Cant increase my distance when running due to hypos

Do you adjust your insulin before running?

I realise it is sugar (but I’m not sure what is wrong with taking sugar to prevent hypos) but have you tried adding juice or squash to your water bottle so you are taking on a little carbs constantly rather than in a single large dose?

Alternatively, have you tried changing the time of your run to ensure you have zero bolus on board? For example, I find first thing in the morning great as the drop from running cancels out the rise from Dawn Phenomenon.

Another option is to change your exercise to something more like HIIT like a minute or two sprinting followed by 5 minutes walking. The Interval causes your liver to release glucose but it is not long enough for your body to start using insulin more efficiently (which is what causes the low). You could combine some HIIT with a shorter run so your levels will start rising with the intervals and then fall back to before with the run. Or the other way around if you want the fall followed by a rise.

Antje77 said:

Do you adjust your insulin before running?

Click to expand...

Can you elaborate on this?
The only way I have found to adjust my insulin to avoid hypos when running is to suspend my basal on my pump but this is not possible with MDI, especially when on Tresiba which is unforgiving to frequent change.
Adjusting bolus is just the same as carb loading before starting but cardio exercise when blood sugars are high is not at all good. Either levels go higher or the high makes you drowsy.

You might also like to have a read through this old thread. Not all of the posts will apply to you, but I think there are a lot of useful tips to pick up.
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/managing-exercise-and-insulin.127691/

In Response said:

Can you elaborate on this?
The only way I have found to adjust my insulin to avoid hypos when running is to suspend my basal on my pump but this is not possible with MDI, especially when on Tresiba which is unforgiving to frequent change.
Adjusting bolus is just the same as carb loading before starting but cardio exercise when blood sugars are high is not at all good. Either levels go higher or the high makes you drowsy.

Click to expand...

I often time exercise not too long after either waking up (which takes a bolus for me, even without food) or after a light meal.
In both cases I can simply reduce the amount of insulin I take for waking up or my meal without going high or eating more than I would otherwise do.

I'm on Tresiba, so not much room to adjust anything there, but if on Levemir there certainly are possibilities to play with the basal if you know you're going to have a very active day.

Forerunner said:

What do Type 1 Runners use to prevent hypos whilst out running, I have been told not use glucose gels because they are just sugar is Maurten ok, I'm on Fiasp and Tresiba and I get hypos after about 25 to 35 mins and have no warning signs so I just end up running slow.

Click to expand...

I was getting a strange low at about the same sort of time into my run in the morning 60 mins or so. I always dial back my morning insulin for training.

So starter taking my glucose meter with me and actually stopping and checking the actual reading and started to play with how fast I start out and also how much active Insulin I have onboard still from breakfast.

Found I actually had to dial my morning insulin/Carb Ratio way back.

I am normally 1unit / 10 gram during day, but for the mornings I am back at 1unit / 14 gram and then also exercise adjust between -30% to 45% depending on how hard I am going out.

I hope that helps from what I played with for my learnings,Let us know how it goes.

HI, im type two so shouldn't really interfere, I used to run an awful lot, the problem is at max heart rate it does not matter what you eat, it goes straight to your muscles so if you are running hard, you could eat three mars bars and it wouldn't stop a hypo, have you tried eating cashew nuts from the start of the run? I found they are quite carby, easy to eat and slow burning, just an idea, I'm no expert, best of luck.

In Response said:

Can you elaborate on this?
The only way I have found to adjust my insulin to avoid hypos when running is to suspend my basal on my pump but this is not possible with MDI, especially when on Tresiba which is unforgiving to frequent change.
Adjusting bolus is just the same as carb loading before starting but cardio exercise when blood sugars are high is not at all good. Either levels go higher or the high makes you drowsy.

Click to expand...

Hi there, to answer your question to @Antje77, I am on MDI and I always adjust my insulin when I go out for a longer than normal run. It takes a fair amount of planning mind so there is no 'oh, I fancy a long run right now, let's go'. I do run most days for around 40 minutes and for that the only insulin I need to adjust is my bolus in the meal before if it's an evening run as I am a one meal a day person with the odd 10 carb snack if necessary. On morning runs I go off with no issue. On a longer run, I adjust my basal insulin the night before (I take mine around 9pm). For me, that means I can then go on my longer run the following day at any time and I find I do not go hypo. I have always been a runner and on diagnosis I found after numerous experiments, I would always go too low no matter whether I ate just before it (with no insulin) or didn't eat. The only thing that helped me manage the lows was adjusting my basal the day before.

In answer to the poser's question, regardless of my preparations I always take glucose tablets with me for immediate action if actually hypo whilst out, and as others have said a drink that contains glucose to sip as I go along.

If you are on MDI, start running in the morning before breakfast and just on long-acting. If your basal insulin is correct, you do not need to eat and your blood sugars will hold a line. I can run for hours and varying intensities without food.
Running after you have short-acting is an entirely different story. I have to eat fruit before running, drink coffee, and take Dextro tablets. I cut my meal-time fast-acting insulin in half (suggested by my consultant) and try to run four hours after my last fast-acting injection and take less of my split dose morning long-acting. But I still need to eat to run. I am much more insulin sensitive later in the day which is part of the problem.

You may find some useful in formation on www.runsweet.com - a website dedicated to Type 1 diabetes and sport.