How do you manage exercise?

[WhimsicalWays]

Hi there,

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that after a few months of being pretty lazy (using my work and stress levels as an excuse not to work out - I know, when I'm my busiest/ most stresses is the worst time to stop working out!) I'm finally getting back into a regular exercise regime. I am wondering how other type 1s fit exercise into their schedules, and how they manage it with blood sugars via timing/ insulin dose adjustments/ snacks etc. I have a bad knee (old dance injury) so right now I am mainly do stationery bike and short jogs on tread mill, but intend to get back to my 40 mins jogs, as well as weights...one day... But even when I was in good shape, I really struggled with keeping my blood sugars up. Also, I hate having to eat extra (whenI am not hungry) just to get a work out in. I recognize it is still beneficial health wise, even when I have to eat extra calories, but it's just frustrating...


So how, specifically, do you alter your insulin or food intake? What time of day do you work out? (before a meal, after a meal?)

Thus far I have found that for me, personally, doing it first thing in the morning is the best. I give my long lasting, have 1 cup of coffee (can't do too much without this), and no humalog, and then hit the gym - this way, it is me vs the dawn effect [a big help because I often go low during afternoon work outs and have to stop, or compensate with extra food... Very frustrating!). I would love some advice because I find working out without breakfast a little tough, ie: I would rather do it later in the day. I can get through it, but normally feel more pumped after a meal. The problem is that when I do eat breakfast before my work out, and reduce my insulin (which I need to do to get through the work out), I spike. Like the other day I gave 3 units of Humalog (as opposed to my normal 5 units) and spiked to 15.0 before my work out!! (I did wait about 1 hr after my meal). While I was back down to 5.0ml after my work out, the spike made me feel terrible, and I know it is not a good idea. I just can't seem to get a great system going... {By the way, I eat a piece of bread that is 17 g of carbs and peanut butter for breakfast).

Thanks for any feedback about how you all balance exercise and life as a T1!

 

[howie]

i'm pretty new to this but if know i'm gonna do some exercise straight after food i reduce by a coupla shots, but i'm still experimenting. i spose eat low gi and it stops you from spiking too quick and so by the time you exercise BG rise will be countered. + i find that when i reduce my shots if i only exercise for an hour or so then afterward i'll need insulin cos the food is still digesting and BG begins to rise.

i'm off to play some tennis now, i'm just gonna skip lunch and take down some snacks. it's pretty annoying interrupting a game to test my level constantly but i spose we got no choice. i'll see how this works out even though the docs don't recommend it i doubt i'll go low without a loada novarapid coursing through my veins.

howie

 

[Iambackwards]

I exercise right after eating a meal to avoid that spike. Sometimes I bike ride in the morning and find that if I take any bolus insulin I always hypo, so I started to take only bolus insulin before my morning bike ride and eat breakfast as normal. I found that my sugar levels might rise a bit, but if I start exercising 10 minutes after eating they never get too high. Eating low GI foods is also a good idea as you won't spike as fast.

Another thing I do when weight lifting, is just to bring sweets with me. I reduce my insulin dose; say if my carb ratio is 10g:1 unit basal and I'm eating 30g of carbs before exercise, I'll only take 1 unit of bolus instead of 3. I find any higher just makes me hypo, but I always, always bring sweet with me when I exercise. If you're running for 45 minutes, just bring something that is 10g of carbs and eat it half way through.

 

[shedges]

Howie,

You are more in danger of going high the way you're doing it. The danger is that with no fast acting insulin circulating (unless it's less than 4 hours since injecting), you eating some snacks and with your body reacting to exercise in its natural way, ie. releasing glycogen from the liver, you're likely to go high. I've observed this personally - it's not just theory.

I have found that without a snack and reduced insulin dose, I have noticeably less energy whilst doing the exercise too.

My typical numbers are: 1 unit novorapid per 10g carbs. Before exercise I eat a 60g carb snack and inject 4 units novorapid. Or 40g and 2 units. If you do it 1-1.5 hrs before exercise, the food has had a chance to digest and provide you with the energy.

This method can be compromised when your last real meal was less than 2 hours before, as the previous insulin won't have been fully used up.

Whimsicalways - Best thing to do is listen to the advice from your diabetes nurse, try it out yourself, whilst closely monitoring and after a while you will find out your own personal responses to exercise.

Hope my humble opinion helps in some way.
Sam.

 

[howie]

in the end had some food and used half the amount of insulin i usually do. didn't like the thought of playing on an empty stomach. still went low but had a little extra food + some lucozade, maybe a bit too much cos i ended up on 7.

 

[rkeane]

Hey,
I much prefer to exercise in the morning. However with work it is difficult so usually go for a run 15 mins after dinner. I usually take 3 units novorapid but when exercising i reduce this to 1 unit. I can only spek for myself but this works perfectly for me. If I wait longer than 15 mins, say 30 or 45 my levels are way too high to even exercise but sometimes that amount of time works well with others. I think it's a case of trial and error to get it right. Sometimes it's frustrating not to be able to go for a run whenever I want but through trial and error for me, if I work out before food I always seem to have a hypo and as you say, its very annoying to have to eat extra to exercise. I've just accepted that that is how it is and am glad to be fit and healthy, probably exercising more than all my friends!!!

 

[DaveDisco]

Hi,
this is what I've found works for me, means I can exercise anytime of the day without adjusting any insulin

first of all check sugar level is above 5.5, if it is procede to exercise if not 3 glucose tabs before I start

then just exercise and top up sugar along the way if i'm doing something long. Few weeks back I was doing long 1hr 30 runs and basically as long as I took 3 glucose tablets every 30mins or so i was fine

I now mainly do 30-40 mins sessions of biking, running, kettlebell circuits. if its extra intense I may just check afterwards as a precaution but normally follow a session with a lucozade sport

Mind you I dont eat any white carbs, so have a lot of whole meal rice, pasta, bread so not on a lot of insulin as I find the low GI of wholemeal carbs means I avoid a spike and naturally work off the sugar. (amazing the difference a few diet choices have made!) but this system worked for me when i was on 2-4 units of novorapid each meal and eating rubbish too

thats my experience (i'm 75kg, 32" waist to give you a frame of ref) but i spose all bodies work differently

 

[claridge]

Hi,
I was really scared to get back into exercising not knowing how to control in- l found the best thing that worked for me was to first find out exactly how your body reacts to certain exercises by using a spreadsheet- record BS before, during and after exercise. In beginning l overcompensated by having an apple just in case... but then found some exercises made my BS increase so l didnt need the apple etc. Basically the harder you are working your body- ie the faster your heart races your BS will drop- ie for me l know that rowing, cycling and up hill runs drop my blood sugar.
Food wise l make sure that l dont every miss a meal and if l snack if l feel l need to.
So l wouldnt every get up and go for a run l would make sure l have breakkie an hour before. Everyone is different but since l have been exercising every day and low carbing l do not need to have extra/less insulin or foods. (im type 1 by the way). I realise everyone is different but l really saw the benefits of the long term almost daily exercise along with the low carbing.
Hope that helps you- good luck with it all and enjoy it!! xx

 

[WhimsicalWays]

Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and providing tips - I really appreciate it!

I think I will go back to eating breakfast before working out (as opposed to after), but just ensure I get down to the gym sooner after the meal (to avoid the dreaded spike). [I was worried to do this just because I tend to get side cramps if I eat too close to a work out, but figure I will just start with the bike...].

I have started keeping a spreadsheet to track my levels before/during/after, so this will help me, too. My blood sugars in the morning just really seem to vary (even though I'm pretty religious about checking levels in the night, and eat basically the same breakfast every morning) - I really do think they differ according to my stress levels, so I've just had a tough time nailing down a regime that works...

Thanks for taking the time to help me out, and to encourage me to find my stepping again when it comes to getting exercise into my (every)-daily life!

 

[claridge]

I personally wounldnt eat just before working out... l did that the other day and wanted to go for a run before the sun went down so ran out the door- nearly threw up! Not good. If you are worried about going too low why dont you just have an apple just before exercising? Im not a fan of carby/sugary stuff so l had fruit as its good for you But once you work out what your levels are doing and the more you exercise hopefully you wont need to worry about it so much.