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Morning exercise

C

claridge

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Hi, just wondering how other people cope with blood sugars and morning exercise? I enjoy morning exercise too much to want to just give up due to blood sugars going high (as morning). Its quite tricky because l dont have time to get up eat breakfast have time for it to go down before l run to station (half hour run). I have started experimenting and had a bowl of berries (blueberries and strawberries) with yogart and seeds with 2 units of insulin. The first time l tried it my blood sugar was under 7 by the time l got into work but today it was 9. I will keep experimenting but wondered what other people do and if there are any great tips? Many thanks all, Jo.
 
Hi Jo

I do a brisk 20 minute walk to the train station every morning and often suffer the opposite lower blood sugar after. I do however make sure that I eat breakfast before leaving the house. Tends to be cereal.

I don't think your sugars should rise after excersise; this suggests your insulin covering your breakfast isn't enough. You haven't mentioned how you take your insulin are you a pump user or injection? Do you count carbs when working out your meal insulin?

Only other suggestion I would make is get up earlier to allow breakfast to go down. :lol:
 
Hi,

Thanks for your reply. Im type 1, a lover of exercise and no l dont use a pump.
If eating a usual breakfast with Insulin (2 units) and a 20 minute walk to the station my blood sugar would always be fine. Exercise at any part of the day does not cause a rise in my blood sugar- it is only in the morning. The dawn phenonamon effect l expect - l dont know too much about this though. I think of it as in you body is extra sensitive due to being asleep for so long. I heard about possibly splitting your daily insulin in two but l would prefer not too have more injections.
I also eat low carb and have done ever since diagnosed (about a yr and a half ago) and there fore do not require much insulin and would prefer not too have to take some before morning exercise and some for breadfast - as that means more insulin and another injection...
Jo
 
I'm confused, are you eating the breakfast after your exercise? When you don't eat breakfast, and then exercise, are you going too high?
So for example is it:
get up
exercise
bg is 9?

or

get up
inject
eat berries/yogurt
exercise
bg is 9?

or
get up
exercise
inject
eat berries/yogurt
bg is 9?
 
Sorry for the confusion.
If l get up exercise then check BS (before eating breakfast and injecting insulin) my BS is above 10.
When l tried having a bowl of fruit and yogart with 2 units of insulin then exercised my blood sugar ended up being 9.
 
Hi, I also run to work most mornings and find that it raises my bg levels by around 2-3mmols. I'm keen on sport and did a bit of research as I find different sports affect my levels in different ways (swimming lowers levels, climbing raises them). It seems the more high intensity the activity the more likely the liver is to be stimulated to release glucose. therefore when I walk the same distance to work my bg drop 2-3 mmols as it's lower intensity. I think you're right and that dawn phenomenon does play a part in it as well as involves the same adrenal hormones that cause the liver to produce glucose when running. I guess combined they make levels rise more perhaps?
The only way I've found to deal with it is to run to work, by which time my levels are often 7-9 and then take an extra half unit of insulin when I eat breakfast at work. Within an hour they're back to normal. Look on the Runsweet forums, there are quite a few discussions about running and high bg levels. There seem to be some suggestion of keeping a steady pace would not increase levels so much.
Everyone's different so I guess you just have to find the routine that works for you, good luck with the running!
Fran
 
Hi, I'm Type 1 and prefer to run in the early morning before I have any insulin, this works well for me and perhaps you could do this by taking a breakfast bar with you to eat on the train? I find you have to be really careful about what cereals you eat, carbohydrate and sugar content can work in strange ways. Weetabix with a small handful of muesli works well for me but I am small framed so can't afford to eat that much, you can balance this for your own body weight. Good luck and keep on running!
 
Great tips thank you - will definitely look on run sweet
Good thing my run in the morning is uphill hence slowish
 
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