Getting back into exercising.

Kaye182

Member
Messages
8
Hey all.
I was diagnosed with type one diabetes type 1 around about 3 months ago and I am only just starting to want to get back into going running/football etc.
I should of really looked at this sooner but I think with Christmas/getting used to my levels I’ve put this off.
I’m curious to how you plan for this? Do you take some dextrose tabs with you just incase? And do you have lunch/dinner before or after your exercise? Not sure when is best to go on a run, before or after meals?
My levels are steady for now and my diabetic nurse has suggested missing an injection which I’m happy with.
What works for you?
Thanks in advance :)
 
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Knikki

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Hello @Kaye182 you might find that after strenuous exercise you blood sugar levels go up, there is a reason but can't remember.

I'll tag @helensaramay as she runs and does rock climbing and is T1.

As for me as a rule (it's what works for me) I am cautious about going the gym unless I'm around 8mmol because doing gym work, cardio and weights always drop my sugars. I have a CGM so makes things a little easier, then I tend to stop when I hit the 4mmol mark.

However as guide, yes take something that can treat hypos quick, dextrose or jelly babies.
Listen to what your body is telling you if you feeling odd measure your bloods.
If your playing football, then I guess their your mates so be open with them tell em your T1D and what to do if you start to hypo.
As for a meal, not sure on that one so long as your not got a stack of insulin on board when you start you should be ok, but again learning curve I'm afraid, we are all different and hardly these things in a variety of ways.

Other than that there should be no reason why you can't do what you want, just take it easy and learn from what you do.

If you use the "search" function on the forum you will find some threads about running that may be useful.

Have fun.
 
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NicoleC1971

BANNED
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3,451
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hey thanks very much for this, very helpful.
No reason why you can't get going again. Everyone's different so just test before and after but also take some dextrose.
Stick to a normal meal 1-2 hours prior to the exercise but if you simply skip the whole bolus dose you may go to high and this could make you feel rough so I would personally half the dose at that meal. If it is football/running then you may to reduce the dose at the following meal too OR if trying to gain weight (if you've lost some at diagnosis) have a carb/protein snack in between! If you are training for longer than an hour don't forget to snack and take on enough fluid.
Sudden intense exercise can cause a spike in glucose (I think this is due to the sudden demand for energy which releases glucose from the muscles or liver) as can doing weights so you will need to experiment there.
Hope that helps!
 
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There are a couple of diabetes related things that happen when we exercise
- our liver releases glucose to give us energy
- our bodies become more efficient at using insulin
In an ideal world, during exercise, these two should cancel each other out. But, after 3 months, you’ve probably realised our diabetes doesn’t always follow the rules.

Whether exercise causes our BG to go up or down depends on quite a few things - how much bolus (fast acting) insulin we have active in our body, how fit we are, how long we exercise for, what type of exercise we do and what our BG is when we start.

I try to minimise the amount of insulin I have active by not having any fast acting insulin 3 or 4 hours before exercise. For me, this means limited eating ... or only nuts before exercise.

Starting BG is important because, too low and I am at risk or hypo and too high, I la k energy so trying to exercise can push my BG up higher.
I assume you are injecting (I use a pump which changes things). If so, I agree with @Knikki that about 8mmol/l is a good starting point.

The fitter I am at a sport, the less impact it has on my BG. As a result, the affect of that exercise on my BG may change over time.

In general, short spurts if exercise will push your BG up. So HIIT often leads to a high.
Resistance exercise, like weights, will also push BG up.
Typically, cardio (over 20 minutes or more) will usually lower BG.
However, if you are used to running on a flat treadmill and decide to run up a steep hill on a wet windy day, the stress may lead to a high BG.

I participate in,a number of sports and need to manage my BG differently for each of them
- for climbing I need extra insulin as the resistance of carrying my body weight, the short routes and the stress of feeling scared will raise my BG
- my gym sessions are a combination of weights and cardio. As a result, one balances the other. If I start the gym with a highish BG, I will start with 30 minutes of cardio (which will,lower my BG), if I start the gym with a lower BG, I will start with weights to raise my BG.
- running usually lowers my BG. As I have a pump, I manage this by reducing my basal. When I was injecting, I would drink weak fruit squash drink instead of water on my run. The advantage of squash over energy drinks (apart from the cost) is you can adjust the sugar content to suit your needs.

The impact of football on your BG depends on the type of game you play. If you are on the go non stop, your BG is likely to fall. However, if you are a goalie, for example, you will have short moments of heavy activity followed by quite pretty moments so your BG may rise.

The only time I eat without injecting is to increase my BG to a target level. I have not missed an injection because I will be exercising.

The other thing to consider is the 24 to 48 hours after exercise. As I mentioned above, exercise causes our liver to release glucose. As a result, outer glucose supplies are reduced so we have less to drip constantly. This may lead to lower BG over the next day or so.
I used to lower my basal for the next 24 hours. Some say a change of basalntakes 3 to 4 days to bed in so this would have no impact. But it worked for me.

Sorry for the long essay. I think the key points (TLDR) are
- you need to find the optimum BG to start exercise
- be aware (and try to minimise) insulin on board
- we are all different and so we need to test a our BG a lot to find out what works for us
- be prepare for low BG up to 48 hours after exercise
- keep fast acting glucose close to hand
- tell your team mates

Finally, this may sounds a bit daunting but don’t be put off: Gary Mabbut, StevevRedgrave and Henry Slade have not been... and nor have @Knikki and I.
 
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KK123

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,967
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi Kaye, when you read all of the replies you might be put off as it does sound complicated. Don't be though because once you get used to it, YOUR personal routine will become natural and you will do it without thinking. Of course, exceptions to the rule might crop up but hey, that's life! I am a runner and because of shifts I run at different times of the day, sometimes before eating and sometimes after. As a rule of thumb, I test before running and if it is above 6 I just run without eating anything, if it is less then I might take a glucose tablet or two depending on whether I am running for more than 30 minutes or less.
 
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Kaye182

Member
Messages
8
There are a couple of diabetes related things that happen when we exercise
- our liver releases glucose to give us energy
- our bodies become more efficient at using insulin
In an ideal world, during exercise, these two should cancel each other out. But, after 3 months, you’ve probably realised our diabetes doesn’t always follow the rules.

Whether exercise causes our BG to go up or down depends on quite a few things - how much bolus (fast acting) insulin we have active in our body, how fit we are, how long we exercise for, what type of exercise we do and what our BG is when we start.

I try to minimise the amount of insulin I have active by not having any fast acting insulin 3 or 4 hours before exercise. For me, this means limited eating ... or only nuts before exercise.

Starting BG is important because, too low and I am at risk or hypo and too high, I la k energy so trying to exercise can push my BG up higher.
I assume you are injecting (I use a pump which changes things). If so, I agree with @Knikki that about 8mmol/l is a good starting point.

The fitter I am at a sport, the less impact it has on my BG. As a result, the affect of that exercise on my BG may change over time.

In general, short spurts if exercise will push your BG up. So HIIT often leads to a high.
Resistance exercise, like weights, will also push BG up.
Typically, cardio (over 20 minutes or more) will usually lower BG.
However, if you are used to running on a flat treadmill and decide to run up a steep hill on a wet windy day, the stress may lead to a high BG.

I participate in,a number of sports and need to manage my BG differently for each of them
- for climbing I need extra insulin as the resistance of carrying my body weight, the short routes and the stress of feeling scared will raise my BG
- my gym sessions are a combination of weights and cardio. As a result, one balances the other. If I start the gym with a highish BG, I will start with 30 minutes of cardio (which will,lower my BG), if I start the gym with a lower BG, I will start with weights to raise my BG.
- running usually lowers my BG. As I have a pump, I manage this by reducing my basal. When I was injecting, I would drink weak fruit squash drink instead of water on my run. The advantage of squash over energy drinks (apart from the cost) is you can adjust the sugar content to suit your needs.

The impact of football on your BG depends on the type of game you play. If you are on the go non stop, your BG is likely to rise. However, if you are a goalie, for example, you will have short moments of heavy activity followed by quite pretty moments so your BG may rise.

The only time I eat without injecting is to increase my BG to a target level. I have not missed an injection because I will be exercising.

The other thing to consider is the 24 to 48 hours after exercise. As I mentioned above, exercise causes our liver to release glucose. As a result, outer glucose supplies are reduced so we have less to drip constantly. This may lead to lower BG over the next day or so.
I used to lower my basal for the next 24 hours. Some say a change of basalntakes 3 to 4 days to bed in so this would have no impact. But it worked for me.

Sorry for the long essay. I think the key points (TLDR) are
- you need to find the optimum BG to start exercise
- be aware (and try to minimise) insulin on board
- we are all different and so we need to test a our BG a lot to find out what works for us
- be prepare for low BG up to 48 hours after exercise
- keep fast acting glucose close to hand
- tell your team mates

Finally, this may sounds a bit daunting but don’t be put off: Gary Mabbut, StevevRedgrave and Henry Slade have not been... and nor have @Knikki and I.

That’s very informative, thanks so much for that really appreciate it :)
 
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