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Exercise

Jambolad

Member
Messages
10
Hi folks.

Strange question...I know....but after exercising, my BG goes up. Doc said was that its because the body will pull sugars from the liver to comp, but just wondered if anyone else had this? I thought exercise lowered BG results!

Strange..... :?

Cheers.

Jambo.
 
I have had some of my highest and lowest numbers after exericse, it is a complex balancing act and I'm sure someone who can explain it much better than I will be along presently.

Exercise wakes up your insulin receptors, so it helps you body to use insulin more efficiently, there is also evidence that shows there is an positive after effect from exercise than can last up to 24 hours (sorry no reference for this, but it was discussed on a recent BBC program about diets which had the chap from Blur who makes cheese sending his poop to denmark for testing and Amy Lame showing the benefits of being more active during ordinary everyday activities). Regular exercise will also turn fat in to muscle, which has more insulin receptors than fat.

Exercise is good for you, but different kinds of exercise have different effects on your body and timing is also important. If your blood sugar is high when you start, there is a risk you will go even higher by exercising, but I can't remember what the critical level that is and I think the suggestion is to wait until it goes below that level. I have found exercise also has different impact on me at different stages of my menstrual cycle too...

When I exercise regularly, my numbers seem to run a bit lower, but I have been bit lax about "formal" exersise over the last month or so but I have been more active generally. I think it is the formal exercise which tends to get my numbers lower.
 
Thanks for the response, thought I was the only one lol.

When I told the doc, he was'nt really bothered by this however, I have managed to keep my results low and the only thing putting them up higher was exercise. Just thought this was weird!

Just been taken of Metformin (2 weeks) and my BG's have actually dropped more. Prior to meals I know average between 3.8 and 4.1 (have had a few 2's in there and felt rotten too).

My wife is dur to give birth to our first child next week too, so plenty more exercise for me in the pipeline...

Thanks for your response.

Jambo.
 
To be honest, the kind of active management that many people who post here do (whatever the dietary approach) is frowned upon. Based on my own experience and reading here I think that many of the health professionals who care for us are not interested in the daily fluctuations of our blood sugar. They are interested in only the HbA1c and if you go low enough to have a hypo or high enough to have a hyper, both situations likely to result in loss someone becoming unconscious.
 
Spiral said
Exercise wakes up your insulin receptors, so it helps you body to use insulin more efficiently, there is also evidence that shows there is an positive after effect from exercise than can last up to 24 hours (sorry no reference for this

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/29/6/1433.full Its the ADA consensus statement on exercise and type 2... lots of detail.


The effect of a single bout of aerobic exercise on insulin sensitivity lasts 24–72 h depending on the duration and intensity of the activity (20). Because the duration of increased insulin sensitivity is generally not >72 h, we recommend that there should not be more than 2 consecutive days without aerobic physical activity. The effect of resistance exercise training on insulin sensitivity may last somewhat longer (21), perhaps because some of its effects are mediated by increases in muscle mass.
Cardiovascular exercise (aerobic)does usually lower levels... unless you go to low and your liver compensates a little too readilly. In which case your doc is correct but because your insulin sensitivity is increased and your liver needs to store some more 'glucose' then overall it still has an efffect of lowering levels.
Anaerobic exercise can raise bg quite significantly at the time of exercise, the effort requiring a sudden imput of glucose. (again long term it reduces.)

Spiral:
If your blood sugar is high when you start, there is a risk you will go even higher by exercising, but I can't remember what the critical level that is and I think the suggestion is to wait until it goes below that level.
People with type 1 are advised to check for ketones before exercising if levels are above about 14mmol and not to exercise at all if above 16mmol with high blood glucose levels because they may not have enough circulating insulin, this can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis.
Many websites repeat this. The ADA statement for type 2 says
We agree that vigorous activity should probably be avoided in the presence of ketosis. However, the recommendation to avoid physical activity if plasma glucose is >300 mg/dl, even in the absence of ketosis, is probably more cautious than necessary for a person with type 2 diabetes, especially in a postprandial state. In the absence of very severe insulin deficiency, light- or moderate-intensity exercise would tend to decrease plasma glucose. Therefore, provided the patient feels well, the patient is adequately hydrated, and urine and/or blood ketones are negative, it is not necessary to postpone exercise based solely on hyperglycemia

(having said that I found out I was type 1 after getting DKA and ending in hospital after exercise so if your levels are ever that high I would suggest being very careful about exercising)
 
Hi Pheonix, thanks for your response.

I am a T2 and after exercise by BG only goes up to about 8 or so. I noticed this as about 2 hours after lunch I checked my BG and this was about 6 however, did some decorating and before my next meal they were around 8. They do return to normal though.

I seem to control my BG well with what I eat but its the exercise that puts it up. I just thought this was weird. The doc said that everyone (including non D's) produce Ketones when exercising. He reckoned that I am checking my BGs too often (although I know they say this to save money on testing strips). I wasnt to ckeck for Ketones unless my BG was above 14.

Thanks for the info, i'll have a read.

Cheers.
 
hi i have found the same prob as yourself its a balancing act but through my own personal exp at the mo i feel that if you can find the correct kind of diet for yourself then exsercise will only benefit that diet agree strongly with above post that docs are only interested in your hsblc results i have been told time and time again to stop self testing but have now been told to self test but bck to your post self testing is the best way and i have found personally excercise to be beneficial good luck just dont overdue it
 
Hi, also agree that all medics seem only interested in is HBa1c results. I'm a type-1 and had huge daily BG fluctuations while on Lantus, going from 2 to 15 and sometimes higher. My hospital notes record that during this period I had "good glycaemic control" :evil: as despite these fluctuations my HBa1c result was still within the 'normal' range.

My view is that the HBa1c is only of value if the patient is reporting stable BG control, otherwise it's a load of pants. Type-2s should be self-monitoring, and it's a damned disgrace that they are not entitled to testing strips as type-1s are.

I also find my BG rises following excercise, but the daily and long-term benefits are worth that little rise, as it results in lowering BG for a good few hours after, and I've been able to skip injections as a result. Have taken up jogging today-god it hurts, haven't run since doing cross-country in school many years ago!
Jus
 
Thanks for the comments/advice.

Being a T2, the doc told me that I dont need to test, but I still get my strips....I told them that the hoppy doc and DSN's told me to keep testing and that if they had a problem with that then to take it up with them.

I also have an anxiery disorder and seeing that I am controlling my BGs well relieves some of the anxieties which if I wasnt testing would be higher therefore a further visit to the docs would be required for more help, meds etc.

At the end of the day, the doctors think that they are saving the NHS money, why do they care!? I pay my National Insurance and as far as I am concerned am entitled to receive whatever will help with any illness I may get, have etc.

One of my friends is on Byetta (or something like that) and that costs £100 per month. NHS Scotland are now prescribing this but I believe it is still being refused down in England, that is poor!
From what I hear it is a beneficial drug and provides good control, weight loss etc.

Moan over, cheers...lol

Jambo.
 
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