Recomended snacks before excersise??

Hello,
A good way of knowing how much to eat before exercise is to count the carbs. For example try 20 carbs, if you go far too low have 30 carbs, if you still go low have 40 carbs, if you go too high have 35 carbs. It sounds like you will need a lot of carbs though. Also, you may like to top up with snacks while you are exercising e.g. some fruit pastles in between. If you find you have to eat loadssss and are still going low you could always reduce your units. If you go straight after a meal, you could reduce your meal units. If not you could reduce your basal but that may be harder if you are not on the pump. If you are on the pump you could simply take it out. I do lots of dancing, I just eat extra except for ballet, I have to: reduce my meal units, then take the pump out, and eat extra. Remember you can also get sugary drinks too, and pure fruit juice.

morethanmutts said:

Someone mentioned a peanut butter and bannana sandwich, do you think this would work?

Click to expand...

Yes Im sure a peanut butter and banana sandwich would work, it would probably last longer than sugar spikes-sugar spikes and fruit are very good for exercise but you may also need more starchy carbohydrates to last you longer and prevent quick drops. After my dancing I always find I need to eat more the next day too as I still drop the following day.
Good luck
CR741 :mrgreen:

Boots sell a sports energy bar called 'energise' (I think) that has 25g fast acting carb and 25g slower release carb. I tend to eat one of these as my lunch before going to the gym / playing sport and don't have any fast acting insulin to cover it. I then adjust with lucozade as I exercise. This seems to work for me, or certainly now that I've realised you can sip lucozade rather than gulping it!

Have a look at www.diabetesnet.com at their exercise section, it'll help you balance carb intake & insulin reduction together to maintain your sugar levels.

I have found that, both with swimming & X-training, I have to swift an energy drunk throughout the first 2/3 of my workout. The amount I drink in total depends on my starting blood sugar reading. I usually have 1/2 banana before swimming too as apparently it helps prevent cramp.

Using the methods on the website above, I calculate that I use about 50 grammes of carb during a 2km swim. For me 10 grammes of carb equates to about 3% blood glucose change, so if my blood sugar is 9 before exercise, I knock 10 grammes off my carb needs as I need to lose 3% in my sugar reading before I have extra carbs. I also know that a proportion of my carb needs will come from glycogen stores so I knock another 10-15 grammes off my carb needs again. So with a blood reading of 9 before exercise, I'll take about 30 grammes of carb, half a banana beforehand & half a bottle of sports drink during it.
I'm on a pump, so reduce me basal insulin to 90% from 5 to 15 hours after exercise which allows my liver to steal the sugar back to replace my glycogen stores (the other 10-15 grammes of carb).

What I'm trying to say is, it's not just what you eat, but when. Try replacing your carb little & often rather than in one hit before you start your workout. All the ideas given re type of food are equally valid of course.

Good luck.

Just a quick reply to say that malt loaf works for me as a T2 as a slow release energy source.

My blood sugar stays steady or rises (7-8) during 2 hours of tennis. I don't eat carbs before nor during play, but I do have plenty of low carb food an hour before.

I play vigorously enough to raise my pulse rate from resting 65 to 150.

Well I have tried the lot in quick release stuff, Lucozade blows me up too much, the Gels don't seem to last as long as Lucozade but are easier to carry with me on my run's , also I find if I use the Lucozade I will get a spike later. Glucose tablets don't cut it, and anything more just slows me down.
On the odd marathon I have had to stop for a bowl of Bran Flakes :lol: Plays havoc with the times but I used to set off with my sugars too low, now I pump them up. I'm lucky in that I never get Ketones even when they are really quiet high ,so I can dwindle them down more over the run without the need for constant top up's of glucose which I just hate doing :evil:

But I have found a little Gem just of late....Peanut Brittle, it works a treat to stabalise my BS, no spike but just a nice pro-longed level to finish my runs...and tastes nice too , not bulky to put in my run bag and can take a couple ,one for after. I'm sticking with this for now.

hope this helps

I just love bananas for energy before or during exercise, failing that oat bars are excellent too in providing a slow release of energy and doesn't spike my bg.

Nigel

Hey
You are right that Banana's stop cramp, they contain high levels of Potassium which is great for warding off and treating the lactic acid build up in the muscle during and after exercise, which causes the cramp.
I had an endurance horse who used to have Azoturia/tying up (very bad cramp) . I spent a fortune with the vet to no avail.
An old horse man told me to make a bran and banana mash after each event (10 banana's) and it worked like a dream the Potassium neutralised the acid build up in the muscles and she never tyed- up again Very happy.... richer... owner

So I figured what was good for her ,and I eat at least two nana's a day and I never have cramp even when I am doing the really high mileage....

Sorry getting a bit Steve Wright factoid :wink: Now there's a bloke I wish would bog off with a banana :lol:

Glucose Tablets before excercise. Nature Valey bar after

I used protein shake, before start exercise, its good and natural and its
also make me fresh, and feel good to drink that

hi guys ... I know that bananas are a favorite among sportspeople as a pre-exercise snack. They're full of potassium, which is great for reflexes, movement and energy, and they're light too, which means no cramps... so this is what you can eat before workout .. best of luck