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High Intensity Training and Blood sugars

C

cbd5

Newbie
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4
Hello,

Not sure if this is the right place to ask as I am new here, sorry!
Ok, I have been diabetic since I was 9 and I am now 19. I used to be slightly active and trailed off, gaining around 14lb after going on to the pump. My HAB1C level is now too high after a horrific diet at uni. I have completely turned my diet around, now eating healthily and not touching anything that is non advisable for diabetics!

Well, I decided to get active as well. I have an exercise bike and I'm taking up kick boxing. I have found exercise at a moderate pace really helps my blood sugars for the next day or two, staying between 5 and 6 mmol/L. However, I have now started High intensity training on the exercise bike. I do 8-10 repetitions of 30 seconds all out pedaling with a recovery slower pedaling of a minute. I have found since starting this that my blood sugars really spike! I have never reacted to exercise like this before and I have no idea why I don't want to stop the HIIT as I feel amazing afterwards. I'm really starting to feel my legs tone and my fitness improve.

One more thing, does the fact that I sometimes do the cycling before breakfast make a difference? In my head, if I do the exercise before I eat, I'm more likely to burn fat

Thank you in advance!
 
Hi, runsweet website has great tips on exercise. Basically though going flat out makes your blood sugar go high as it goes into a flight or flee response. You fool your body that your needing sugar as you are going flat out so it gives ir to you. Also with no food (fuel), the problem might be exaggerated. A good idea is to eat first and bolus maybe 50% of your usual dose as a test as u will be circulating the insulin faster. This will also help to lose weight as you are having less insulin. You might find also you need less insulin for lunch as excercise increases insulin receptors. Always test regular to get a pattern and this will help for future excercise. Or, try having a small carby snack a bit before with no bolus so you have some fuel in you and stop your body dumping extra sugar. Hope this is of some help .

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Thank you that's so helpful
I wish there was a way to stop that spiking response though, as part of the reason I do exercise is to help my blood sugars! I have previously done 40 minute sessions of cycling, where my blood sugars were brilliant after but I wasn't getting the fitness effect. I will play around with insulin doses
I am used to removing my pump for exercise, I'm thinking I shall leave it on as well!
 
Yeah all trial and error and lots of testing as usual unfortunately. Prolonged excercise at a steady pace ie 40 mins of excercise will probably not trigger a dump of sugar, wheras a 2 min session flat out will. Some people who tend to go too low after excercise will deliberately go flat out for 2 mins to trigger the fight or flee response to counter act the drop they would usually get.

Sent from my GT-S5360 using DCUK Forum mobile app
 
never done kick-boxing, but i do tae kwon do 2ce a week, and i imagine its fairly similar. the sparring sessions are pretty intense. kicking, punching, blocking, jumping, spinning, all that. constant movement, if only for like 2 mins at a time, still takes it out of you. i always take insulin just before, and usualy own a can of rockstar or red bull, then i know i have the insulin to deal with the sugars, and enough sugar that i wont go into a hypo. the smart thing to do would be to take just the right amount of insulin, but with something like that, its hard to know how much is enough. with a longer session of excersize, you have more opertunity to adjust as needed, but for a short all out burn, you dont realy have the option, i just make sure i have enough sugar and insulin in me to last, i can always fine tune it after if need be.
 
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