Cycling-When to test blood sugar?

[djsb]

I'm going for a ride on my bike in the morning (first time after being diagnosed last Wednesday). I'm not new to cycling, but I am new to cycling and measuring my levels.
Is it best to cycle before I eat anything and then have my breakfast after my ride. Or is it best to have breakfast first? And when do I do a test? I'm currently (well, since Wednesday) testing before a meal and then 2 hours after the first bite. If I was cycling to work, I would eat my breakfast first (I sometimes take a folding bike onto a bus as it's more flexible). Any tips? Thanks.


PS Currently on 2 x 500mg of metformin and 1 x 40mg of Atorvastatin per day. Readings around 15 mmol/L at the moment. Diagnosed with type 2. Doctor says cycling OK. Weight 66Kg.

 

[Trevor vP]

Normally you want to have some breakfast in you before you exercise. Also you do not say what type of medicine you on. Normally the doctor wants to see your Blood Glucose before meal and 2 hr later to see if the medicine is doing what it should. And if you are on medicine that can give you a hypo you want to make sure your Blood Glucose is at a safe level before getting on the bike

 

[ert]

What type of diabetes do you have? What medication are you on? I'm a type 1 on insulin and I always exercise before breakfast and without eating.

 

[In Response]

@djsb one thing you will see again and again that we are all different.
You don’t mention what type of diabetes you have and that will make a significant difference.
For example, if you have Type 1, it is NOT advisable to exercise close to dosing insulin as exercise makes the body more efficient at using insulin so you risk going hypo.
Personally, I exercise before breakfast. In addition to ensuring I have no insulin on board, the Dawn Phenomenon (liver releasing glucose to give your body energy to start), stops me from hypoing.
Regarding testing, I test before exercise to ensure my levels are not too high (I have no energy when my levels are too high) or too low (due to the risk of hypos). I will test when I finish.
How long you are cycling for will determine whether to test during your ride. When exercising, I try to test at least once every 30 minutes.
Also be aware that the effect of exercise can last up to 48 hours so you may see your level lower for the next couple of days.

Bear in mind, I have Type 1 diabetes.
If you have type 2, this may be different.

 

[Trevor vP]

I'm going for a ride on my bike in the morning (first time after being diagnosed last Wednesday). I'm not new to cycling, but I am new to cycling and measuring my levels.
Is it best to cycle before I eat anything and then have my breakfast after my ride. Or is it best to have breakfast first? And when do I do a test? I'm currently (well, since Wednesday) testing before a meal and then 2 hours after the first bite. If I was cycling to work, I would eat my breakfast first (I sometimes take a folding bike onto a bus as it's more flexible). Any tips? Thanks.


PS Currently on 2 x 500mg of metformin and 1 x 40mg of Atorvastatin per day. Readings around 15 mmol/L at the moment.

So the Metformin is probably not going to give you Hypo. But exercising above 13 mmol/L not that clever. This is a caution zone — your blood sugar may be too high to exercise safely, you can risk ketoacidosis. Speak to your GP.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

I'm going for a ride on my bike in the morning (first time after being diagnosed last Wednesday). I'm not new to cycling, but I am new to cycling and measuring my levels.
Is it best to cycle before I eat anything and then have my breakfast after my ride. Or is it best to have breakfast first? And when do I do a test? I'm currently (well, since Wednesday) testing before a meal and then 2 hours after the first bite. If I was cycling to work, I would eat my breakfast first (I sometimes take a folding bike onto a bus as it's more flexible). Any tips? Thanks.


PS Currently on 2 x 500mg of metformin and 1 x 40mg of Atorvastatin per day. Readings around 15 mmol/L at the moment. Diagnosed with type 2. Doctor says cycling OK.

How fit are you and how far and intensely do you intend to cycle?

My advice to newly diagnosed is DON'T PANIC!
You will be fine.
With relation to cycling I would eat as you did before diagnosis, because in the short term nothing has really changed.
Test as you have been advised around meals.

I've been diagnosed over 13 years now and am still on Metformin and exercise.
However my diet has changed radically over the years.

I know eat Low Carbohydrate High Fat and am often in dietary ketosis.
This means that I can cycle before breakfast if I want to.
However I normally start the day with coffee with butter and double cream added and this provides me with fuel for much of the day.

I think the main point is perhaps not to eat immediately before you cycle, but if you have been comfortable with this in the past then there shouldn't be a problem.

On testing before/during/after the ride: be prepared for an unexpected spike in your blood glucose.
Doesn't happen to everyone, but I find that if I ride reasonably strenuously before noon that my BG goes through the roof for a short time before coming down again after 12:00.
This is not related to the food you eat.
It is an exercise effect. Some others also have this.

It sounds as though you have got off to a good start: testing around meals and upping the exercise.
Well done!

 

[djsb]

OK I will stay off the cycling for a while until things stabilise a bit. My levels do seem to be dropping very slowly. I'll just stick to walking for now. As things improve, I will GRADUALLY introduce the cycling (cycle around the block where I live- 2 miles tops). Then I can cycle a bit further and see how I get on. I will be testing ALL the time. Thanks everyone.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

OK I will stay off the cycling for a while until things stabilise a bit. My levels do seem to be dropping very slowly. I'll just stick to walking for now.

I hope that @Trevor vP hasn't discouraged you.
I would like to see some evidence about exercising with raised BG and ketoacidosis if you are (as I deduce) a T2 with no major initial problems. I see they are T1.5 which I think implies insulin use. In that case the rules about BG and ketoacidosis are radically different from those for a non-insulin dependant T2.
I am guessing this from the fact that you have just been put on Metformin and nothing more powerful, and that your Doctor (knowing your BG at diagnosis) says that cycling is fine.
I know that it can be very confusing.
Took me at least 6 months to get my head around what I could and couldn't do.
Expect to make many small mistakes during learning.
No big thing in the longer term.

Oh, and welcome to the forum.

 

[Jaylee]

I'm going for a ride on my bike in the morning (first time after being diagnosed last Wednesday). I'm not new to cycling, but I am new to cycling and measuring my levels.
Is it best to cycle before I eat anything and then have my breakfast after my ride. Or is it best to have breakfast first? And when do I do a test? I'm currently (well, since Wednesday) testing before a meal and then 2 hours after the first bite. If I was cycling to work, I would eat my breakfast first (I sometimes take a folding bike onto a bus as it's more flexible). Any tips? Thanks.


PS Currently on 2 x 500mg of metformin and 1 x 40mg of Atorvastatin per day. Readings around 15 mmol/L at the moment. Diagnosed with type 2. Doctor says cycling OK. Weight 66Kg.

Hi,

What are your BGs in the morning before your proposed bike ride?

Any sort of exersise for me with high BGs is a little like wading through treacle. However, I'm an insulin user. How I manage my BGs is non applicable to your own circumstances.
There's nothing wrong with a steady bit of exercise on yer bike to help lower your BG..
I wouldn't dissagree with your doc.

 

[LaoDan]

As a T2, my numbers spiked really high during exercise, but I feel it’s partly the exercise that helped get my insulin resistance under control. Now I still spike, but not nearly as high.

I plugged in a libre sensor to see what what the whole picture looked like, highly recommend doing this every once in a while