Type 1 running ..is time of day strategic ?

[glitter queen]

Hi All
Am just starting to get a grip with my T1 (of only 35 years!!) due to
-restarting running (now upped to 4 x week between 5 to 12k but slow)
- CGM for last 5 months (libre)
-having slowly over years kept lowering carb so now keto (but dont count macros, just carb & prot at each meal for calculating my insulin. Am on Novorapid & Tresiba)

Wondering if any others (especially women my age 60ish) find evening before food a better time to run to keep BG more stable. Not sure if this flattening BG effect that Im seeing over last week is because of running at this different time of day, or due to something else

Very pleased that my CGM is telling me my Time in Range is 81% for this week. Unheard of. Usually very up & down. And more up than down. My HbA1c according to my Libre was around 7.4%. But not sure right now what it is longer term as got a new phone and only have 11 days readings

I do struggle with info overload & have tendency to get overwhelmed. I go round in circles & get nowhere looking at the many fantastic books I hve (Dr Bernstein.. too heavy & american for me though. Bright Spots & Landmines. Think Like a Pancreas, Keto books) FB pages, Youtube etc

But now Ive decided to focus on this site as it seems to tick both my boxes (low carb & diabetes)
Any top tips & suggestions gratefully accepted.

Please point me how to use this site for the best. Assuming this would be the quickest way to make progress to ask for tailored advice on this forum rather than reading round for days and getting no-where

Thanks all

 

[Juicyj]

Hello @glitter queen

I run 3-4 times a week, I prefer mornings to evenings, for a few reasons, mainly because I am more insulin resistant in the mornings so I tend to stay roughly in range with no active insulin on board and less likely to run hypo, I do eat a few blueberries/strawberries before I run as i've noticed if I don't eat something then my liver will pump some glucose into my system so at the end I am above 11 if I don't. I also prefer mornings as temperature is cooler, later in the day it can be too warm for me, I tend to hypo a bit at night time if I have any insulin on board and more so when it's warmer, also my performance is much slower too, and also as my brain is empty in the morning so it helps me run and enjoy it more !!

Obviously we are all different so it is very much down to what works for you, i've learnt my own method over the years, my goal is to avoid hypos at all costs, otherwise it ruins the run, personal issues for me with running are fuelling for runs as I can sometimes run out of steam, but I do love to get out there and enjoy the country and freedom gives me from my t1, as I tend to think very little about it when I do run.

 

[KK123]

Hi @glitter queen, I am your age and I run. I agree with the above post as we are all very different but having said that, this is how I go about it. I tend to run in the mornings because that is the time at which my levels are highest (usually 6/7). I do not eat breakfast anyway so I do not take any morning insulin. If I run for around 40 minutes (medium effort) then my glucose levels go up to around 8 for an hour or so and then drop immediately to between 4 & 5 the rest of the day, until I eat my main meal around 6pm. I take however many units I require for that main meal and once that has worn off my levels go back to 4/5.

If my morning run is a 'medium' one for LONGER than 40 minutes OR shorter but harder then my levels rise at the start more quickly and up to around 9/10 but again they come down quickly and stay down all day.

I also work shifts so sometimes I can't run in the mornings and change it to an evening run. For me, this is trickier because I start off with levels around 6 again but I know that later on in the evening, (around 10pm) my levels will drop further and potentially render me hypo. To combat this I eat a 15g carby snack before going to sleep. Not doing this inevitably means hypos during the night.

It has all been trial and error and I still get caught out occasionally so I am always prepared with glucose tablets at my side. I agree with @In Response that it all seems to work better with no insulin on board which can be tricky for me as I am not on a pump so don't really know when any basal might kick in. I hope this helps but you really need to experiment for yourself of course, in answer to your actual question, I find that MORNING running keeps me more stable over the following 24 hours and for me, lessens my chances of a hypo during the night. x

 

[glitter queen]

Hi @glitter queen, I am your age and I run. I agree with the above post as we are all very different but having said that, this is how I go about it. I tend to run in the mornings because that is the time at which my levels are highest (usually 6/7). I do not eat breakfast anyway so I do not take any morning insulin. If I run for around 40 minutes (medium effort) then my glucose levels go up to around 8 for an hour or so and then drop immediately to between 4 & 5 the rest of the day, until I eat my main meal around 6pm. I take however many units I require for that main meal and once that has worn off my levels go back to 4/5.

If my morning run is a 'medium' one for LONGER than 40 minutes OR shorter but harder then my levels rise at the start more quickly and up to around 9/10 but again they come down quickly and stay down all day.

I also work shifts so sometimes I can't run in the mornings and change it to an evening run. For me, this is trickier because I start off with levels around 6 again but I know that later on in the evening, (around 10pm) my levels will drop further and potentially render me hypo. To combat this I eat a 15g carby snack before going to sleep. Not doing this inevitably means hypos during the night.

It has all been trial and error and I still get caught out occasionally so I am always prepared with glucose tablets at my side. I agree with @In Response that it all seems to work better with no insulin on board which can be tricky for me as I am not on a pump so don't really know when any basal might kick in. I hope this helps but you really need to experiment for yourself of course, in answer to your actual question, I find that MORNING running keeps me more stable over the following 24 hours and for me, lessens my chances of a hypo during the night. x

Thankyou @KK123. This is helpful. It sounds like you balance your BG perfectly with really tight control.

Just interested to know if u r low carb / keto & fat adapted .. to be able to run with lower BG without snacking.

As I read somewhere for a run of 20 to 45 mins you need to have BG level of 7 to 10. And if less than 7 to hve 20g carb before setting off. And 40g snack if BG is 5 or less. But that for 60 min run u need 30 to 60g per hr after the initial 30 mins. It said to maintain levels btwn 5.5 and 11 during a run.

Thankyou

 

[glitter queen]

Hello @glitter queen

I run 3-4 times a week, I prefer mornings to evenings, for a few reasons, mainly because I am more insulin resistant in the mornings so I tend to stay roughly in range with no active insulin on board and less likely to run hypo, I do eat a few blueberries/strawberries before I run as i've noticed if I don't eat something then my liver will pump some glucose into my system so at the end I am above 11 if I don't. I also prefer mornings as temperature is cooler, later in the day it can be too warm for me, I tend to hypo a bit at night time if I have any insulin on board and more so when it's warmer, also my performance is much slower too, and also as my brain is empty in the morning so it helps me run and enjoy it more !!

Obviously we are all different so it is very much down to what works for you, i've learnt my own method over the years, my goal is to avoid hypos at all costs, otherwise it ruins the run, personal issues for me with running are fuelling for runs as I can sometimes run out of steam, but I do love to get out there and enjoy the country and freedom gives me from my t1, as I tend to think very little about it when I do run.

Thankyou @Juicyj . The berries! Is that why u r called JuicyJ?
Yes avoiding hypos is v hard. What do u use when on a run to refuel? I take dextrose tabs & hve an aldi gluten free nutbar (love them) incase also required.
I hope to get to same stage as you eventually where im not thinking about my diabetes at all. But currently im testing every 15 mins (novelty of my freestyle libre)

 

[Juicyj]

@glitter queen I worked with a great bunch of people once and got the nickname off my team and it stuck !!

What are your levels at before you start and do you have any quick acting on board ? I always run with no active insulin on board, on long runs of 6 miles or more I need to refuel on the hour and always carry glucotabs in a wrist strap for this and in case I go low, it’s rare for me to go hypo on shorter runs but have had the rare one.

Ultimately it’s about finding what works for you as your body will change as you run more so what works now can and will change.

It’s great to hear of other type 1’s running, I know a few who achieve amazing things like ultra marathons and marathons and although I doubt I will ever achieve that level of fitness it is inspiring to know others who successfully run with type 1.

 

[Juicyj]

Forgot to add I got a running tip off type1bri who does marathons and when he goes hypo he does a short sprint which wakes his liver up to squirt some glucose out - I haven’t tried it yet myself !

 

[KK123]

Thankyou @KK123. This is helpful. It sounds like you balance your BG perfectly with really tight control.

Just interested to know if u r low carb / keto & fat adapted .. to be able to run with lower BG without snacking.

As I read somewhere for a run of 20 to 45 mins you need to have BG level of 7 to 10. And if less than 7 to hve 20g carb before setting off. And 40g snack if BG is 5 or less. But that for 60 min run u need 30 to 60g per hr after the initial 30 mins. It said to maintain levels btwn 5.5 and 11 during a run.

Thankyou

Hi there. I am not keto or anywhere near it but I do tend to stick to less than 130 carbs a day, usually around a 100. I know that the 'official' advice is to run when your glucose levels are between 7 to 10 but for me that would mean eating a fair few carbs beforehand and when I have done that I go high and stay high. The rest of that advice may well work as a rule of thumb but everybody is different so it really is best to test it for yourself. I started off following that advice to the letter when I was first diagnosed (I've always been a runner) and it just didn't seem to work for me. My only strategy now is to try not to have insulin on board, hence the morning runs. I do think I am still in the honeymoon period after 3 years as well and am only on low amounts of insulin so it may be my body is helping me along. It's hard to advise specifically because so many factors seem to affect it all. x

 

[KK123]

Forgot to add I got a running tip off type1bri who does marathons and when he goes hypo he does a short sprint which wakes his liver up to squirt some glucose out - I haven’t tried it yet myself !

Hi Juicy, I have! It works too, I am told the body goes into a panic and releases adrenilin/cortisol and a squirt of glucose from your liver. I have to do personal safety training in my job which involves a lot of running around, I can guarantee that any sprints or fast bursts of action involved take me straight up into the 13/14 range which I NEVER get at any other time. It does come down around 30 mins later though. x

 

[Juicyj]

@KK123 thanks for that - really useful to know, I did try it once but as I’d also necked a couple of glucotabs I couldn’t say for sure which method worked !

 

[dtennant9]

Good luck with the running!
I find it much easier to get up and go with my running, so much easier to control things. I do find if I go out for a more relaxed pace I will see my BG level drop a fair bit, if I am going for a longer or faster paced run then things generally stay the same or go up a little, sometimes with a spike not long after starting.
Don't generally have any hypos while running.
I find things more difficult to control when taking part in a race as I have had breakfast, need to get better at that aspect of things.