Finding my feet

Jeff_uk

Active Member
Messages
42
Type of diabetes
Type 1
after 4 years of pretty heavy training, clean diet I managed to change from a 15st pretty heavy looking guy to a 11.5 stone fit person. After stepping up my cardio training to complete a marathon over mount snowden 2 weeks before the run I was diagnosed with type1 diabetes and the last 4 years of training seem to be quickly slipping away from me.

I'be just recently got back on my feet and started running again, unfortunately the gym hasn't been in use since my diagnosis as the early starts I've been use to can be a massive waste of time, if my bloods are lower than 5 I can't drive, meaning I can't get to the gym. Quite early on with diabetes I decided I wanted to enjoy my evenings if I couldn't guarantee a workout in the morning.

I've found I need my bloods to be around 12-14 to get out for 30 minutes (3.5 mile) jog, when I get back I'm somewhere between 3.5-5. What I'm struggling with is fueling, I'm running to try lose some of my podge I've put on since my diagnosis, I'm having to have big hits of sugar to extend my run, is this not going against what I am running for? Anyone been in the same boat?

Cheers for any advise!

Jeff
 
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Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I am sure there is a list or group on the internet where athletes train on low carb high fat diets and report to each other on how they manage.
Although not competitive I used to annoy people at the end of a long day's walk or caving trip by running ahead to get the dinner on, but I started to eat low carb a long time ago. The stamina it gives is pretty phenomenal when compared to high carb options.
 
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noblehead

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
23,618
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
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Disrespectful people
Hi Jeff,

There's a website called Runsweet which was set-up for people who have type 1 and enjoy sports like running, here is a link if you want to take a look:

http://www.runsweet.com/
 
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CathP

Well-Known Member
Messages
194
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
My experience is probably slighter different to yours, as my diabetic daughter is only 6 so her exercise isn't terribly high intensity! However, she swims and does gymnastics twice weekly, and my theory is less carbs=less insulin=less risk of hypos. She gets her energy from healthy fats and plenty of protein, and generally her blood sugars remain stable throughout exercise.
Best of luck!
 
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TorqPenderloin

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,599
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
First of all, what I'm about to say is not advice. It is my personal experience and how I choose to approach my situation which is very similar to yours. I was diagnosed with type 1 at 27 years old last year. I've been an athlete all my life aside from the 2-3 years prior to my diagnosis where I had allowed my career to be my main priority.

I approached my diagnosis very similar to how some people approach a type 2 diagnosis: I immediately made a habit of going to the gym (again), started running short distances (~3 miles), and restricted my carb intake pretty significantly (<50g) while I learned how to manage insulin and adjust to the new changes. Long story short, it worked VERY effectively.

Now, one of the side-effects to that approach is my numbers are (what most consider) extremely good. In fact, they are so good that my fasting levels are often around 4.5 mmol/l and can be as low as 3.8 mmol/l.

Out of context, those numbers could be very scary for a type 1. In fact, I'd technically be going against the driving guidelines about 75% of the time if I lived in the UK (I live in the USA). However, to put my situation into context, my Dexcom (continuous glucose monitor) says that I haven't gone above 5.6 mmol/l or below 4.3 mmol/l in 12 hours. With that in mind, I'd say it's pretty safe for me to drive.

Why do I say this?
I say it because most athletes with type 1 are going to deal with similar situations. Personally, I worry less about what my number says and more about if my numbers are trending higher, lower, and how fast. I'd much rather go for a 6-8 mile run when my blood sugar starts at 5 mmol/l AND I haven't taken any insulin in 4 hours than if I started a run at 10 mmol/l and had just given myself a bolus (fast-acting) injection an hour prior.

I say all of this not to suggest that you replicate what I do, but to say that you're going to have to develop your own guidelines and figure out what works best for you. Yes, there are official guidelines that deserve to be respected and considered, but they're not always realistic for everyone.

To answer your question: Yes, I am (or was) in the same boat. I ultimately decided to try to simplify things as much as possible. I wasn't going to remove exercise from my routine, and I obviously couldn't remove insulin. The obvious answer was to alter my diet to something more conducive to being a very active Type 1.
 
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catapillar

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,390
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I've found I need my bloods to be around 12-14 to get out for 30 minutes (3.5 mile) jog, when I get back I'm somewhere between 3.5-5. What I'm struggling with is fueling, I'm running to try lose some of my podge I've put on since my diagnosis, I'm having to have big hits of sugar to extend my run, is this not going against what I am running for? Anyone been in the same boat?

Running when bloods are up in double figures is a pretty horrific experience for me. My legs turn to lead. It's what the phrase running through treacle was invented for! I'd much rather start somewhere between 6-8, have some uncovered carbs in, no active insulin on board and trickle in carbs as I go.

But you don't want to take on carbs as you exercise because you're trying to loose weight? Is it really lodge you have put on since diagnosis or could it be that some of you previous weight loss was you starving to death with undiagnosed and type 1? A bottle of pucks are has 140 calories, a half hour run burns off over 250, so you are still 100 calories down.

Have a look at run sweet. Have a look at time between lunchtime bolus and exercise - consider reducing your lunchtime bolus pre exercise. What basal are you on? Levemir is quite flexible to be reduced on exercise days but not sure about other insulins.
 

Jeff_uk

Active Member
Messages
42
Type of diabetes
Type 1
First of all, what I'm about to say is not advice. It is my personal experience and how I choose to approach my situation which is very similar to yours.

I say all of this not to suggest that you replicate what I do, but to say that you're going to have to develop your own guidelines and figure out what works best for you. Yes, there are official guidelines that deserve to be respected and considered, but they're not always realistic for everyone.

To answer your question: Yes, I am (or was) in the same boat. I ultimately decided to try to simplify things as much as possible. I wasn't going to remove exercise from my routine, and I obviously couldn't remove insulin. The obvious answer was to alter my diet to something more conducive to being a very active Type 1.

Everyone that replied thanks, I have taken some very useful ideas from reading them and appreciate the input.

Torq, firstly thanks for such an in depth look at how you deal with keeping fit and controlling your diabetes. It's really good to hear from someone who has been there and done it.

I am going to change a few things in the way I approach this, taking my time to make sure I really understand the effects of making small changes has on me.

I think I have been too worried about going Hypoglycemic while out running so I try eat and then go out (I will probably have had Novorapid - Bolus within the 4 hour window) like I now have some need to load up which probably isn't correct and which is causing my bloods to dramatically drop with being sensitive to the Bolus insulin while out, today I have gone for a low carb diet, omelette for breakfast, fruit and a tuna salad for lunch to try take out any need for Novorapid until my evening meal.

My blood have been pretty steady today - started at 4.4mmol, breakfast brought be up to 7.9mmol and been between 7.7-10.0mmol without taking any Bolus, I intend to go home and go for a run drip feeding carbs if required. Just typing this has made me stumble on what is best as I feel I should probably eat something before I go out running as my last meal was at 12:00 and my run will be about 18:00, I will probably have 3 Glucose tablets and make sure I keep an eye on blood sugars while I am out.

As they say, if it was too easy its probably not worth it.

I will let you know how I get on once I return, hopefully with a big smile on my face!
 

Jeff_uk

Active Member
Messages
42
Type of diabetes
Type 1
So I am back after a really good run tonight. Had to change my plans slightly but whatever I've done has worked perfect.

Got home and my mmol was 4.4, had 3 glucose tablets and a small cracker and cottage cheese. Mmol before running was 5 and rising, ran 3 miles and got home to a reading of 5.2mmol, took around 1 hour to prepare my dinner and my glucose were 4.1 before eating.

Feel that a low carb diet and trying to really reduce the amount of bolus on running days is much easier to control, felt great out running too, not felt that good since diagnosis.

Thanks again! I've got a lot of learning to do but feel that today has helped me greatly