Does it matter when you eat carbs?

[May Mic]

I was just wondering if eating carbs earlier in the day rather than say, dinner time, makes any difference? My logic is that it gives you more time to burn them off as compared to later when it's more likely you are less active.

I do note that carbs at dinner tend to raise my bs more than 2 points. I am learning and need to pay attention to this more closely.

 

[ianf0ster]

One big consideration is how carb tolerant you are at different times of day.
I know of both T2s who are less carb tolerant in the mornings and also those who are less carb tolerant in the evening.

Test for yourself with a BG meter - then you will know which is best for you.

 

[KennyA]

I was just wondering if eating carbs earlier in the day rather than say, dinner time, makes any difference? My logic is that it gives you more time to burn them off as compared to later when it's more likely you are less active.

I do note that carbs at dinner tend to raise my bs more than 2 points. I am learning and need to pay attention to this more closely.

Time of day makes no difference to me.

Incidentally, I don't think that "burning them off" works that way. With any exercise, your body will first use the fuel (at least 1000 calories worth approx) already stored as glycogen in skeletal muscle. There's more stored in your liver. Your central nervous system, mainly your brain, is another big glucose user and all of this will be going on at the same time.

Your body will be doing its best to maintain blood glucose concentrations within relatively narrow limits.

Glucose produced from carbs you eat will probably go first to replacing the glycogen stores in muscle and liver, if they've been run down. This can only happen after exercise has run down the stores.

If you pre-load before exercise with more carbs/glucose than is needed to replace stores, some will end up in adipose tissue as fat, and some will hang around in your blood - the body is faced with an increase in glucose and doesn't know that you're going to exercise later. It also depends on insulin working as it should, and we tend to have a problem with that. Info from Bilous and Donnelly, Handbook of Diabetes.

 

[becca59]

It would for me. A type 1, my insulin requirements are huge at the start of the day, reduced at main meal about 2pm and practically non existent if I eat in the evening. But we are all different. It’s finding out where we are that is important.