Cycling/Pre-Diabetes

[CrumblingWall]

Hi guys, I am type *** (probably insulin deficient somewhat). My usual fasting glucose is 5.2 mmol/l. It refuses to go down below 5 mmol/l which seems like being normal to me. I spike to 9 mmol/l after 30g of carbs but come down after 2-2.5 hours. I do not seem to have insulin resistance. I am around 24.5 BMI. Could be better.

Recently, was recommended to start cycling. So I do for 10-15 minutes but after that I always come down feeling low on glucose, BG goes down to 4.5 mmol/l even on Codefree (which shows a bit high) and then I have some symptoms of low glucose. Cycling is absolute magic, it makes my after meal BG of say 7 mmol/l to sharply crash to around 5 mmol/l and stay there. I want to do it more because it is good for me.

It seems like cycling is tremendously good for my glucose but am not able to keep it steady without crashing after this sport activity. Any tips for type ***?

My diet is 100-150g of carbs a day. I don't eat more because my BG would be high for a big part of the day as well as not feeling too well when BG is over 8 mmol/l. I think it is insulin deficiency but no diabetes - for now. I just wonder if cycling is truly that amazing.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi guys, I am type *** (probably insulin deficient somewhat). My usual fasting glucose is 5.2 mmol/l. It refuses to go down below 5 mmol/l which seems like being normal to me. I spike to 9 mmol/l after 30g of carbs but come down after 2-2.5 hours. I do not seem to have insulin resistance. I am around 24.5 BMI. Could be better.

Recently, was recommended to start cycling. So I do for 10-15 minutes but after that I always come down feeling low on glucose, BG goes down to 4.5 mmol/l even on Codefree (which shows a bit high) and then I have some symptoms of low glucose. Cycling is absolute magic, it makes my after meal BG of say 7 mmol/l to sharply crash to around 5 mmol/l and stay there. I want to do it more because it is good for me.

It seems like cycling is tremendously good for my glucose but am not able to keep it steady without crashing after this sport activity. Any tips for type ***?

My diet is 100-150g of carbs a day. I don't eat more because my BG would be high for a big part of the day as well as not feeling too well when BG is over 8 mmol/l. I think it is insulin deficiency but no diabetes - for now. I just wonder if cycling is truly that amazing.

Insulin deficiency would indicate a form of type 1 diabetes. So that's not exactly likely, not with your blood sugars and response to cycling. Insulin resistance (making plenty of the stuff, just not being very sensitive to it) seems more the case, but if so, only marginally, if at all. If you don't want to have more carbs, which I can get behind (I'm keto myself), just have some protein and fats to recover. Or just don't overdo it. Keep in mind that even after you stop an activity, your body'll keep burning off for a while after that.

Dunno if this helps at all, but there you go.

 

[TeddyTottie]

My (very limited) understanding of the body-fuelling process is that we can use glucose, or we can use fat, which is broken down into the fuel ketones. But we don’t make the switch to fat until we are in dietary ketosis and have become fat-adapted - which is to say, our bodies have learned to use our fat reserves instead of using free glucose in the blood. Once we are fat-adapted, we can switch from glucose to fat and back again and the process becomes easier for the body the longer we are regularly in ketosis.

If you restrict carb consumption somewhat but not sufficiently to trigger ketosis, and then make increased demands on the body during exercise, you can be left with a glucose deficit - the brain takes priority over muscles and gets what is available (including that from gluconeogenesis) but your body has not learnt to scramble the fat reserves to make up the shortfall with ketones. So, you are left with the lack of fuel “bonk”.

The answer for me was a keto diet. Now I have access to endless reserves of fuel as my body works its way through my copious fat reserves and the cycling “bonk” is a thing of the past, even if I go out before breakfast. Excellent for my BG and effortless weight loss too, if that is something you are seeking.