Exercise and blood sugar control

[jammy1988]

Hi, I don't have diabetes, but since a close family member was diagnosed with type 2 I decided it was about time I changed my own lifestyle. As such, I've drastically improved my diet and exercise over the last few months (and I've never felt better!), and I also did some monitoring of my own blood glucose levels out of interest.

The highest value I've ever seen was 8.5 after a pretty heavy meal, and I don't think there's much to be concerned about with the values I've been seeing. However, I have noticed some interesting patterns and I thought this would be a good place to seek some answers.

Firstly, when I starting monitoring I noticed that my fasting level was quite low (low-mid 4s), but since I've starting regular exercise I've found this has actually gone up to the high 4s/low 5s (but still within the normal values). I also noticed that my levels tended to be generally higher (with more significant changes throughout the day) on those days when I was doing exercise. On my rest days (normally weekends), I found that my blood sugar was only really ever rising into the mid/high 5s, and seemed to remain relatively stable overall. Is this to be expected with exercise? In the short-term it appears to cause greater variation, but it seems to help in the long-term with overall control, as I've experienced on my rest days.

 

[MaryJ]

Hi Jammy

Im no expert but I believe when you exercise the liver 'dumps' some glucose for your use.

This is if there is not enough already there from your food (fuel), so if you haven't had say a carby meal and then exercise the body will compensate for the lack of energy.

This may well stay around in your proceeding readings.

cheers

Mary x

 

[Grazer]

Mary is right, although it depends on the type of exercise. Hard exercise that results in very increased heart rate etc will result likely in temporarily higher BGs as the liver releases glycogen into the blood for fuel. Longer steadier exercise results in lower blood sugars. Doesn't matter though; as a non diabetic, any exercise type us going to be good for you overall.
By the way, don't rely too closely on your meter. They are inherently a bit inaccurate, as is the way we sometimes use them

 

[Defren]

Mary is right, although it depends on the type of exercise. Hard exercise that results in very increased heart rate etc will result likely in temporarily higher BGs as the liver releases glycogen into the blood for fuel. Longer steadier exercise results in lower blood sugars. Doesn't matter though; as a non diabetic, any exercise type us going to be good for you overall.
By the way, don't rely too closely on your meter. They are inherently a bit inaccurate, as is the way we sometimes use them

I never did follow the norm, and I'm not here either. :roll: I have found with hard exercise my figures are lower. I threw a strop at my figures yesterday, gave my body hell, and my figures today (with a LOT of exercise) are all well down.

I have decided, nothing I ever do fits a 'normal' mould :cry:

 

[didie]

http://www.runsweet.com/HeartRate.html

This is a useful link.

I found that doing cardio work, pushing my heart rate to 155+ really puts my sugar levels up. I've cut back on that and try to keep my heart rate below 145 when I am working out. I figure the odd peak doesn't matter and do let it spike up to 155 and above if I am doing something really strenuous, but don't sustain that. I think that doing a lot of cardiac work and the resultant higher levels meant my Hb1Ac level was not as low as I wanted it to be, so that was a lesson well learned for me.

 

[Defren]

Mary is right, although it depends on the type of exercise. Hard exercise that results in very increased heart rate etc will result likely in temporarily higher BGs as the liver releases glycogen into the blood for fuel. Longer steadier exercise results in lower blood sugars. Doesn't matter though; as a non diabetic, any exercise type us going to be good for you overall.
By the way, don't rely too closely on your meter. They are inherently a bit inaccurate, as is the way we sometimes use them

I never did follow the norm, and I'm not here either. :roll: I have found with hard exercise my figures are lower. I threw a strop at my figures yesterday, gave my body hell, and my figures today (with a LOT of exercise) are all well down.

I have decided, nothing I ever do fits a 'normal' mould :cry:

I think I need to edit this a little. I have realised since I posted this, my version of hard exercise would possibly be just a warm up to a seasoned exerciser. I walk on my treadmill, and even though for me, it's hard, due to health issues and being very unfit, that to walk enough to raise my BG would mean walking at my pace, probably all day. :lol:

Perhaps I am more normal than I thought :silent: