Puzzled at the pool

[primmers]

Morning all.

This is me -Type 2 on no meds, about 9 years from diagnosis and a bmi of 25.2. Haven't had a HbA1c for ages. Generally bumble along with fasting bloods a little too high. Work has been stressful of late and there's been a lot of group comfort eating of home baked cakes. Fasting bloods have crept up to silly levels so I decided action was needed. On waking this morning my bm was 12.2. Hauled myself out of bed and went to the pool. Swam 500m which took about 25 minutes (I'm too slow for the slow lane - they all lapped me more than once!). Got home, had my shower and thought I'd test my blood again to get a virtuous glow as it was bound to have gone down.

Wrong. It was 13.3.

Why would this be seeing as I still haven't had anything to eat or drink?

 

[Diakat]

Could be a liver dump. Your body, on being pushed to exercise with no fuel wakes up your liver which helpfully gives out sugar to keep you going. Or meter error as 12 to 13 is not too much of a difference.

 

[primmers]

Thanks, I'm trying to focus on the fact that doing that exercise must have a positive outcome somewhere along the line but it did feel like a slap in the face.

 

[bulkbiker]

Thanks, I'm trying to focus on the fact that doing that exercise must have a positive outcome somewhere along the line but it did feel like a slap in the face.

Not in the slightest.. your body is trying to dump as much stored glucose out as it can. The exercise helped it burn some up so it was trying to rid itself of some more.

 

[ianf0ster]

If you really want to get your BG down, the LCHF diet and/or Intermittent Fasting (16x8) would tend to have a bigger effect than a little more exercise does.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thanks, I'm trying to focus on the fact that doing that exercise must have a positive outcome somewhere along the line but it did feel like a slap in the face.

Your liver is dumping, like the others said. They're quite right. And while getting rid of some stored glucose is fine, I'd be more concerned about your diet, as well as the stress-levels at work. After all, stress raises bloodsugars too. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/ have a gander at this, maybe it'll help. And it it resonates with you, try diabetes.co.uk's website (NOT .org!), dietdoctor.com and Dr. Jason Fung's The Diabetes Code. Those'll help you get control back if you want to go that route.

 

[JohnyT2]

Morning all.

This is me -Type 2 on no meds, about 9 years from diagnosis and a bmi of 25.2. Haven't had a HbA1c for ages. Generally bumble along with fasting bloods a little too high. Work has been stressful of late and there's been a lot of group comfort eating of home baked cakes. Fasting bloods have crept up to silly levels so I decided action was needed. On waking this morning my bm was 12.2. Hauled myself out of bed and went to the pool. Swam 500m which took about 25 minutes (I'm too slow for the slow lane - they all lapped me more than once!). Got home, had my shower and thought I'd test my blood again to get a virtuous glow as it was bound to have gone down.

Wrong. It was 13.3.

Why would this be seeing as I still haven't had anything to eat or drink?

I was also surprised by same the first time I tested after a 45mins swim. I was also expecting it to go down thinking muscles must have used up the excess glucose in blood.
As others have pointed out, during the exercise the liver dumps glucose to provide energy and which happens to stay in blood even after exercise is complete, but goes down in due course.
Its recommended that you should test your blood sugar after 1hr of your exercise or intense activity.

 

[nomoredonuts]

... and hydrate. I've found that exercise without extra water thickens the blood and concentrates the sugar.
(No, I don't mean keep your mouth open while you swim!)