Type 2 exercise advice

Flamingo74

Well-Known Member
Messages
62
Hi all.

I’m T2 and on no medication. I swim, walk and cycle regularly and am average fitness and generally follow a low carb/sugar diet .

I had a gym induction this morning (7am) and had a funny turn when I felt extremely hot, sweaty and dizzy. I was using weights and did some light cardio - it really wasn’t anything too exerting.

The gym staff gave me an apple tango to drink and after three sips I felt much better but before this I was full on lying on the floor not really with it - could this have been my blood sugars crashing? I am so used to managing high sugars I didn’t think about planning food to exercise and didn’t eat before I went. I feel like a right fool but want to get this right for next time. When I got home my BG was 11.5 and after my usual Greek yoghurt breakfast went down to 6.1.

I have tried to get a phone appt with my diabetes nurse but it’s a month away. I am generally feeling a bit more lethargic and tired than usual and now when I think about it particularly in the mornings.

Any thoughts or advice?
 

NicoleC1971

BANNED
Messages
3,451
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi all.

I’m T2 and on no medication. I swim, walk and cycle regularly and am average fitness and generally follow a low carb/sugar diet .

I had a gym induction this morning (7am) and had a funny turn when I felt extremely hot, sweaty and dizzy. I was using weights and did some light cardio - it really wasn’t anything too exerting.

The gym staff gave me an apple tango to drink and after three sips I felt much better but before this I was full on lying on the floor not really with it - could this have been my blood sugars crashing? I am so used to managing high sugars I didn’t think about planning food to exercise and didn’t eat before I went. I feel like a right fool but want to get this right for next time. When I got home my BG was 11.5 and after my usual Greek yoghurt breakfast went down to 6.1.

I have tried to get a phone appt with my diabetes nurse but it’s a month away. I am generally feeling a bit more lethargic and tired than usual and now when I think about it particularly in the mornings.

Any thoughts or advice?
Hello there.

I work in a gym so I am guessing you gave yourself and the staff a bit of a fright?!
I am assuming you had no other symptoms or any heart disease concerns?
It could be that the light exercise caused your blood sugars to drop but since you're on no meds this would surprise me? But do check the bg before you start and when you finish just to see a typical reaction. The gym team know that fainting tends to happen when someone has a low bg then overdoes it which is why the Apple Tango was applied.
My other thought is that this is blood pressure related so it would be worth checking how your body has reacted to your low carb/light exercise lifestyle especially if you are on medications to control it. If you are running low it would be worth either changing meds of if not taking them to add a little extra pink salt to your life to bring your bp up a little. Low bp is a good thing obviously unless it causes you to faint when you get up suddenly (postural hypotension).
There is no reason to eat before the gym but try it and see if that helps then always do a 5-10 minute gentle warm up.
Doing the weights is great btw as you will become more insulin sensitive so it will help with long term bg control and lowering of insulin levels.
 
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Mbaker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,339
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Available fast foods in Supermarkets
Hi @Flamingo74 my advice would be to get a Libre sensor on to monitor what happens with various exercise regimes. Are you able to summarise the exercises that you did and the level of exertion.
 

Flamingo74

Well-Known Member
Messages
62
Hi @Flamingo74 my advice would be to get a Libre sensor on to monitor what happens with various exercise regimes. Are you able to summarise the exercises that you did and the level of exertion.

Hi, thanks for replying. It was pretty light, I did (in non technical terms) 5 min bike warm up, 5 min fast walk on a slight incline, leg press, leg curls, pull downs, 500 meters on the rower and then some arm work outs with 2lb dumbbells. The weights were all 15 x 3 reps.
 
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Flamingo74

Well-Known Member
Messages
62
Hello there.

I work in a gym so I am guessing you gave yourself and the staff a bit of a fright?!
I am assuming you had no other symptoms or any heart disease concerns?
It could be that the light exercise caused your blood sugars to drop but since you're on no meds this would surprise me? But do check the bg before you start and when you finish just to see a typical reaction. The gym team know that fainting tends to happen when someone has a low bg then overdoes it which is why the Apple Tango was applied.
My other thought is that this is blood pressure related so it would be worth checking how your body has reacted to your low carb/light exercise lifestyle especially if you are on medications to control it. If you are running low it would be worth either changing meds of if not taking them to add a little extra pink salt to your life to bring your bp up a little. Low bp is a good thing obviously unless it causes you to faint when you get up suddenly (postural hypotension).
There is no reason to eat before the gym but try it and see if that helps then always do a 5-10 minute gentle warm up.
Doing the weights is great btw as you will become more insulin sensitive so it will help with long term bg control and lowering of insulin levels.

Hi, no blood pressure issues that I am aware of but I will check. I’m not on any medication at all. I could be pre/early menopause but that’s just a guess.

We all definitely got a fright. Apparently I went very grey. It was either the lying down or tango that stopped the world spinning and I then felt better quite quickly.
 

Mbaker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,339
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Available fast foods in Supermarkets
Your "engine" and baseline fitness suggests that you could physically handle the workout. What @NicoleC1971 has said seems really close in correlation, especially the dizziness to what you explain. The cardio background you have would already improve your blood pressure - so you may have been very low.

It could be you are lacking nutrients. I would ask your surgery for a full blood count, or if you are in a position to get private tests (Midichecks are good in the UK). If you are likely to try the same exercise session before a medical checkup, maybe have something like a salmon, cheese & tomato or ham, cheese & tomato roll up (with some lo-salt) and a small amount of water, beforehand. I.e. something light and easily digestible, that will not bulk the stomach.

There are so many potential variables, from the type of low carb woe you are doing (is it supporting your bodily requirements fully - the composition), the time of day of your workout (cortisol is still in play), etc.
 
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Flamingo74

Well-Known Member
Messages
62
Your "engine" and baseline fitness suggests that you could physically handle the workout. What @NicoleC1971 has said seems really close in correlation, especially the dizziness to what you explain. The cardio background you have would already improve your blood pressure - so you may have been very low.

It could be you are lacking nutrients. I would ask your surgery for a full blood count, or if you are in a position to get private tests (Midichecks are good in the UK). If you are likely to try the same exercise session before a medical checkup, maybe have something like a salmon, cheese & tomato or ham, cheese & tomato roll up (with some lo-salt) and a small amount of water, beforehand. I.e. something light and easily digestible, that will not bulk the stomach.

There are so many potential variables, from the type of low carb woe you are doing (is it supporting your bodily requirements fully - the composition), the time of day of your workout (cortisol is still in play), etc.

It was a very early work out and I had only had water prior to going. Wondering if that’s part of the issue.