Hi, I exercise for an hour once or twice a week with British Military Fitness, quite intense. Recently my blood sugar has started shooting up - from normal (5 - 8 ) before I start to 20+ immediately after I finish. My HbA1C is good (6.5) and I dont think I've changed anything. Any ideas why this is happening and what I can do about it? Thanks
Why does my BG rise during exercise?
- Thread starter JKato
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My levels rise aswell when i exercise, my doctor reckons im sensitive to the insulin. When i sit down after they drop quickly so be careful
Here is a link to a useful site where there is information about the subject.
http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/prevent ... ercise.htm
Basically it is about getting the all important balance with Insulin and carbs, type of exercise and the effect it has on you.
I exercise and if low to start with would have a light carby snack or drink, test half way through maybe and see what is happening. If too low then you might need to 'fuel' up a bit more, if high then you could up the intensity and see if it drops. Your Insulin dose might need to be adjusted to cover this activity.
The problem is that exercise can not only raise BG it can also lower it........so, test before, during and after exercise so that you can see what each individual element is doing to you, which is the best way to lower the levels.
http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/prevent ... ercise.htm
Basically it is about getting the all important balance with Insulin and carbs, type of exercise and the effect it has on you.
I exercise and if low to start with would have a light carby snack or drink, test half way through maybe and see what is happening. If too low then you might need to 'fuel' up a bit more, if high then you could up the intensity and see if it drops. Your Insulin dose might need to be adjusted to cover this activity.
The problem is that exercise can not only raise BG it can also lower it........so, test before, during and after exercise so that you can see what each individual element is doing to you, which is the best way to lower the levels.
phoenix
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also the runsweet website explains the mechanics of rises during certain types of activity and gives some ideas how to deal with it
http://www.runsweet.com/DiabetesAndSport.html
Actually you set me off on a search, I found a site fasterskier.com (can't link as a blog)
where the Olympic crosscountry skier Kris Freeman describes how he has been sorting out his insulin. It's not easy for him and he has all the expertise in the world available to him!
http://www.runsweet.com/DiabetesAndSport.html
Actually you set me off on a search, I found a site fasterskier.com (can't link as a blog)
where the Olympic crosscountry skier Kris Freeman describes how he has been sorting out his insulin. It's not easy for him and he has all the expertise in the world available to him!
Thanks for your replies. The Runsweet site seems to explain it but unfortunately doesnt say what to do about it! I guess I'll just have to try both options - either more carbs before exercise or an injection before (doesnt feel natural or make sense but if it works ...)
The same happens to me when I do intense sport... the way I have reasoned it to myself is the following (may not be right, no scientific backing, but it makes sense to me!)
When doing intense sport (e.g. squash for 45min), I will start at 6, have 10g of rapid acting carbs before hand and end at abou 12. Then later on throughout the day i will drop and drop, so either have to take less insulin with meals, or have a few snacks. I probably drop for about 12 hours afterwards.
If I do gentle exercise (e.g. shopping, walking for an hour or 2) I will start at 6, have 10g of rapid acting carbs and then end at about 6. But then I won't keep dropping after the exercise.
I figure that when I'm doing intense exercise, my body recognises this and decides to dump some stored glucose from the liver. Because it has done this during the exercise, my BG is higher immediately afterwards. Then in the nexy 12 hours, my body is replenishing the liver store or glucose, so it takes it from my blood - hence the drop.
When doing light exercise my body doesn't recognise that I am doing the exercise, so doesn't do the same liver glucose dump. Hence the small immediate drop and no long term drop (as no stores have been depleted).
I am an engineer, not a biologist, so I may well be off the mark with respect to the technicalities... but it seems logical to me!
When doing intense sport (e.g. squash for 45min), I will start at 6, have 10g of rapid acting carbs before hand and end at abou 12. Then later on throughout the day i will drop and drop, so either have to take less insulin with meals, or have a few snacks. I probably drop for about 12 hours afterwards.
If I do gentle exercise (e.g. shopping, walking for an hour or 2) I will start at 6, have 10g of rapid acting carbs and then end at about 6. But then I won't keep dropping after the exercise.
I figure that when I'm doing intense exercise, my body recognises this and decides to dump some stored glucose from the liver. Because it has done this during the exercise, my BG is higher immediately afterwards. Then in the nexy 12 hours, my body is replenishing the liver store or glucose, so it takes it from my blood - hence the drop.
When doing light exercise my body doesn't recognise that I am doing the exercise, so doesn't do the same liver glucose dump. Hence the small immediate drop and no long term drop (as no stores have been depleted).
I am an engineer, not a biologist, so I may well be off the mark with respect to the technicalities... but it seems logical to me!
Hi James,
Thanks for that. Have you tried not having any carbs before doing squash? If so what happens?
Thanks for that. Have you tried not having any carbs before doing squash? If so what happens?
Mine rise during exercise. I had been following advice to eat snacks before and at half time, but I just got too high.
I do tend to crash fairly quickly afterwards, and need the snack then though.
I do tend to crash fairly quickly afterwards, and need the snack then though.
SHESCOOBY
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I was training all last year for a half marathon and always been a quite fit, having diabetes for over 26yrs wanted to keep myself reasonably fit.
Whilst doing my training I discovered that my sugars would rise big time.
I was told that this is due to the body releasing adrenalin and the muscles contracting.
If your bloods are lowish before exercise then 5-6 then you shouldnt really have anything to boost them up, however if I was to exercise and my bloods use to be 7-9 then I use to struggle as the higher your bloods during exercise the harder the exercise becomes. Muscles aches big time.
Now I know everyone is different into response of bloods being low etc before exercise but I never use to have anything and hoped that they would stay the same and not drop. I use to test bloods after exercise and they would be a nice 6
but as stated everyone is different.
Theres my 2p worths
Kaz
x
Whilst doing my training I discovered that my sugars would rise big time.
I was told that this is due to the body releasing adrenalin and the muscles contracting.
If your bloods are lowish before exercise then 5-6 then you shouldnt really have anything to boost them up, however if I was to exercise and my bloods use to be 7-9 then I use to struggle as the higher your bloods during exercise the harder the exercise becomes. Muscles aches big time.
Now I know everyone is different into response of bloods being low etc before exercise but I never use to have anything and hoped that they would stay the same and not drop. I use to test bloods after exercise and they would be a nice 6
but as stated everyone is different.Theres my 2p worths
Kaz
x
