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Swimming

R

Robin101

Well-Known Member
Messages
79
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Or rather standing around in cold water!

For various reasons, the main one being relieving knee pain and experimentally stretching and loading my knees by standing then squatting in thigh deep water I ended up spending around 30 minutes in an unheated swimming pool.
(Don't worry I'm working in Africa)

Anyway after having just had a slice of pizza and keeping an eye on BG and how high it went (7.4) I then tested 2 hour later after pool and - 4.5!

I did not exercise!

So repeat daily (6 days now) and whatever my BG is before I go in pool, it's between 4.5 and 4.7 when I get out - and stays like that - at least until next meal!

Comments?
 
Sounds like you have found the cold water cure..
but seriously what kind of levels (without pizza) are you normally seeing before going into the pool?
 
I am being quite strict on diet but around 5.7 to 6.2 - so high fives. I take Metformin 4 X 500 per day and I get into pool around 6 hours after my secong tablet for the day. I take number 3 straight after pool ( after reading BG)
It seems cold water is dropping my BG by around 1

I thought initially it was just a temp reading on less circulation so second time I took another reading 1 hour later - same.

Seems to be a genuine reduction. So I'm sticking with it.
 

OK complete guess here.. you are artificially cooling your body , I'm guessing because of your location, its quite warm normally. This may drive the body to try to maintain its previous temp by using some blood glucose thus causing the temporary lowering of blood sugar levels. Complete and utter guess but I'm now off to do some googling.. be back if I find anything.
 
"In fact, Hanssen et al.157 reported that only 10 days of cold acclimation (14-15°C) in individuals with type 2 diabetes induced a 43% increase in insulin sensitivity which was explained by a 60% increase in GLUT-4 translocation (i.e., the membrane channel that allows glucose to enter a muscle cell or adipocyte). Surprisingly, these improvements in insulin sensitivity surpass even those of long-term exercise training which is currently regarded as the best management strategy for type 2 diabetes."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4861190/

Looks like I might be half right.. maybe.. its a long and detailed paper that doesn't really address your issue but could provide a clue...

I would usually volunteer to experiment too but the only pools I currently have access to are heated.. (drat what a shame...) and I hate being in a cold pool..
But I did go to the Canaries last year in Jan and swam most days in the unheated pool at the hotel which was bloody freezing...
Just looked back on BG levels and see quite a few 4's which is pretty unusual for me unless fasting which I wasn't then., so you may well be onto something...
 
So it's an ice cold shower first thing every morning from now on. Perhaps the rise in T2 diabetes correlates with wide spread use of central heating???? Gosh, we were all fit and healthy back in the 1950's, heating in bedrooms, don't make me laugh!
Sally
 
I'm going to keep with it and see how it works out. And I'll post here as I go along.
Anything that improves sensitivity has to be a plus?
 
So yesterday, good low carb day. 17:30 home and test 5.5
Swim or rather wander round aimlessly in pool stretching knees etc.
18:10 out and test 4.7
19:15 test 4.7

Today, bit of a Chinese at lunch, out with colleagues. Didn't overdo it. Home and test at 17:30 - 5.7 to be expected.
18:10 out and test 4.7

So far all seems to indicate that there is a real benefit to cool water immersion. I don't have a thermometer yet.

Next step is to cut back from 2000mg Metformin (500mg) 6 hourly spaced to 1500 (500mg) 8 hourly and see if numbers hold up!
 
Lucky you, means your brown fat activity is excellent. You are using a lot of blood glucose to maintain your body temperature, thanks to your brown fat .
One of the Olympic swimmers I can't remember if it was Phelps or Thorpe was in a study that was able to demonstrate the phenomena perfectly. Dude was putting away almost 15,000 cals a day without a single ounce in weight gain or shift in BG. They initially thought it was the exertion, but when they measured it, he was using no more or less than a regular Joe Blogs. They later found it to be due to brown fat activity.
You might want to take a look at this article https://www.garvan.org.au/news-events/news/brown-fat-keeps-blood-sugar-in-check
 
Last edited:
bulkbiker said:
You might find this one interesting too
Click to expand...
I did. Very. And it also helps me understand why, when all-around me are wearing sweaters and coats, I have for many years been standing there in my t shirt
I can't wear long sleeved clothing as a general rule. I get too hot. So to explore this further I think. But if getting those brown fat cells all worked up and bothered works in getting BG and insulin back to normal levels then that's what I shall be going.
Today I thought I'd try a high carb start (as it's my day off and I feel experimental) so porridge!
1 hour later 7.9 and swim.
After 30 mins in water 4.2 !!!
 
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