Lactic Acid Worse Now a Type 1

FUD

Active Member
Messages
26
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
After some tips on managing lactic acid.

So I’ve always liked all sports but never considered myself an athlete. Always in the middle with decent endurance.
Diagnosed in 2011 at age 32. I initially stopped exercising, then gradually increased, testing a lot and eating fast/slow carbs.

I’ve found the more I do, the fitter I get the less fast carbs I require. I took up cycling as I don’t like running and I can carry carbs, meter etc without it juggling about, plus you can stop for a brew and

What does effect me though is going into the ‘red’. So if I cycle at 15mph I can sustain this all day and probably eat 5-10g fast and 15-20g slow per hour.

If I step up to 18mph I’ll need 20g fast and 20g slow and with stops can go for a few hours.

If I race (40-60mins) I ‘manage’ (I’m blowing now) 21mph (drafting) but can only sustain this for an hour. If I try sprinting I go into the red, legs lock with cramp, and it’s hard to recover.

I’ve also had this on a 100+ mile sportive, at the 50mile point, and had to spin the rest of the way, wheel sucking and hardly pressing the pedals at all.

So, is there anything I can do to stop or reduce this? Any tips to recover quicker when it does occur?
 

kitedoc

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,783
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
black jelly beans
What do you mean by going into the 'red'?
You may need to think about where your energy is coming from and that glucose is needed to remove the lactic acid build up.
So are you needing glucose from food or liver stores to resupply depleted muscle stores?
And how long do liver stores of glucose last ??
And glucose can come from carbs or protein or both??
Can you burn fat as well and can ketones become a problem?
 
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Can you tell us more about your diabetes?
What are your BG levels during your ride?
Do you take carbs to maintain your BG or because you feel you need them for energy?
How do you manage your type 1 - injections or pump?
 
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FUD

Active Member
Messages
26
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Can you tell us more about your diabetes?
What are your BG levels during your ride?
Do you take carbs to maintain your BG or because you feel you need them for energy?
How do you manage your type 1 - injections or pump?
I always aim to start physical activity between 6-10. Sometimes if it’s just after breakfast it will be quite a bit higher due to the meal rise but it drops quickly as soon as I get a sweat on.

Then depending on intensity it will drop, once I get going I’m pretty good at maintaining BS around 6-8. I generally don’t inject whilst exercising unless it’s high to start with. If I’m doing a lot of exercise over several days I can drop my Basal, to say half, and get away with just one bolus with an evening meal as I wouldn’t be exercising after it, and the breakfast and lunch I eat will rise my BS but the exercise will drop it down again.

Going into the ‘red’ I mean going past a sustainable exercise rate, so sprinting instead of a medium/steady rate.
 

FUD

Active Member
Messages
26
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
What do you mean by going into the 'red'?
You may need to think about where your energy is coming from and that glucose is needed to remove the lactic acid build up.
So are you needing glucose from food or liver stores to resupply depleted muscle stores?
And how long do liver stores of glucose last ??
And glucose can come from carbs or protein or both??
Can you burn fat as well and can ketones become a problem?
 

FUD

Active Member
Messages
26
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Red, as in max effort, blowing out my ass!
I need carbs from food to stop my BS dropping. If I did an average ride starting at BS12, I wouldn’t check for an hour and it will usually drop to about 6. If I were to carry on I’d then start taking on carbs, so either gels, sugary drinks and snack bars (fruesli). If I were to do an hour ride at higher intensity, I’d drink a sugary drink and use a gel, jelly babies, snack bar.
I find it hard to lose fat.