Cycling with Type 2

[parksey78]

Hi all, I've recently been diagnosed with T2 following an HbA1c reading of 108 back in January. I've put a more detailed "welcome" post elsewhere on the forum. 🙂

I'm keen to get back into cycling as a primary means of exercise to get both my weight and Diabetes under control, and so would appreciate hearing others' experiences about cycling with T2, and any considerations to take into account.

I guess I'm most interested in any changes to think about with eating both before and during a ride. I do currently finger prick to check my blood sugars, but it seems a cumbersome thing to do whilst out on the bike, particularly disposing of the sharps.

I used to be a very keen cyclist, both road and MTB, and do have a few quid's worth of bikes currently gathering dust in my garage... Up until around 4 years ago, a typical Sunday morning for me would involve something like a 50-60 mile road ride, usually around the Hampshire end of the South Downs, the Test Valley or the New Forest.

I was a committed all-weather cycle commuter (around 8 miles each way) and had done a few long-distance rides, most notably London-to-Paris in 2016, as well as things like the BHF London-to-Brighton ride (both on and off road) and RideLondon too. The thought of doing anything like that now fills me with dread, but I'm keen to get back to those levels of cycling/general fitness.

The last notable ride for me was a 20-mile MTB route back in December, pre-diagnosis, and I was knackered by the halfway point and had to cut it short. I've dusted off the road bike with a view to doing a gentle 10-mile route at the weekend, so will see how I get on with that. An upcoming office move offers the opportunity for me to start commuting again, approx. 5 miles each way.

So yeah, let me know what your experiences have been like since being diagnosed, whether you were already a committed cyclist, or if it's something you've got into since.

Happy to geek out on bike talk too, for those interested... The current "stable" is as follows:

2017 Giant TCR Advanced Pro 1 - I treated myself to this when I was at the peak of my cycling fitness
2018 Vitus Substance V2 - this is the do-it-all/commuter bike, but surprisingly capable too
2020 Whyte 429 - I've been on/off with MTB over the years, this was a lockdown purchase to get back into it

But there've been many others that have come and gone over the years... I'm also amazed at the cost of bikes now, the latest version of my Giant is near enough twice what I paid for mine!

 

[rebrascora]

Hi.
Not a cyclist myself but it will help others to know what medication if any you are on for your diabetes as that can make the most significant impact on advice for exercising in general. For example, insulin or Gliclazide can cause you to hypo, whereas most other medications will not.
If dietary controlled then what diet are you following? The Newcastle Diet or Fast 800 may not provide you with enough energy to significant or prolonged exercise.

 

[parksey78]

Thanks @rebrascora , so I'm just taking Metformin for the Diabetes, 2000mg per day at present. Not taking insulin or similar, but am on a couple of blood pressure tablets (Amlodipine & Ramipril).

Diet isn't anything specific, just "healthier" eating and portion control. I'm not keen on the idea of either fasting or super low calorie diets, unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Spathiphyllum]

Hi.
Not a cyclist myself but it will help others to know what medication if any you are on for your diabetes as that can make the most significant impact on advice for exercising in general. For example, insulin or Gliclazide can cause you to hypo, whereas most other medications will not.
If dietary controlled then what diet are you following? The Newcastle Diet or Fast 800 may not provide you with enough energy to significant or prolonged exercise.

Also not a cyclist myself! But keen walker and jogger (and in the past keen swimmer and gymmer).

With regard to diet: Not sure I agree with Barbara regarding low-calorie diet "may not provide you with enough energy" for "significant or prolonged exercise".

Before my Type 1 diagnosis, for years, I found that, even if I had eaten little all day and nothing for some hours, and then did some serious exercise-- tough for the first maybe 15 mins, but then something would click and I'd feel great. I think the 'click' is where your body turns on the fat-burning mechanism; once that's on, you have the energy you need, provided you have enough fat to burn.

Since my Type 1 diagnosis, I can't do that due to hypo risk! (And due to the fact that pre-diagnosis unintentional weight loss means I still need to gain some weight to get back up to BMI 18.) But, if Parksey is wanting to lose weight-- and given that he's not taking any drugs that cause hypo risk-- that's the zone he wants to be in.

 

[parksey78]

Interesting point @Spathiphyllum , when I was cycling regularly I'd often go out "fasted", not a conscious choice specifically, more that I'd be motivated to be up and out before eating any breakfast. Like you, it would take a short while for me to get into the swing of things, but I could manage a moderately-intensive ride for up to even a couple of hours seemingly just on fat reserves (I've got plenty of those!), and then having a fairly protein-rich meal or shake on returning.

For longer rides, I would eat beforehand, usually porridge, and then carry typical cyclist sustenance like bananas or flapjack, and maybe the odd gel or jelly babies for those more instant energy hits. Again, that would do the trick, and I'd happily be out for hours without any particular issues.

That served me well at the time (remembering this was pre-diagnosis) and, over a couple of years, I shifted around 30kgs of weight in total, whilst still eating and drinking quite a lot of bad things! Lower intensity cycling does seem to be a really good option for weight loss though, as much why I'm keen to get back into it.

My BMI is currently 31.8, but has already come down from close to 35 thanks to initial changes to my diet and walking, but I still need to shift another 20kgs or so to get into a healthy BMI range.

 

[Spathiphyllum]

Interesting point @Spathiphyllum , when I was cycling regularly I'd often go out "fasted", not a conscious choice specifically, more that I'd be motivated to be up and out before eating any breakfast. Like you, it would take a short while for me to get into the swing of things, but I could manage a moderately-intensive ride for up to even a couple of hours seemingly just on fat reserves (I've got plenty of those!), and then having a fairly protein-rich meal or shake on returning.

For longer rides, I would eat beforehand, usually porridge, and then carry typical cyclist sustenance like bananas or flapjack, and maybe the odd gel or jelly babies for those more instant energy hits. Again, that would do the trick, and I'd happily be out for hours without any particular issues.

That served me well at the time (remembering this was pre-diagnosis) and, over a couple of years, I shifted around 30kgs of weight in total, whilst still eating and drinking quite a lot of bad things! Lower intensity cycling does seem to be a really good option for weight loss though, as much why I'm keen to get back into it.

My BMI is currently 31.8, but has already come down from close to 35 thanks to initial changes to my diet and walking, but I still need to shift another 20kgs or so to get into a healthy BMI range.

For me too, exercising 'fasted' was never a conscious choice, just one thing or another!

Yup, moderate intensity aerobic exercise, of any kind, is definitely the way to go in order to burn fat. And remember: having Type 1, like me, completely changes how one needs to manage exercise (and makes managing it quite difficult, which is a pain for people like me who love exercise)-- but Type 2 doesn't.

It sounds to me as though if you just go back to what you used to do, that would be exactly the ticket! Just back off on the gel, jelly babies, and flapjack. ; ) As a Type 1, I would need to take those with me, but you don't. Stick with the bananas! Or try my usual long-hike sustenance? Apple (less likely than banana to get squished!) and peanuts.

Anyway, well done for the weight you've already lost, and roll on! Keep us posted on what works for you.

 

[helli]

I do currently finger prick to check my blood sugars, but it seems a cumbersome thing to do whilst out on the bike, particularly disposing of the sharps.

How often do you change your lancet?
It is a common joke to change lancets on St Swithins Day but other change theirs on 29th Feb.
It is important to change a needle each time it is used but less so the lancets used for finger pricking.

 

[parksey78]

How often do you change your lancet?
It is a common joke to change lancets on St Swithins Day but other change theirs on 29th Feb.
It is important to change a needle each time it is used but less so the lancets used for finger pricking.

Interesting comment... I use the Microlet ones, the nice multi-colour pack, and bin it after every test. I was told by the nurse they were single use, but clearly others take a different view!

I have previously used the same lancet more than once, but only if the first prick didn't draw enough blood to register a reading on the device.

I'm currently getting them on prescription (with the Contour test strips), but am testing 4 or 5 times a day, so needing to renew the prescription for these far more often than for the medication itself.

Lots still to learn...

 

[Drummer]

Thanks @rebrascora , so I'm just taking Metformin for the Diabetes, 2000mg per day at present. Not taking insulin or similar, but am on a couple of blood pressure tablets (Amlodipine & Ramipril).

Diet isn't anything specific, just "healthier" eating and portion control. I'm not keen on the idea of either fasting or super low calorie diets, unless absolutely necessary.

I eat every 12 hours or so, just morning and evening, and then in between I don't need to be concerned about food.
Though I don't cycle much these days - I could never cope with a long ride when eating the high carb diet my GP wanted me to follow, my stamina has improved greatly since diagnosis and I don't run out of steam like many of the people I go out with on the morris teams I play for.
Relying on my own metabolism to do what is right for my body seems to be the best way to deal with type 2 rather than following a one size fits all approach which my GP tried, reaching for the prescription pad as soon as I went in the door to his room.

 

[McBride8]

When I got diagnosed in March 2021 I had an HBA1C of 100. I was and still am a regular cyclist and I'm still learning about cycling with type 2. When my blood sugar ws really high I noticed that I was getting cramps quite a lot. Bannanas and electrolytes seemed to solve that. Also gels and hi carb bars are like cryptonite when you have type 2. Now that my blood sugar sits at just the high end of normal, I would usually have a bannana before a ride and electrolytes in my drink. Because my sugar sits high that would be enough for a 2-3 hour ride. On bigger rides I actually do take some sweeties. After about three hours a fruit pastel won't change the world. I've even been known to take a sausage roll. Oh and let's not forget strong coffee