Any Cyclists Here. Am Pre-diabetic, Have Dropped Carbs But Feel Weak.

[Brunneria]

Hmmm
Anaemia is well known for mucking up HbA1c results, and making them inaccurate.
This link will explain better than I can.
http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=x20071228072816056327
Different types of anaemia have different effects on HbA1c, so you may want to pursue this with the doc.

No wonder you are tired and lacking in energy!
Are you getting breathless too? I have read that that happens with anaemia.

There is a different kind of blood test called a Fructosamine test that is available (although not all docs know about it) which is more accurate than the HbA1c for anaemics. You could try asking your doc for that.

 

[Becr]

Hmmm
Anaemia is well known for mucking up HbA1c results, and making them inaccurate.
This link will explain better than I can.
http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=x20071228072816056327
Different types of anaemia have different effects on HbA1c, so you may want to pursue this with the doc.

No wonder you are tired and lacking in energy!
Are you getting breathless too? I have read that that happens with anaemia.

There is a different kind of blood test called a Fructosamine test that is available (although not all docs know about it) which is more accurate than the HbA1c for anaemics. You could try asking your doc for that.

Thank you! I almost feel a bit emotional about it all as I have trudged on feeling rubbish for so long. My experience of doctors has been that they are reluctant to explore things and I have to admit I am reluctant to make a fuss. I am going to book an appointment asap to discuss.

 

[Glink]

I am a cyclist (not as serious as it sounds like you are, though!) and hiker and I get that weak, heavy feeling in my legs when my blood sugars are high. Ironically, a good cycle can raise my sugars, especially if it's hot out. Do you have a metre? I was shocked when my metre told me that all these times I *thought* I was having hypos (based on very unscientific "diagnosis" from HCPs my whole life as a thin athletic person) I was actually having high sugar spikes!

I was losing a bit too much weight at <50 carbs/day but have found a better point at around 75g--still "low carb" but not hungry all the time and getting underweight anymore.

Also, glad you got iron checked. In Canada I used pro-ferrin top boost my #s but if it's a chronic thing you may also wish to find and address the cause (e.g., do you have bleeding in the GI tract, menstrual irregularities, etc.). I have found that iron and thyroid can mess with energy levels as well as sugars.

 

[Becr]

I am a cyclist (not as serious as it sounds like you are, though!) and hiker and I get that weak, heavy feeling in my legs when my blood sugars are high. Ironically, a good cycle can raise my sugars, especially if it's hot out. Do you have a metre? I was shocked when my metre told me that all these times I *thought* I was having hypos (based on very unscientific "diagnosis" from HCPs my whole life as a thin athletic person) I was actually having high sugar spikes!

I was losing a bit too much weight at <50 carbs/day but have found a better point at around 75g--still "low carb" but not hungry all the time and getting underweight anymore.

Also, glad you got iron checked. In Canada I used pro-ferrin top boost my #s but if it's a chronic thing you may also wish to find and address the cause (e.g., do you have bleeding in the GI tract, menstrual irregularities, etc.). I have found that iron and thyroid can mess with energy levels as well as sugars.

This is exactly what I have discovered since monitoring my bloods! This week was the first week I had my monitor to test around exercise and was gobsmacked to find that the biking sessions raise my BG. Previously I would have eaten something carby before leaving the house, taken an energy drink with me and eaten a lot of carbs post exercise. Yesterday I measured before I left and saw my BG was high enough not to need to eat. I did the session but put a slightly lower reading for my max minute power into the computer so that I wasn't working quite as hard. I felt good! I drank plain water and on getting home and seeing my BG was higher stuck with my low carb dinner. This week I have averaged around 60-100g carbs a day and am starting to feel a bit better. I love the detective work and see that in the past I was throwing sugar at myself when in fact I needed to do the opposite.

I agree about the ferritin too. I wonder if something is underlying it, especially as my B12 was twice the upper level. I have had problems with digestion in the past so wonder if I am having trouble with absorption.

Thanks so much for your reply

 

[Glink]

How interesting that you're seeing a similar situation. In the ~6 months before I was diagnosed I was so hungry and tired and kept adding more and more exercise (more lifting, in particular, to build more muscle) and feeling worse and worse! It's so complicated and I find I can never just take the usual advice as necessarily true for me.

Anyway, I was coming back to say--I think I forgot to this mention before, but I usually eat some nuts (most often almonds, b/c of a pretty good carb-fibre ratio) as a snack before I go for a ride these days, and I think that helps keep my sugars a little steadier. I also battle dawn phenomenon, so I am always trying to game my system to minimize liver dumping, which I think is what causes the biking/exercise highs. And for me I've just accepted that I will go at a slightly slower/less strenuous pace these days than I used to--I'm not into racing, but for me this means shorter days on bike touring trips, especially if it's hot weather or very hilly. YMMV.

 

[Becr]

How interesting that you're seeing a similar situation. In the ~6 months before I was diagnosed I was so hungry and tired and kept adding more and more exercise (more lifting, in particular, to build more muscle) and feeling worse and worse! It's so complicated and I find I can never just take the usual advice as necessarily true for me.

Anyway, I was coming back to say--I think I forgot to this mention before, but I usually eat some nuts (most often almonds, b/c of a pretty good carb-fibre ratio) as a snack before I go for a ride these days, and I think that helps keep my sugars a little steadier. I also battle dawn phenomenon, so I am always trying to game my system to minimize liver dumping, which I think is what causes the biking/exercise highs. And for me I've just accepted that I will go at a slightly slower/less strenuous pace these days than I used to--I'm not into racing, but for me this means shorter days on bike touring trips, especially if it's hot weather or very hilly. YMMV.

Glink I am interested in what you say about dawn phenomenon as I have this problem too. I wake every night at around 3am and depending upon how sudden the waking (sometimes I feel like I have been snatched from a deep sleep) I have to work hard to get back to sleep. It has got a little worse since low carbing and I used to sleep through the night if I had eaten a lot of chocolate or fast carbs before bed. Is your strategy to eat so that your BG rises as little as possible through the day? Nuts are a great idea.

 

[Glink]

Yes, 3 am has become my nemesis since all this started! About 20-25% of the time I wake at 3am, and when I do I am often awake for an hour or more. However, when I sleep well through the night, my waking blood sugars are worse! It's a bit of a catch-22.

I do find that, when I get in a cycle of that 3am insomnia, I can sometimes break it with a small carby snack before bed. I found some whole wheat bread here that makes lovely toast and is a small loaf sliced thinly enough to be <10g carb per slice, so I will have a piece of toast with coconut oil (allergic to dairy; you might do butter), which is super yummy (I really miss toast!). I don't do it all the time, but when I'm waking up at 3am I will "save" some of my daily carbs for just before bed and have toast, and I usually sleep really well afterward.

In general throughout the day I do snack, and nuts are my go-to snack. But I particularly do find that a snack before a ride helps with the liver dumping--it seems so counter intuitive that eating would make the sugars end up lower, but I guess my liver doesn't panic as much when there's already a little sugar circulating? I also really like veggie sticks and guacamole or almond butter (allergic to peanuts or I would do pb), but avocados can be pricey when not in season.

 

[ickihun]

Hi all,

I have been told I am pre-diabetic. Since then I have adapted my diet by swapping sugary carbs for slow release food. I have spread my carbs out across the day better too. I love cycling doing my first sportive a couple of weeks ago. I also love Watt biking. I have noticed I have no real power anymore, my thighs burn and I can't push hard. I am seeing a dietician at the end of the month but wondered if anyone else had experienced the same. I was also told I am slightly anaemic which probably doesn't help things. Thanks!

Anaemia does that. Are you now supplementing? It can take 3mths to sort out. I've supplemented but not convinced I'm fully topped up but I've noticed multivitamins far dearer with iron added. However, I'm considering supplementing full-time. Also I increased my levothyroxine which has helped enormously. Are you a underactive thyroid sufferer? When were you last checked for it?

 

[millenium]

Hi, could you not eat a few carbs prior to cycling? you will likely find you will burn them off during the exercise. I'm prediabetic and my blood sugar reduces a lot after cycling and thats including having a carb snack prior to it.
Or you can go the whole Chris Froome thing and wait until your body completely learns to use fat as an energy source (i believe he is an ultra low carb eater).

I would think taking a bit more carb before exercising may be the best time to do so for those with blood glucose control problem from prediabetic to early type 2. That is likely to minimise the damage and give the muscles a bit more energy.

 

[Becr]

Anaemia does that. Are you now supplementing? It can take 3mths to sort out. I've supplemented but not convinced I'm fully topped up but I've noticed multivitamins far dearer with iron added. However, I'm considering supplementing full-time. Also I increased my levothyroxine which has helped enormously. Are you a underactive thyroid sufferer? When were you last checked for it?

Hi thanks for the response. Yep I am supplementing now but it will take a long while to get the levels up. My heart still does that horrid stop start thing sometimes which is related to the anaemia.

 

[Becr]

@Glink @Jenny15 Just to report back that I am feeling much better The low carb/High Fat is working. I have been much more energised and have even completed some run sessions and cycle sessions fasted! I have been taking iron supplements for a month now and eating iron rich foods and have noticed less breathlessness and dizzy spells. Thanks for the help guys!

 

[Alexandra100]

I've noticed multivitamins far dearer with iron added.

I have given up on multi vitamin tablets since I found out that calcium inhibits absorption of iron and iron inhibits absorption of calcium!!! So it's a los-lose situation. I didn't realise you can get iron-free multi-vitamins, but I wouldn't take them either as there has also been research suggesting that supplemental calcium is harmful. And I eat so much cheese, the last thing I need anyway is more calcium.

 

[Alexandra100]

I have been taking iron supplements for a month now

Could you get your GP to check your levels? Too much iron in the blood is dangerous. I don't think you can get too much iron from food, but you can from supplements.

 

[ickihun]

I have given up on multi vitamin tablets since I found out that calcium inhibits absorption of iron and iron inhibits absorption of calcium!!! So it's a los-lose situation. I didn't realise you can get iron-free multi-vitamins, but I wouldn't take them either as there has also been research suggesting that supplemental calcium is harmful. And I eat so much cheese, the last thing I need anyway is more calcium.

I'm still unsure how much calcium a premenopausal woman needs and how much a menopausal one needs too? I think I've started with all hormonal inconviences. Too much calcium for people like me with heart disease can be more dangerous than not enough for osteoporosis.

 

[ickihun]

Could you get your GP to check your levels? Too much iron in the blood is dangerous. I don't think you can get too much iron from food, but you can from supplements.

Thats very very true and extremely dangerous for men more than women.

 

[Becr]

Could you get your GP to check your levels? Too much iron in the blood is dangerous. I don't think you can get too much iron from food, but you can from supplements.

Hi Alexandra, Yep the GP did check them and I am very low (ferritin at 8) so I am taking Ferrous Fumarate an iron suppliment from the GP. I will have my levels checked again in 3 months

 

[Becr]

Anaemia does that. Are you now supplementing? It can take 3mths to sort out. I've supplemented but not convinced I'm fully topped up but I've noticed multivitamins far dearer with iron added. However, I'm considering supplementing full-time. Also I increased my levothyroxine which has helped enormously. Are you a underactive thyroid sufferer? When were you last checked for it?

Hi! Yes I am now supplementing with something called Ferrous Fumarate the doctor prescribed. Then I will be rechecked in 3 months to see if the levels are up. I was given a full blood screen (that was how they found the pre-diabetes) and my thyroid was fine. I'm just so pleased to be sorting everything out as I felt so rotten for so long. I was feeling dizzy, sleeping in the middle of the day and my brain was so foggy.

 

[ickihun]

Vit C helps absorb iron but if on gp supplements be careful as they are supplementing on your current diet. Once supplements finished I increased my vit C and iron filled foods.
Hoping to be rechecked soon as tired and breathless, chest pains again.

 

[Alexandra100]

Vit C helps absorb iron

Yes, I believe so, but Dr Bernstein warns against taking vitamin C supplements, as he thinks any but the smallest dose can falsify blood glucose level tests. A dilemma. Sorry about your latest symptoms - not nice!

 

[Alexandra100]

I would think taking a bit more carb before exercising may be the best time to do so for those with blood glucose control problem from prediabetic to early type 2. That is likely to minimise the damage and give the muscles a bit more energy.

I have just read this by Adam Brown of Diatribe:

"I discuss three big timing mistakes in Bright Spots & Landmines, and the one shown at right is a common one: eating too close to starting exercise, which can cause low glucose during activity (food has not been absorbed) followed by a significant high afterwards."

This interests me very much, as the question of fuelling before exercise is still very much unresolved for me.