Hi all. Any amateur runners out there that have tried Continuous Glucose Monitors and have T2 with meds Metformin and Gliclazide?
Can you share your experiences of these and perhaps recommend one?
I am training for 5km which I've done before but want to be the fastest I can be. Last race I was beaten by a 70 year old non diabetic! So something wrong on the energy transfer. I run this distance in 26:10 but aiming for 25mins...
Also training for half marathon. Has anyone used a CG monitor while training for such and which one please.
Many thanks all.
Hi, I'm T1 but I have plenty experience running so here's some thoughts:
I was actually diagnosed quite late in life and already had a long background running. Initially I didn't have a CGM but found that I could run okay (ish) if I did short loops (around 5k ish) and would check by bloods by finger pricks each loop. During this time, I was cautious of doing longer runs, runs in really bad weather, or high intensity training sessions due to the uncertainty of how my bloods would react.
I went on to use the Libre. Instantly I was much more confident and happy to go on longer runs. The libre reader can be carried with you and buzzed against your sensor every couple of kms. I did notice that the sensor itself often failed if it was too cold (anything below around 5 degrees) so I would recommend long sleeved t-shirts and waterproof jacket if its raining.
I now use a dexcom. The thing is fantastic. No issue with cold or wet weather (its attached to my stomach, which probably keeps it warmer). It transmits data by bluetooth so if you carry a phone, you can get readings at whatever interval suits you. I also run with a garmin watch and use a third party app (XDrip +) to capture my BG and transmit the data to my watch so that I can see it at a glance when running.
One thing that I would stress is that whatever choice you make the key is that you should check BGs before during and after exercise and take fast acting carbs with you on the run. I use a trail running backpack that I pack with gels and glucose tabs. Gels normally contain around 20-25g of carbs and glucose tablets are normally around 3g/tab.