Cycling & Recovery

[cyclesam]

Hi
I am a 60 year old born again cyclist with type 2 diabetes and have been cycle training since Christmas using an indoor trainer (40 – 50 miles, 3 times a week). Then in Spring I started cycling up to 20 miles in a day with little issue. I only cycle at 8 – 10 miles an hour with plenty of breaks for glucose checks, drinks and food, however when I go to 30 or 40 miles a day I suffered from extreme fatigue the following day.

I want to do some long distance cycling (40+ miles a day) but am unable to until I sort out the extreme tiredness and loss of energy.

I believe I am doing everything that I should such as ensuring sufficient liquids during and after the ride including isotonic drinks. I eat regularly during and immediately after the ride. I ensure my glucose level does not drop too low at any time, and I eat plenty.

I simply don’t understand what could be causing this and any help would be much appreciated.

(I used to do long distance cycling of 1000s of miles and 100+ a day up until I was 40)

 

[Matt J]

Hi Sam

I'm not an expert but it sounds like you need more protein for muscle repair as you're fully hydrated with your isotonic drinks and your glucose levels are fine.

After one of my usual rides of 40-60 miles I normally have one of the protein drinks/shakes. I'm a type 1 so can give myself a shot of insulin as they tend to be fairly high carb. I don't get any tiredness/muscle pains after this. Increasing the amount of protein in your diet especially after riding may help.

 

[Bebo321]

Hi
I am a 60 year old born again cyclist with type 2 diabetes and have been cycle training since Christmas using an indoor trainer (40 – 50 miles, 3 times a week). Then in Spring I started cycling up to 20 miles in a day with little issue. I only cycle at 8 – 10 miles an hour with plenty of breaks for glucose checks, drinks and food, however when I go to 30 or 40 miles a day I suffered from extreme fatigue the following day.

I want to do some long distance cycling (40+ miles a day) but am unable to until I sort out the extreme tiredness and loss of energy.

I believe I am doing everything that I should such as ensuring sufficient liquids during and after the ride including isotonic drinks. I eat regularly during and immediately after the ride. I ensure my glucose level does not drop too low at any time, and I eat plenty.

I simply don’t understand what could be causing this and any help would be much appreciated.

(I used to do long distance cycling of 1000s of miles and 100+ a day up until I was 40)

Hi there,

Great you're back in the saddle!
I have read through your message and think it would be difficult to offer any guidance without knowing in more detail exactly what your routine is - so what you are eating and how often, what your 'normal' diet is (so are you generally low carb) how demanding is the cycle, what are your BG levels before, during and after the ride, what your insulin regime is etc etc.
I have spoken to the Team Blood Glucose (www.teambloodglucose.com) guys at Nottingham HQ and they have said that they would be happy to speak with you in order to offer any guidance they can (Midge has diabetes and is a pretty epic cyclist!).
Please feel free to e-mail Midge directly and we will see what we can do to help. [email protected]

 

[ElyDave]

Over 20 miles you really shouldn't need to eat anything at all, and you should be able to cope on just water, maybe an electrolyte tab.

I'm not a T2 expert by any means, but I wonder whether, with that carb intake you are stimulating your pancreas to produce insulin, plus the insulin sensitivity and the GLU4 receptors leading to a BG crash after the exercise, which is making you feel tired? You could try experimenting with fasted exercise?

 

[cyclist]

I'm a type 1 so can give myself a shot of insulin as they tend to be fairly high carb.

Have you seen the For Goodness Shakes Ultimate Protein shake with 4:1 Protein to Carb ratio (10g Carbs)

Much more expensive than making up your own post-ride though

 

[Matt J]

Have you seen the For Goodness Shakes Ultimate Protein shake with 4:1 Protein to Carb ratio (10g Carbs)

Much more expensive than making up your own post-ride though

Yes, they look good even if the price doesn't. Being a bit of a cheapskate I tend to go for the erm, lower priced options at Home Bargains and the like. They have one for 69p (26g of protein and 30g carbs per bottle). Although a few months ago they did have some of the Team Sky protein smoothies for 49p (26g protein and 10g carbs) - I stocked up on loads of them. I am tempted to make my own using one of the protein powder tubs.

 

[Brunneria]

What happens to you blood glucose overnight after an exercise session?

Is it possible you are going low while asleep.

Mind you, the increased insulin resistance theory sounds very likely too.

 

[Bebo321]

How are you getting on @cyclesam?

@ElyDave puts forward a sensible theory, that you might actually be using up more glucose stores than you think (if you are cycling along at a reasonable pace, your liver could be chucking out a bit of glucose to keep your blood levels topped up, which could 'trick' you into thinking that your body isn't actually working very hard). This is fine during the cycle, but 3 to 4 hours later once your liver and muscles are happily re-stocking with glucose, it could be pulling your blood glucose levels down overnight.
As an alternative to exercising 'fasted', have you tried just slowing the pace right down? This way you would be burning a higher proportion of fat to glucose and additionally you should be able to avoid a 'stress response' from your liver.

Well worth doing an overnight blood test to check this out.

Watch the vid below - it's for T1, but it will be applicable to you

 

[RuthW]

It's always possible it has precisely nothing to do with your diabetes! Have you had a check for anemia, for example? And how are your B12 levels (though that is connected).

 

[cyclesam]

Many thanks to everyone who replied. I have just got back from being away and will assess all the responses. I will let you know how it goes.

Cheers
Cyclesam