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New to site. Type1. questions about exercise

Wigantaz

Member
Messages
10
Location
Silsden
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi, My name is David and I have been type 1 diabetic for just over a year now. Before i was a diabetic i used to have an active life and enjoyed running. Due to getting type 1 i have not ran for well over a year now. I think through lack of undersatnding and being scared about what will happen and what to do. I was wondering whether anybody had any tips about when is best to run, and what to do about eating after exercise.

Thanks
 
Hi @Wigantaz you definitely can still go out running, it's about finding what works for you, testing before hand and taking bg meter and some hypo treatments out with you is best, I don't run myself but I'm sure others that do can give you more tips, I'd say your post would get more response from runners if it had a different title too, I'll tag some people that may be able to help with that @noblehead @himtoo @azure


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Thank you for the response Mrsass and thank you for tagging some people in as well. I should maybe have changed the title but just wanted to introduce myself as well. It will be my first run tonight so will see how it goes.
 
Hi David and welcome.

I don't run personally but you might find some useful info in the following website, it was set-up for people like yourself who have type 1 diabetes and enjoy sports:

http://www.runsweet.com/
 
Hi @Wigantaz
welcome to the forum
I have moved your thread to type 1 and amended the title --being a bit more specific should attract a quicker and more helpful response for you !!
 

Hi @Wigantaz

I can understand your nervousness about exercise. @noblehead has already posted a link for you above, and that's a site I recommend too.

My advice is to test lots, take it slowly while you find out how your body reacts to exercise, and, if possible, keep a routine - that is, run at the same time, eat similar foods beforehand, etc.

The one thing I find with exercise is that when you get sweaty and tired, hypos can be more difficult to spot, so test lots and bear that in mind.
 
Hi David, I recently re-started running and found that keeping my initial runs to about only 30 mins with a blood test before and after gave me a good feel for how much Glucose (Haribo) to aim for. Keeping it to about 30 mins meant I couldn't get into too much trouble as long as my BG was between 7 and 11. I personally do about 5kms to a small haribo pack (quiet economical I thought)!
 

Hi Harrysdad, do you normally have the haribo before you start and then do the run?. It was recommended that i test twice in the hour before i run and then test every 40 mins whilst doing it. I will only be doing a short 1 to 2 mile run tonight to start off with so will see how it goes.
 
A couple of things that could help you, is to eat a small amount of carbs beforehand, say 6g, and also take still Lucozade with you to drink throughout your run. As others have suggested, take your testing kit and hypo treatment with you as well.

Personally I use a gym and prefer resistance training to cardio. However, the gym I am a member of, has GP certified trainers, and the one I see gives me programmes based on the way diabetes reacts to different types of exercise. My diabetes nurse also provides advice based on my hba1c etc and the overall long-term trend of my bg. It is partly trial and error though, so start slow and build up gradually, adjusting what you do based on how your bg reacts.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 
Yes, I'll have one of the little mini packs before I start, and then 1 every 30 mins while running. This seems to suit me.
 

i don't run but walk or cycle. i always carry a £5 note in a spare pocket, incase a hypo develops and in west london, there is always a cigarette shop, so i'd just pop in for a bottle of lucazade. job done.
 
Ease into it slowly!
If you're going after a meal take a unit or so less to compensate for a slight drop.
As you get into it you'll see how you react and what's the best thing to do, just always be careful afterwards...I tend to drop quite abit an hour or two after exercise
 
Hi guys, just wanted to thank you all for your replies. Just to let you know that I went out running last night did just over 2 miles. My blood sugars started at 12.1 and when i had finished they were 7.2. They did drop in the night and were 3.1 at 10pm but after hypo treatment they rose to 8 and were 7.8 this morning.
 
Hello David

I used to play all the racquet sports plus 5 a side but not running

I manage an odd game of tennis once in a blue moon

I always test before excercise take my meter Glucogel and dextrose with me just in case and take on board plenty fluids

Read your profile and I lived in Silsden for about 18 months worked at Burley in Wharfedale 2000-2002

Welcome aboard
 
Taking it slowly is the best approach as suggested by many in this post.

Providing that you're exercising at the same intensity throughout the whole duration, you can work out roughly how much carbs you'll need.

What I did was went for a half hour jog and compared my BG's before and after. I then seen that I dropped 2mmol/L for that half hour jog.

So now if I were to go for an hour run, I'd be taking let's say 10g carbohydrates after 15mins and a further 10g of carbs around the 45 minute mark.

I apply the same logic for 4-5 hour cycles and it seems to work fine.

All in good time though

Grant
 
I do all my running in the morning typically before breakfast. This way DP kicks in and I've never have had any issues with hypos, in fact I need a couple of units of bolus to ensure I don't go too high.

I've been doing it this way since diagnosis , minus a few months off for injuries. Occasionally I'll start to go low several hours after a morning run so it's worth keeping an eye on your levels several hours afterwards.

The same applies for cycling. I went out on a 70 km ride on Sunday morning before breakfast. I take glucose tablets with me for both running and cycling, but based on experience I know I'm not going to hypo in the morning.

Evening exercise is a totally different ball game which I don't play often.
 
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