Low carb endurance athlete?

[ElyDave]

Any low-moderate carb endurance athletes on here?

If so, how did you do it? I've a sneaking feeling that my carb consumption has gone up since I've been on insulin vs before I gained a dodgy pancreas, mostly in response to blood sugar drops during or after endurance training or racing.

I don't like the idea of chasing the insulin with carbs, but until I'm on a pump I think there will be some degree of that.

Any ideas would be welcome.

If it's any use I'm a newly diagnosed T1 (about 6-7 weeks ago), injecting Levemir 8 units in the evening, 6 in the morning, I was started on 3 units of Novorapid each meal, but I've started varying that and at the moment I'm sitting nearer 2 than 3, with about 1unit:20g carbs.

 

[diamondnostril]

Hi,

There's a book that I found really interesting/informative:

The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance, by Volek/Phinney

It's written by a couple of Doctors who seem to believe in the scientific method. Here they examine powering endurance athletics using a low-carb diet. Maybe it's useful for you.

 

[SamJB]

Hi Dave, you don't need to chase insulin with carbs, you can just reduce your insulin. I'm not an endurance athlete, but I'm pretty competent at adjusting my insulin according to exercise.

When I do exercise, I reduce my next mealtime Novorapid by half as this stops hypos due to the exercise. I'll need to reduce my Lantus by 20% until I plateau at 8 units. When I don't exercise, I'll need to increase my Lantus by 20% per night until I plateau at 20 units.

You may know this already, but when you exercise your body produces hormones that makes your cells more absorbent so increases the efficiency of insulin. Hence you go hypo.

Since I've been low carbing I've not needed sugar when I exercise as my body is producing its own glucose, but this isn't endurance exercise, only a 6 mile run or so.

 

[ElyDave]

Thanks guys I know abouot Volek adn Phinney and that's on my list to read, but I didn't know of anything diabetic specific.

Sam, thanks for sharing your personal experience, I can generally manage up to 6 miles or so without needing any sugar, depending on my starting levels, and how long since I last took novorapid. It's stuff lasting more than an hour that gets a bit more tricky and I start adjusting doses.

I think part of the problem may be my very low doses at the moment which don't give a lot of room for adjustment. I think it's just a matter of playing around a bit.