Thanks.
I would say that as a T2 on only Metformin you are expremely unlikely to dip into a hypo under any circumstances - even a competition and the stress and physical exertion that go with it. Have you ever been below 4 whilst experiencing hypo symptoms? If you have, I am sure your doc would be stopping the Metformin completely. Being in the 4s and 5s is fab, and no cause for concern unless you are on strong glucose lowering drugs like insulin or gliclazide.
your normal morning bg readings of 5.5-5.9 are fab. What happens after the meal? Adding shredded wheat or porridge every morning may be raising your bg above good levels on a daily basis. You would have to test a few days and see what happens.
These are the NHS recommended levels after food. I aim for lower after food, since the NHS expects T2 to be a progressive condition, but that progression is largely caused by the kind of levels that they think are OK. So I aim lower and hope to avoid that ‘inevitable’ progression.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
Target Levels
by Type
Upon waking or
Before meals / At least 90 minutes after meals
Non-diabetic* 4.0 to 5.9 mmol/L / under 7.8 mmol/L at 90 mins
Type 2 diabetes 4 to 7 mmol/L / under 8.5 mmol/L
Type 1 diabetes 5 to 7 mmol/L / 4 to 7 mmol/L
my experience is that levels above around 9 affect my clarity of mind and physical performance. I would be focussing on keeping my bg low and steady during your competition, rather than feeding carbs to push things high.
In your situation I would have performed significantly less well in the competition with the sharp rise from your breakfast carbs, followed by the drop. I would have been delighted to return to the nice low numbers at 2.30pm. Your rise and fall are probably what is causing you flop, not that fact that you went down to 6.
so, in your place I would be avoiding the breakfast carbs like the plague (you had shredded wheat and a sandwich), and instead I would have been filling up on more egg, sausage and bacon. The protein and fat would have given me a lovely long slow release of energy, my brain would have stayed sharp, with longterm stamina. There would be no drop and flop in the afternoon.
I use this technique with all my tests and exams, job interviews and stressful work events.
I avoid carbs, because they cause a bg spike, and that leads to a bg flop, and the flop affects energy levels, stamina and performance. On days where my bg doesn’t rise above 7ish I have significantly more stamina than on days where i take carbs ‘for energy’.
But then I habitually low carb so I am ‘fat adapted’, and find protein and fat better energy sources than burn-and-drop glucose as a fuel.
hope that helps.
Oh, and I haven’t asked - how did the competition go? Hope you did OK? No, actually, I hope you WON
