Bolus for protein

SueJB

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,316
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
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cold weather
Hi everyone,
Has anyone got any idea how/when/why to bolus for protein? No idea what to do about this but think because I eat a fair amount in comparison to carbs, think I need to get some info and do some reading.
Thoughts and links would be nice if you've any ideas
 

Muneeb

Well-Known Member
Messages
428
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Its a bit of trial and error. But I have to take a split bolus, so inject half at time of eating (into leg) then 2-3 hours later inject the rest of the fast acting. Seems to work well. Typically calculate bolus required as half that for carbs. So if my C-I ratio was 10:1. For protein that would be 20:1.
 

kitedoc

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,783
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Pump
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black jelly beans
The time to bolus for protein tends to be when the liver needs to make some glucose from whatever protein is spare, left over form structural body needs @SueJB.
That time is said to be when carb intake per day drops to less than 35 g, per day although this may vary from person the person I gather. (See Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution)
There is an insulin index developed by the same or similar folk as those who developed the Glycaemic Index and Glycaemic Load. see https://optimisinghealth.com/food-insulin-index.
If you look at some of the graph further down the article it shows that in a non-diabetic various protein foods cause release of insulin, and also for fat.
There are complicated formulas for calculating how much insulin to give for x amount of protein, fat etc but I must admit I use 50% of grams of protein to count towards protein and fat, with a split dose of novorapid delivered 1 to 2 hours apart, as the BSL rise from protein usually takes longer to appear than it is for carbs. In moderation that works well to keep BSLs in check.