• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Adjusting Insulin When Exercising

marktype1

marktype1

Well-Known Member
Messages
75
Location
Liverpool
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bad blood sugars, not being able to eat chocolate fudge cake.
Hey Hey!

Just wanted to know what peoples thoughts on this are.

I do a LOT of cycling. I am a keen road cyclist and get at least 100 miles a week in (including commuting to work) and also tend to do a few 5k runs. What do you normally adjust on basal-bolus insulin when doing a lot of exercise? I have found lately that I am experiencing more hypos and adjusting my basal doesnt really help but not sure how to adjust bosul dosage when carb counting meals after exercise. EG, if I was to have 50g of carbs and usually take 5 units of bolus, how would this be adjusted to avoid hypos after say, a 3 hour bike ride.

Hope other people may have similar questions and can benefit from this too!
 
Hi Mark, I cycle a lot and if I tend to do a longer quickish ride I tend to only do my 24 hour injection. Then get back onto my meal instant injections as soon as im off the bike and eat. I tend to find homemade flapjack really ace to keep me going.
 
Hi Mark, I'm do a lot of MTBing and have found myself to need pretty hefty corrections - I have to eat a 60-70 carb meal right before the activity with no insulin, have gulps of lucozade during & reduce my basal for the next 72hrs.

What I did to find my right mixture was to reduce the insulin in any meal that I'm having 1-2 hours before doing the activity & then monitor every 20 mins while doing the exercise. I'd do it in 25% increment decreasing to start off with which ended up going to no insulin at all. I then started having a pre-excersize meal of 20 carbs which then increased to 60-70, continuously checking every 20 mins during activity, I now only notice a 1-3mmol decrease during intense activity after 30-40 mins of activity which I correct with lucozade.

The next 72 hours I reduce my basal by 20% and bolus by a half unit or so. The 3 day basal rule I have found pretty useless when exercising.


You will probably find it useful to start reducing your insulin on any meal 1-2 hours beforehand, have a quick snack just before, monitor every 20 mins & correct using lucozade during if needed then adjust your basal slowly until you find the right solution.
 
Thanks for the help people. I guess its just trial and error for everyone. I did a 40 miler yesterday and it was quite a hilly one too and all I ate extra was about 6 or 8 jelly babies during the ride and no hypos. Ill get the hang of it in the end :)
 
SimonT1 said:
Good to hear mark.
Click to expand...

Oh and the flapjack..... always loved flapjacks when cycling. They fit in jersey pockets well and they give you plenty of energy!!!
 
When I was first starting out I made a rookie error of trying to carry jaffa cakes. Not TOO bad in winter except they get a bit mushed up but in summer they just melted into a long strip of choclate. Tis a shame because theyre also a great source of energy. I tend to take a packet when hill walking.
 
Loads of good info here, cheers lads!

I've been well into mountain biking for years but being diagnosed with Type 1 a month ago has given me the fear - especially as I hypoed after 5 miles on my first tentative ride out the other week :bored:

Feeling confident to give it another bash now though and will be sure to head out heavily-laden with sweets, gels and Lucozade!
 
Im sure you will get the hang of it Gad. Im sure there will be times when you get it all wrong but with a couple of gels on you and you will always be safe. The main thing is to try and eat before its too late. And keeping up the cycling will help keep your overall sugars down.
 
Trial and error, really. I usually give myself half the insulin after an evening run plus lower my lantus by 10%. Although these ratios have changed. The book Think Like a Pancreas has got calculations for basal and bolus changes based on length and intensity of exercise.
 
As a T1D, firefighter and a runner, I made a necklace that contains glucose get, 25 grams. I didn't like carrying things in my pocket and I wanted something not hidden, for my wife, friends or medics. I wanted that in case I pass out, then they can give it to me. It fastens magnetically and uses a plug...so it's easy to use. It is the same gel we use as EMT''s when we respond to diabetics, we rub it on the gums for quick absorption.

I would like to get your thoughts and answer any questions. It's quick and easy for me at a moments notice.

Kris




QUOTE="SimonT1, post: 984885, member: 216107"]Im sure you will get the hang of it Gad. Im sure there will be times when you get it all wrong but with a couple of gels on you and you will always be safe. The main thing is to try and eat before its too late. And keeping up the cycling will help keep your overall sugars down.[/QUOTE]
 
Back
Top