Newly diagnosed T2 and an exercise junky

flippert · Sep 12, 2015

Looking for advice please. I've recently taken up triathlons. I started slowly with running/walking to a distance a year ago, adding miles on the bike and learning to swim front crawl further than 50m!
I've done well this year often finishing in the top 10 for races even getting on the podium for one. I've taken part in a 4km swim and have a half marathon lined up in 3 wks.
But 10 days ago I was told I have type 2. I've not managed much training since diagnosis, but did a 5 mile run the other day and my sugars dropped to 3.1 before lunch and remained low. My sugars were fine after the 4km swim too.
So does anyone have any advice/tips on food for long distance sports. I've managed to avoid needing gels for the races I've done. I did have 2 for an Olympic distance tri and 1 for a sprint tri that I'd badly planned my food the week before.
Tbh I'm so confused right now about food but want to still do all my sport.

Baruney · Sep 13, 2015

Hola @flippert

Being diagnosed t2 is often a confusing and sometimes depressing time. It will take time to adjust but no you don't need your gels and you don't need to compromise your sporting activities.

Quite the opposite in fact.

Have a look at volek and phinney or noakes on you tube. You will like what you see and if you want to delve further read their books.

RuthW · Sep 13, 2015

flippert said:
Looking for advice please. I've recently taken up triathlons. I started slowly with running/walking to a distance a year ago, adding miles on the bike and learning to swim front crawl further than 50m!
I've done well this year often finishing in the top 10 for races even getting on the podium for one. I've taken part in a 4km swim and have a half marathon lined up in 3 wks.
But 10 days ago I was told I have type 2. I've not managed much training since diagnosis, but did a 5 mile run the other day and my sugars dropped to 3.1 before lunch and remained low. My sugars were fine after the 4km swim too.
So does anyone have any advice/tips on food for long distance sports. I've managed to avoid needing gels for the races I've done. I did have 2 for an Olympic distance tri and 1 for a sprint tri that I'd badly planned my food the week before.
Tbh I'm so confused right now about food but want to still do all my sport.

I am not Type 2, I'm T1, but for serious athletes like yourself, Diabetic Athlete's Handbook by Sheri Colberg is an absolute goldmine. It has all the advice you need and lots and lots of case studies of T1 and T2 diabetic athletes and how they manage some really serious, top-class training. You will get lots of useful advice here I am sure. But I find information in a book is often more organized and so easier to access (as well as having been reviewed, etc so it can be more reliable).

SunnyExpat · Sep 13, 2015

RuthW said:
I am not Type 2, I'm T1, but for serious athletes like yourself, Diabetic Athlete's Handbook by Sheri Colberg is an absolute goldmine. It has all the advice you need and lots and lots of case studies of T1 and T2 diabetic athletes and how they manage some really serious, top-class training. You will get lots of useful advice here I am sure. But I find information in a book is often more organized and so easier to access (as well as having been reviewed, etc so it can be more reliable).

The preview of that book looks very good.

Indy51 · Sep 13, 2015

If you're following a lower carb diet to control your Type 2, you may find the work of Volek & Phinney useful - they have a book specifically for endurance athletes called The Art & Science of Low Carb Performance. There are also several of their videos on Youtube, like this one:

Newly diagnosed T2 and an exercise junky

flippert

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Baruney

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RuthW

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SunnyExpat

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Indy51

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Newly diagnosed T2 and an exercise junky

flippert

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Baruney

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RuthW

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SunnyExpat

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Indy51

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