Exercise and diabetes

[Anthony Neve]

Does anyone else on here exercise with type1 diabetes? i do a fair bit of heavy weight lifting and a bit of rowing & boxing. Now i try to keep the exercise regular, about the same intensity and the same duration but i find it very difficult to manage the glucose levels. does anyone else find this?

i also find that if for what ever reason i dont do any training for a week, that week is a total nightmere, where i need loads more insulin for my meals (understandable due to no activity) but i didnt think it would have made that much differrence?

 

[diagonall]

Hi Anthony,
Have a look at this site http://www.runsweet.com/ hopefully you will find your answers there.

 

[mikep1979]

i find that if i dont do anything for a few days that like you my insulin level needs to go up. im a dedicated runner and i like to cover at least 8 miles a day but i also like to do weights and cycle to. best thing for the exercise is to make sure you have some bananas with you but dont forget them glucose tablets incase of hypo's

 

[MarcLister]

Handy thread. 🙂

Need to start exercising to get fit, lose weight and have something to do whilst I look for jobs. Problem is that the leisure centre is a 30 minute walk away for me! 😱

Was thinking about doing some swimming a few times a week. Any one else swim and if so how much less insulin do they take at the meal before they go swimming? So if you go swimming after breakfast but before lunch, how much less insulin would you take for breakfast. I'd have to factor how long I would swim for into the amount of insulin I take at the meal before. And also account for my 30 minute walk there and back. 😛

 

[Northerner]

Does anyone else on here exercise with type1 diabetes? i do a fair bit of heavy weight lifting and a bit of rowing & boxing. Now i try to keep the exercise regular, about the same intensity and the same duration but i find it very difficult to manage the glucose levels. does anyone else find this?

i also find that if for what ever reason i dont do any training for a week, that week is a total nightmere, where i need loads more insulin for my meals (understandable due to no activity) but i didnt think it would have made that much differrence?

Hi Anthony,

I was a marathon runner for 25 years before being diagnosed Type 1 last year - a week before I was due to run the Stockholm marathon! Since then I've been trying to get back to fitness and also getting used to balancing my blood sugars whilst exercising. It's a tricky business, and there is a lot of trial and error involved. Basically, exercise will make the body use insulin more efficiently, so you'll probably need less with your meals (or more food) if you're planning to exercise. The 'efficiency' can last for some time afterwards too - even into the following day, as your body replenishes its stores of glycogen in the cells and the liver.

Conversely, if you stop regular exercise for a few days, your insulin sensitivity will go back to those pre-exercise levels, so your BG will be at higher levels. An added complication is the type and intensity of exercise - high intensity can cause the release of stress hormones that will increase BG levels even though you are exercising - they may quickly fall later so you need to watch out for hypos. As you get used to a certain level of exercise, your body's energy requirements will be lower, so you won't 'use up' the glucose in your blood as quickly. As an example, the first few times I run 5 miles after being used to running only 3, my body will have fairly high requirements and my BG will likely dip. However, after a while 5 miles will be well within my capabilities so my BG will hardly change from start to finish.

Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules and everyone is different to some degree. I'd recommend 'The Diabetic Athlete' for a good explanation of the science behind it all.

 

[aymes]

I also am a runner and experience the same thing if I stop for a while. I found it took a lot of trial and error to get it right but now I know my carb usage for exercise it's quite easy to control. I can't really add much to what northerner has said, great explanation! I've heard that book recommended several times now so think I'll give it a go.

 

[circe]

Hi Northener !

I love reading your posts. You always give such wise advice ! It's great having you here!

 

[Anthony Neve]

WOW! this is now officially the best site ive ever been on! how is it in the 15 years or so ive been a diabetic everyone else knows way more than me?

I appreciate the info a lot. 🙂

 

[aymes]

WOW! this is now officially the best site ive ever been on! how is it in the 15 years or so ive been a diabetic everyone else knows way more than me?

I appreciate the info a lot. 🙂

I think that's the great thing on here, someone may be really knowledgeable on one thing, but needs to ask questions on other things so we all have both something to contribute and something to learn

 

[sofaraway]

I have difficulty at times with exercise. For me different types of exercise give really different results on my blood sugars. When I play badminton i need to really carb up and often get hypo's. I need to take a bout half the novorapid for the meal before and start slightly high.

For football I need to actually inject insulin before the game to prevent my blood sugar soaring and ending up in the 20's. I need to start the game within range and then inject a small dose of insulin. My DSN explained to me that without enough circulating insulin when glucose is released for energy it can't then be taken up by the muscles, so remains in blood and sends levels high. So a small dose is needed to allow glucose to enter muscles.

I fidn that the the remainder of the day after exercise I am mor einsulin sensitive.

 

[Copepod]

To approach Marc's question: Are you using bimodal insulin (2 injections per day) or basal bolus (1 or 2 long acting basal and 1 bolus with each meal)? If on basal bolus, it's much easier to reduce both basal and bolus a bit before and after exercise, while bimodal is much less flexible - in fact, as you're between jobs, that would be a good time to consider changing regimes. You mention a 30 min walk each way to / from swimming pool - it's good practice to aim for everyone to walk at least 30 mins every day, anyway, so if the walking became normal for you everyday, you wouldn't have to adjust for it (or only for the way back!)

 

[Northerner]

Hi Northener !

I love reading your posts. You always give such wise advice ! It's great having you here!

Why thank you! That's very kind of you to say! **blush**🙂

 

[Caroline Wilson]

I'm type 2 on pills. I find the ammount of activity I do affects my sugar levels. My job is not very active so my sugar levels are higher at work than they are at home when I am dooing house work and running round after a very active 4 year old!

 

[MarcLister]

To approach Marc's question: Are you using bimodal insulin (2 injections per day) or basal bolus (1 or 2 long acting basal and 1 bolus with each meal)? If on basal bolus, it's much easier to reduce both basal and bolus a bit before and after exercise, while bimodal is much less flexible - in fact, as you're between jobs, that would be a good time to consider changing regimes. You mention a 30 min walk each way to / from swimming pool - it's good practice to aim for everyone to walk at least 30 mins every day, anyway, so if the walking became normal for you everyday, you wouldn't have to adjust for it (or only for the way back!)

Basal bolus. 🙂 Novorapid 3x a day before meals and Levemir at night. 🙂 Changing regimes? Do you mean if I were on the bimodal to change to basal bolus?

I suppose I could walk down there sometime to get prices and times I could go swimming and use that walk to time it accurately and see what my blood sugars are like before and after the walk so I know how much less insulin I need to take off for the walking. Probably won't go there tomorrow. Went out today and it was quite white. Managed to fall over as well and that was just in town. The leisure centre is way out of town.

 

[Copepod]

Hi Marc

I wouldn't advise anyone to change regimes, but would let any active adult know that basal bolus regimes exist - I did explain to the hospital team where I was diagnosed (1996) that I was keen on outdoor activities etc, but they put me on bimodal regime. I only discovered that basal bolus regime existed after going on holiday to Belgium with an Australian student midwife friend, who noticed that 30 mins advance warning of breakfast & evening meal and needing midday meal & bedtime snack wasn't exactly convenient, so she mentioned it to her mum, a pharmacist in Tasmania, who posted me some information (prior to having email etc) so I could go back to the hospital with the information and ask to change.

But, yes, knowing what regime you are using does make it easier to suggest how / when to adapt. Worth breaking down exercise to walking and swimming. Once you're walking & swimming regularly, you may need to reduce your bolus dose by a couple of units - but check with whoever advises you on your doses. Some councils offer reduced price swimming etc on prescription, so might be worth asking at the leisure centre if there is such a scheme and then asking your GP - although most schemes ar eaimed at getting people who don't do any exercise to do something, rather than reducing costs for those already exercising.

Anyway, good luck with the slippery pavements etc.

 

[MarcLister]

Hi Marc

I wouldn't advise anyone to change regimes, but would let any active adult know that basal bolus regimes exist - I did explain to the hospital team where I was diagnosed (1996) that I was keen on outdoor activities etc, but they put me on bimodal regime. I only discovered that basal bolus regime existed after going on holiday to Belgium with an Australian student midwife friend, who noticed that 30 mins advance warning of breakfast & evening meal and needing midday meal & bedtime snack wasn't exactly convenient, so she mentioned it to her mum, a pharmacist in Tasmania, who posted me some information (prior to having email etc) so I could go back to the hospital with the information and ask to change.

But, yes, knowing what regime you are using does make it easier to suggest how / when to adapt. Worth breaking down exercise to walking and swimming. Once you're walking & swimming regularly, you may need to reduce your bolus dose by a couple of units - but check with whoever advises you on your doses. Some councils offer reduced price swimming etc on prescription, so might be worth asking at the leisure centre if there is such a scheme and then asking your GP - although most schemes ar eaimed at getting people who don't do any exercise to do something, rather than reducing costs for those already exercising.

Anyway, good luck with the slippery pavements etc.

Thanks for the advice. 🙂 Will get in touch with my GP/DSN and see what they say. Interestingly Bletchley leisure centre is closer in terms of walking time! 😛

 

[terryg12]

I just wanted to add that you shouldn't let it put you off exercise. I started running a couple of years ago and really struggled with balancing the insulin and what to eat etc. It does take some trial and error to get it right for you but it is worth it. I ran the London Marathon last year and my Hba1c's have never been better.

 

[Freddie99]

I love to do exercise. Shame that I haven't really been doing much over the past month due to exams. I love to play rugby, run and row. I do these when I'm at school. At the moment I row twice a week at school. I really should get myself out a bit do some running at the weekends really. That would help to bring my sugars under control I think.

Tom H

 

[JULIE]

Exercise&type 1

I exercise 4-5 times a week and have done for sometime. What I have battled with is my weight even though I am pretty fit. As I have said on my first introduction to this fantastic website is that DAFNE will help considerably with food,exercise sugar levels and dose adjustment and hopefully I will lose a few poundsand it will assist you in planned or unplanned exercise that even includes swinging from chandeliers! Jelly babies are incredibly good for fastacting solutions to hypos and are easy to take and taste nice unlike ghastly glucose tablets. When I had to stop exercising my control went banzai and I felt quite down Im not an exercise junkie but I have a stressful job and find as I get older(47)I dont want to let my body droop.

Anythings better that nothing and good on anyone like yourself that does it.The majority of the people I work with think Im mad but its good socially aswell. Julie

 

[Daisy]

For football I need to actually inject insulin before the game to prevent my blood sugar soaring and ending up in the 20's. I need to start the game within range and then inject a small dose of insulin. My DSN explained to me that without enough circulating insulin when glucose is released for energy it can't then be taken up by the muscles, so remains in blood and sends levels high. So a small dose is needed to allow glucose to enter muscles.

I fidn that the the remainder of the day after exercise I am mor einsulin sensitive.

Sure it's not stress that does that!! LOL!!! Have to get that goal...
This is a classic example of everybody's needs are different - badminton has only a small effect on my bs levels - and I run a round a lot! I do not do a lot of exercise now - but used to go to the gym and swim, do weights, and cardio 7 times a week - oh! and I did a 5k run - (not in Northerner's league at all - desperately tried to like running but never did!). The only thing I would advise is never to have high blood sugars before you start any exercise as they just get higher (like Nikki says - not enough insulin to counter liver producing glucose naturally during exercise). I used to have a nightmare with this. Personally between 6-7 is good for me and depending on what I am doing I may have water with orange juice in it to give my self a sustained top up. but it really is a small amount. I find if I exercise within those levels for an hour or less I do not need a top up during exercise - just afterwards. Hope this helps.