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T2 fuel for longer runs

L

Looseboy

Well-Known Member
Messages
196
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Diabetes
Hello everyone

I am 1 year into my T2 diagnosis and diet controlled.

I now enjoy running and have progressed steadily from walk/jog parkrun to 10k running.

Next step is a half marathon training and my question is around fuelling for longer runs.

So far I have been ok with nothing before a run but can feel that I slow due to less energy towards the end around mile 5

I am moderate/high carb to many people on here ( circa 60-100 a day)but am keen to avoid gels etc.. if I can.

Any tips please
 
Looseboy said:
slow due to less energy towards the end around mile 5
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HI looseboy,
How long does it take you to run 5 miles?

I ask because I do 20 miles on the exercise bike takes about an hour and I never feel the need to eat before this for energy.

The standard way of thinking is carbs for energy before exercise, ie. banana.
If as you say your eating medium to low carb diet then upping carbs before a bout of exercise should be ok as your burning them of as quickly as you put them in, which means that even if they do spike your blood sugar that spike should be syphoned of quickly to the muscles.

Perhaps look at the meal before running and think of adding some complex carbohydrates to that meal which are released slower into the blood stream. People check there blood sugar levels 2 hours after eating so assume it takes at least 1/2 an hour longer for the complex carbs to peek.

Eating about 2 hours before you start you run, and upping carbs, might mean that you get the energy release your taking about when you hit the 5 mile mark.

Sorry its one of those annoying things where were all individuals and no way of telling if this will help you, unless you try it for yourself.
 
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Thanks @There is no Spoon
I am currently doing 10k in circa 55 minutes so generally around 15 minutes before I finish I can feel sluggish.

I will try the meal before to see how I get on. I am just conscious this may still not be enough as I look to double the distance I am running.

So still interested in what people do during a run.
 
I was thinking try training while fasted so your body become better at using the energy it already has stored. Then have a small meal before a race.
 
You may not need to eat anything else. Try to keep increasing the distance and see how you feel, you may just be getting tired from a harder/longer run. My normal run is a 4-7k trail run. I do longer or faster ones on occasion and do feel those at first. I have bumped up my distance lately to prepare for a series of trail runs that are about 12-15k each. I am feeling more tired at the end but chalk that up to just increasing the run. I am adjusting to it now after a couple weeks and the only change I have had to make is bringing some water along with me.

Even though you are 'higher' carbs I suspect you are still in keto. I am similar to more in carbs and if you are eating that low and running regularly you body is going to need to get good at burning fat.
 
I'm a T2 diet controlled diabetic and need to refuel at 5 miles for anything over 7 miles with both an electrolyte/salt drink and I use Pip and Nut Almond Butter sachets ( https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/pip-nut-almond-butter-squeeze-pack-60006647 ) which are the rightish macros for me and keep me going. I have tried with and without and I just run out of steam later on in the run. I'm currently training for a half in October. I only started running last year and have used a lot of trial and error to get where I am confident in my running. I personally have to run fasted or my bloods rise/fall during my run and I get tired. Try different options as you train to find out what is right for you as everybody has different needs.
 

Have you had a look at the runsweet website? You might find something helpful there, from like-minded people.
 

Still trying to run while fasting for my longer weekend runs .
PB for parkrun this week and managed 6.7 miles last week.
A little niggle in my achilles stopping me from stepping up the distance and frequency of running.
Running is very new to me and I love trails . I am coming he the Solomon trail event is July
 

Thanks for the link. I will have a look at them when I get out over the 10K and achilles niggle.
I too am thinking half marathon in October. Good luck
 
Alexandra100 said:
I may be missing something, but all I can find on this site is for T1s.
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Apologies in that case. Your profile doesn't indicate your brand of diabetes.
 
DCUKMod said:
Apologies in that case. Your profile doesn't indicate your brand of diabetes.
Click to expand...
The advice was not for me but for Looseboy, who is T2. Personally, I am listed as "Other" because I don't know what I am, though I suspect LADA. I am not using insulin, so most advice for T1s re diet for exercise is not appropriate for me. It is actually a sore pointwith me as I would dearly like some advice but all the people writing abut diabetes and exercise seem to be focussed on T1s. I suspect T1s are more prone to exercise than T2s, perhaps partly because they tend to be younger.
 

I'm not sure I'd necessarily agree enthusiatically about T1s exercising, bearing in mind these days, T2 are informed D&E is important for control, so lots of folks take up exercise, post-diagnosis. For some that might just be walking, but it counts as exercise if they were'nt doing too much of it in the past.

I could be totally wrong.

Personally, if I'm expecting to do anything rigorous - whether it be a day in the garden, doing heavy stuff, or whatever, I don't do anything differently, but then I'm not taking any meds, and never have done. In terms of energy, that's never been a problem, and if I go low (I'm regularly in the 3s without exercise anyway), my liver will help me out quite nicely. I'm very happy for my liver stores to be cycles by my bodily needs.
 
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