Exercise

[kelaarts]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering how people manage exercise with their diabetes.

The problem I have is that after an exercise class my sugars always seem to stay low, for a couple of days sometimes.

I'll be honest, I usually rely on biscuits to keep my sugars up but to me this seems to be defeating the object. Apart from keeping fit I'm also trying to lose a bit of weight - the biscuits obviously don't help that.

What do other people do/eat?

Thanks in advance

Sean

 

[BigRedSwitch]

Hi Sean,

I've always stayed fit (was diagnosed with Type 1 when I was 3 years old), and was a competitive swimmer until the age of 18. Since which time I've always gone to the gym.

I never experienced lows for days - that said, I never actually *left* days between exercising.

If I'm swimming or doing cardio, I generally tend to eat carbohydrates BEFORE the exercise. These are always a combination of high and low GI stuff. I don't bolus for this at all.

For anaerobic exercise (weights, basically) I don't generally take any additional carbs as this type of exercise tends to either raise my blood sugars or leave them about the same. I believe this is a fairly well known phenomenon.

Not sure if that info is actually any use to you, but there it is all the same.

 

[kelaarts]

Thanks for replying BigRedSwitch, it's definitely interesting. I did find that running made my blood sugar rise but the current classes definitely makes it drop (and for a couple of days).

Will try more carbs before and see if that helps

 

[emineedwards]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering how people manage exercise with their diabetes.

The problem I have is that after an exercise class my sugars always seem to stay low, for a couple of days sometimes.

I'll be honest, I usually rely on biscuits to keep my sugars up but to me this seems to be defeating the object. Apart from keeping fit I'm also trying to lose a bit of weight - the biscuits obviously don't help that.

What do other people do/eat?

Thanks in advance

Sean

I go on the treadmill just after I've eaten and usually do about half an hour, it works for me

 

[Diakat]

I do 20-30 mind of aerobic stuff - always go down to 4 no matter where I start! Then I eat a cereal bar and carry on with either aerobic, weights or bodyweight circuits. Test at end and eat again if need be. Swimming always takes me below 4 regardless of intensity. So eat once out of pool. I'm low after exercise but also try to do something most days.