau



Well done on your 50th parkrun Bri :)
That's the beauty of Parkrun, you get some folks do it in 16 minutes and others take an hour, but it's friendly and inclusive. I always hang around at the end and encourage others
 
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Juicyj

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I am trying to hit the parkrun every Saturday, I tend to find if I can start out at +8mmol/l with no insulin on board then I can maintain my BG levels to within a few mmol/l, I don't tend to sprint it, more of a steady jog but hot weather can change all of this quite quickly.
 
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Juicyj

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It's folk like you @Type1Bri that make the parkrun worth doing, I always try and encourage those who opt to walk or I can see who are struggling too, i've had my moments !! I'd love to see some other t1's on mine but never do, it's quite well concealed even with runners.
 

Type1Bri

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It's folk like you @Type1Bri that make the parkrun worth doing, I always try and encourage those who opt to walk or I can see who are struggling too, i've had my moments !! I'd love to see some other t1's on mine but never do, it's quite well concealed even with runners.
It's great running with other T'1s I'm always interested in how their approach is compared to mine. I get more out of helping and encouraging others than I do out of running a personal best i think
 
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Alexandra100

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Hello @Alexandra100 Are you an insulin dependent diabetic and what levels does your BG go up to ?
No, I am not on insulin. I suspect I am LADA. I am currently eating <7g carbs daily and taking 2g Glucophage but this does not give me normal bgs. My bg tends to rise in the afternoon and evening whether I eat or not. I remain very under-weight despite eating plenty of fat and protein. I often feel very tired straight after eating. My fasting bgs are gradually rising. I think that if my problem were mainly insulin resistance, my VLC diet + maximum dose Glucophage + exercising after meals would cause my bgs, in Jenny Ruhl's words, to "sink like a stone". Sadly, no such thing! I am seeing bgs in the high 5s and even low 6s far more often than I was, and far more often than I like. I see no prospect of ever attaining Dr Bernstein's "truly normal bgs" but I would dearly like to keep to Jenny Ruhl's target of the lower 5s.
 

Juicyj

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No, I am not on insulin. I suspect I am LADA. I am currently eating <7g carbs daily and taking 2g Glucophage but this does not give me normal bgs. My bg tends to rise in the afternoon and evening whether I eat or not. I remain very under-weight despite eating plenty of fat and protein. I often feel very tired straight after eating. My fasting bgs are gradually rising. I think that if my problem were mainly insulin resistance, my VLC diet + maximum dose Glucophage + exercising after meals would cause my bgs, in Jenny Ruhl's words, to "sink like a stone". Sadly, no such thing! I am seeing bgs in the high 5s and even low 6s far more often than I was, and far more often than I like. I see no prospect of ever attaining Dr Bernstein's "truly normal bgs" but I would dearly like to keep to Jenny Ruhl's target of the lower 5s.

Hello Alex, ok so you haven't been diagnosed diabetic, have you discussed this with a GP ? I am unsure why you are posting on a thread about t1 exercise in this case which is confusing for members reading your posts. Even reading your last post you are reporting normal blood glucose readings, which as a type 1 I would be elated to have. I suggest you consult your GP over your health anxieties as posting here will mislead members into believing you are diabetic when you are quite clearly not.
 
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Alexandra100

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Hello Alex, ok so you haven't been diagnosed diabetic, have you discussed this with a GP ? I am unsure why you are posting on a thread about t1 exercise in this case which is confusing for members reading your posts. Even reading your last post you are reporting normal blood glucose readings, which as a type 1 I would be elated to have. I suggest you consult your GP over your health anxieties as posting here will mislead members into believing you are diabetic when you are quite clearly not.
Sorry to have upset you. I had given up on posting, but was tempted back out of concern for a fellow parkrunner. I didn't think recommending an interview with the impeccably T1 Dr B could offend. I was hoping that other Dr B enthusiasts might share my delight in this interview, where, among other things, I learned that Dr B sings as a hobby. How the man has time to have hobbies beats me.

Following Dr B's (and also Jenny Ruhl's) criteria, my bgs put me at risk of cardiac problems, and since my family all succumb to those, I take that very seriously. Even by the standards of the American Diabetic Association, my bgs put me into the pre-diabetic category. I follow Dr B's idea that what matters is not the category to which one may be assigned, but as far as possible to normalise bgs.
 

Juicyj

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@Alexandra100 You haven't upset me, I read your post as if you were a type 1 yourself so am simply concerned that your posting style suggests to members that you are diabetic, this is misleading to members.
 
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Dearbhla

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Thank you Jim Lahey. I hadn't understood how more intense exercises can bring on high blood sugars.