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Heart rate and low carb diet

millenium

millenium

Well-Known Member
Messages
434
Location
Singapore
Type of diabetes
Carer
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Urban noise, environmental destruction
Those on low carb diet, does your heart rate become fast when your blood glucose is low?
 
millenium said:
Those on low carb diet, does your heart rate become fast when your blood glucose is low?
Click to expand...

That's an interesting question, what do you mean by low?

I think mild hypoglycemia can often be accompanied by raised heart rates, because the body produces adrenaline in response.
Low Blood Sugar Symptoms - Diabetesnet.com

(Not going to talk about severe hypoglycemia because that's hopefully only relevant to insulin users.)

False hypos (body has hypo symptoms at normal bgs when it's used to higher levels) do occur on adoption of low carb diets and I believe are accompanies by adrenaline production, so I guess a higher heartbeat could happen then. (As could also happen if you go on medication that reduces your blood sugar.)

But I personally doubt that a low carb diet has anything to do with this, other than that they tend to lower people's blood sugars.
(I hasten to add that I am not a doctor so will be interested to see if others reach different conclusions.)
 
I wonder for those that take very little carb to induce ketosis. Before that can happen, the body will be in an alarm state?
 
I think my heart rate increases and I get a pain in my chest when my blood sugar starts to go low I think it's because it's being starved of oxygen , I can feel it starting at about 4 mmol . Spoonful of glucose powder and it disappears .
 
This has interested me.
Before I began a low carb diet almost four weeks ago, my heart had become very 'loud' and fast as soon as I got in bed every night.
I couldn't even turn onto my left side as the heavy fast beating was too much. I had tried slow and deep breathing to try to calm it but it wasn't doing anything. However, from the first full day of strictly reducing my carbs it has gone
So this seems to be the opposite of what you suggest perhaps?
 
To answer the topic question, when I go low I have a racing heart and my body mimics a panic attack, which leaves me shaky for over an hour. I can even faint.

I stress that I am not a typical type 2 diabetic, I take no meds, and my blood sugar levels can drop to 2. My medical team are puzzled, but have witnessed this and know it happens.
 
millenium said:
I wonder for those that take very little carb to induce ketosis. Before that can happen, the body will be in an alarm state?
Click to expand...
I don't see any reason why that should be so, but am willing to be corrected.
 
millenium said:
Those on low carb diet, does your heart rate become fast when your blood glucose is low?
Click to expand...

Hi,

I had my BP tested by a nurse comming up of a low & was told it was a little high..
I've also tested my my BP whilst hypo & comming up off one at home. & it does elivate a little.
Not surprising realy.

But during normal parameters with BG whilst adopting a low cab diet? I can't see how the body would feel it (subconsously.) as a "threat." Hence some sort of panic mode..
 
millenium said:
Those on low carb diet, does your heart rate become fast when your blood glucose is low?
Click to expand...
No, not at all. Low for me as measured is top end of threes or low fours. I don't feel any different at that level compared to when my BG is in the fives. Only thing I have noticed is that going into ketosis (not usually linked for me to a low BG level) makes me sleepy - hardly panic mode.
 
I don't wear a heart rate monitor, and have no obvious symptoms of both high and low BG so the answer is "probably not".
 
My results could be confounded by the exercise. When I was going bonkers with the cardio, I had a BPM of 49. I now sit at a resting of 53 (Fitbit), but have never been aware of anything symptomatic. So for me cardiovascular fitness levels correlate with my heart rate.
 
I don’t go low as I’m not on glucose lowering meds. My heart rate is pretty normal to lowish. Any fast heart rate has an obvious cause. I don’t believe going very low carb has ever caused anything I would describe as an alarm state

perhaps you could clarify what you mean by both “low” and “alarm state”
 
fitnsmiles said:
Thank you for this post. It is very informative blog.
Click to expand...
Having read the blog again, I find I disagree with some of its info. They state that this problem occurs early at the start of the diet, I am happy with that, but I disagree slightly with their explanation that it is dehydration. In the early stage of the diet, the body starts using up the glycogen fat stores leading to the weight loss. Glycogen is glucose with added water, and releasing glycogen frees up this added water. It is known that the initial weight loss is water weight, similar to most low caloric diets. This excess water is excreted, and as it does, so it flushes out sodium. So IMO it is salt depletion causing the palpitations. It is a warning I give to those starting a LC diet to increase salt intake for the first week or so while the weight is reducing significantly.

I am on a water tablet myself, and it too flushes out sodium so I have to add more salt to my Low Salt Diet (sic). My BP med also does this but also at the same time stops excretion of potassium which leads to double trouble. I will soon be forced to take another med to get rid of the potassium, but that med also excretes more sodium,
 
millenium said:
I wonder for those that take very little carb to induce ketosis. Before that can happen, the body will be in an alarm state?
Click to expand...
As a T2 neither my body nor heart have any objection to me being in dietary ketosis as I'm including fat for fuel to replace most of the carbs. As far as I'm concerned this fuel combination is how my body is supposed to work, and there's no need for alarm as all the necessary fuel is being provided - just in a slightly different forms.

But see also @Oldvatr's Healthline link which suggests that people new to ketogenic diets may initially experience increased heart rates while their bodies learn to adapt.
 
I recall the look of consternation when I told a nurse that I was not having anything with salt in it other than adding a small amount to my coffee in warm weather.
She had gone through all the processed foods she could think of only to be told I don't eat that - when told her that I sometimes forgot but that having palpitations reminded me she went a little pale.
 
Oldvatr said:
Having read the blog again, I find I disagree with some of its info. They state that this problem occurs early at the start of the diet, I am happy with that, but I disagree slightly with their explanation that it is dehydration. In the early stage of the diet, the body starts using up the glycogen fat stores leading to the weight loss. Glycogen is glucose with added water, and releasing glycogen frees up this added water. It is known that the initial weight loss is water weight, similar to most low caloric diets. This excess water is excreted, and as it does, so it flushes out sodium. So IMO it is salt depletion causing the palpitations. It is a warning I give to those starting a LC diet to increase salt intake for the first week or so while the weight is reducing significantly.

I am on a water tablet myself, and it too flushes out sodium so I have to add more salt to my Low Salt Diet (sic). My BP med also does this but also at the same time stops excretion of potassium which leads to double trouble. I will soon be forced to take another med to get rid of the potassium, but that med also excretes more sodium,
Click to expand...
My heart races when dehydrated as the blood thickens and needs more work to be pumped round the body.
 
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