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Exercise

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brogantyler

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Hi, just wondered if anyone has any tips or advice on exercise and Type 1 Diabetes? I have recently started a new and more intense workout at the gym which consists of circuit training (dumbell swings, press ups, deadlift etc) as before I was just going on the bike and treadmill. I seem to be going low a few hours post-gym even when I inject less for my food after the gym. I have tried having complex carbs (cereal bar) and 100ml of whole milk after the gym but I am still having these lows. Has anyone else experienced this and if so, how have you worked around it? Thanks
 
After starting weight training it's natural your insulin resistance drops. On days where u train lower your background insulin by about 20% and see if that helps. If that isn't quite right, then adjust by a few percent each time until you're not hypoing. This doea happen to be easier if you're using a pump, if you're not then I would speak to your consultant about getting one.
 
Hmm, that does make it more difficult then. Have you tried snacking before you go? Have you experimented with different amounts of carbs afterwards? Or maybe two snacks after at different times to keep your sugar up?

I haven't been to the gym for years, so let me tag @TorqPenderloin who may have helpful advice.
 
I have been advised by DSN that if I am planning exercise then I should start by reducing my rapid by 25%. If I continue to dip before next meal I shoul also reduce next meal by 25% to avoid hypos.

Obviously this is a rough starting point but may be useful for you
 
I have tried snacking before I go to the gym and also afterwards... just is difficult when I am trying to lose weight so don't really want to be eating more calories because i am going to the gym. @Coopsman1 it is difficult as i dont have food before the gym or a meal as i go in the morning most of the time. Thanks though
 
What's your background insulin @brogantyler ? Maybe you need less basal on exercise days. I think levemir flexible enough for different basal doses to work on different days, not sure about other basals.
 
azure said:
Hmm, that does make it more difficult then. Have you tried snacking before you go? Have you experimented with different amounts of carbs afterwards? Or maybe two snacks after at different times to keep your sugar up?

I haven't been to the gym for years, so let me tag @TorqPenderloin who may have helpful advice.
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Thanks for thinking of me. Sorry, I've been traveling all week on business and haven't been on the forum until today.

I workout nearly every morning and aside from (several cups of) coffee I don't consume anything before heading to the gym.

Anything higher intensity (think higher heart rate) and/or anaerobic (think heavy weight lifting) causes me to need SIGNIFICANTLY less insulin and that's both basal and bolus.

To put that into perspective, I'm currently on 11u of Tresiba (basal) and my insulin: carb ratio is around 1:15g and sometimes even higher (numerically). If I take 2-3 days off from my exercise routine, my basal needs will increase to around 20u and my carb ratio drops to around 1:10g and sometimes even lower.

As @catapillar mentioned, the good thing about Levemir is that it should be taken twice a day which allows for more customization. I found that very helpful when I was trying to get my basal rates correct because it allowed me to make changes and see more immediate results than my current Tresiba which took a lot longer to get my dosage correct.
 
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