I'm not sure if this makes sense and I've not had much luck Googling. Maybe because I'm not googling the right thing? I know exercise reduces insulin resistance but how long for? Say I go to the gym for 45mins-1hour (which is what I'm doing. trying to build my fitness up again gradually) is my insulin resistance decreased for the 24 hours after? a few days? a week? I'm not sure if what I'm asking is making sense but I hope so!
As
@grovesy suggests, the increase in insulin sensitivity from exercise can be up to 24 hours or more - but like anything to do with diabetes it will vary from person to person, and other factors such as type and intensity of exercise...and all the other myriad factors to be considered
🙄 For me, the increase can last for up to 40 hours, which I have determined by observing my levels and whether I have found myself having to reduce my insulin doses subsequently. It does take time to build up this experience because it's hard to go off just a few readings to work out what's going on.
You've probably heard the explanation about diabetes being a bit like a 'lock and a key', where the insulin is the key that opens the 'door' to the body's cells to allow the glucose in, to be used as energy. Well, what happens with exercise is that your body's cells create lots more 'locks' (known as insulin receptors) - and even throw open a few 'windows' - to allow the glucose into the cell more easily. Hence the cells respond more easily and you need less insulin until the cells 'settle down' again and the extra receptors go, the open windows are shut again
🙂 This is why there is a period of many hours where they remain sensitive. Of course, sustained, regular exercise keeps this sensitivity up, so you reach a new level where you perhaps need to reduce basal insulin as well as mealtime insulin.
I hope that makes some sense!
🙂
