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The Gym/Training/Hypos

russyrussruss

russyrussruss

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all

Posting this, just to see if anyone else has/had any hints or tips

I was diagnosed with type 1 last July , which was quickly rediagnosed as type 2 a few weeks later, so was initially treated with insulin and metformin, then knocked off the insulin, and since December, after consulting with my doctor, no medication at all

I also enrolled at the gym pretty much as soon as diagnosed, and have been 4 times per week since

My problem is that my blood sugar is very low afterwards, typically 3.6 - 4.0, I usually have a banana maybe an hour before, but it feels like it's getting worse, I'm pretty much spent before the end of my workout

I wondered if anyone else gets this, and/or if people think maybe a power bar or something is the answer

Let me know if you can help

Many thanks
 
I'm a type 1 on insulin so this may be of no use but I use 4g glucotablets as needed. Or a swig of lucozade if I'm dropping low.
If you are doing cardio, a sprint or heavy weights can help increase blood sugars as the liver sees it as a stressor (think being chased by a bear or something big) to give you the energy, but how much sugar gets dropped depends on the person.
You'd have to keep testing.
 
I have a gym opposite my home, owned by my neighbour. Many T1, T2D folks get sugar drinks, lemonades, lucozades, gatorades etc. They are essential in balancing the BS levels and especially to quench thirstiness. It just takes a few months before you understand how to manage yourself.

One way is to measure length of workouts, calories, heart rate and also amount of energy/ sugar drinks or protein bars consumed; importantly your energy levels, mood and BS levels. Such information will be a good source for you to determine the way forward. After few months everything will be under control.
 
I'm a T1 myself, but I wouldn't be overly concerned with those readings in the absence of external insulin. The problem for a T1 is that once you've bloused, or as I am on a pump, the basal rate, you can't take it away again. That's the reason for reducing doses around exercise.

As a T2, although you may not be utilising insulin effectively, your pancreas should be reducing insulin production when you exercise.

Remember 3.5 is a clinical hypo, so you've not even got there yet, a reduction in BG associated with exercise is not wrong, unless it's causing you problems.

You can't go by symptoms as the exercise can mask those. If I were in your position I would monitor before, after and maybe 30 mins later to get data on how your BG recovers, assuming you have enough test strips to do so?

If you're "spent" before the end of your workout, slow down, improve your fitness and then you can build up to more. Slowing down will also help you move your metabolism more towards fat burning rather than carb burning. I would also drop the pre-workout banana for the same reason.
 
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