Type 1 diabetes and exercise

[Neermal]

I am 32 years old and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just over 2 years ago. Prior to diabetes, I had a fit and healthy lifestyle especially in terms of regular exercise. In the last 9 months I have started going to the gym again doing 30-40 mins medium intensity cardio and 20 mins resistance training. In order to manage this with my diabetes, I usually aim for my blood sugar to be around 11 prior to exercise and then eat afterwards, this usually keeps me in the normal 4-6 fasting range. I do this by taking less insuln with food 2 hours prior to exercise or by topping up with glucose tablets. As mentioned this works quite well other than the odd delayed hypo up to 4 hours after exercising, I test regularly so if I am low, I top up with glucose or orange juice followed by a carby snack. I am not sure if I am doing the best thing in order to optimise my performance as I also play competitive football as well?

The other thing is that yesterday after no exercise for a month, I went for a 5K road run (I always usually run on the treadmill) before setting off my reading was 11, after 20 mins and 4K, I was exhausted and could not continue, my thighs in particular were numb and aching! - my reading was 3.1 which was a big reduction in 20 mins?!!

What could have caused this? would the ache in my limbs be because there was no more glucose to transfer to my muscles?

Although I had not exercised for 4 weeks, this type of run should be challenging but achievable for me.

Can anyone advise?

 

[jopar]

Different types of exercise will have a different impact on our blood sugar levels, either at the time of the exercise or for many hours later... Along side this where you inject your insulin can have an effect..

google a website called runsweet, you will get plenty of idea's and advice as it deal specifically for exercise and diabetes, the man behind it all, is the man who guided Sir Steve Redgrave, and handles many perfessional diabetic sport's men/women...

As to your run, thigh muscles require a lot of energy indeed, and I would look at several factors, Do you inject your background insulin into your thighs? Running/cycling can cause insulin to adsorb much quicker than usual..

Also you may find it better to start with a lower BG, but top-up more with Fast acting Carbs more as you go, to maintain stablity.. 11mmol/ml is very close to the point it's unwise to do heavy/intense exercise as above 12mmol/l the body finds if more difficult to utilize the insulin and can casue DKA to start setting in..

Also I would look at what type of carbs you are eating the meal/snak before to see if eating a slower carb i.e pasta, banana etc might give a longer and better stable control avoiding the need of high level before exercise...

But if you pretty active a insulin pump might be more useful to you as this give's you a lot more flexibility to find tune for exercise and different types of, very much worth a thought and a discussion with your health care team