Pump users that go to the gym!

[Maco]

I’m just wondering if there’s anyone on here who uses pump therapy & does any sort of heavy weight lifting at the gym? I’m on the new 780G pump, in automode so it’s doing my basal & background corrections for me. It’s keeping my happily in range all day + night until I attend the gym (I have keys so attend on my own in lockdown). So today for example, reading before the gym was 8.5 I had a pre workout snack which I took a bolus for. Did my 1hr gym session all heavy weights came out to a BG reading of 16 with my pumps sensor reading of 14.4.

Before the pump I use to inject for my ore workout & add on a unit or two to compensate for my gym session but I don’t really want to add “fake carbs” when using the pump. Especially when automode is suppose to correct any sort of rises.

So if anyone attends a gym & has a pump, what’s your ritual for the gym? I’ve only really came across this problem since starting the pump, on injections I could manage it a little better.

 

[Inka]

I don’t understand how auto mode works but I just treat a gym session on the pump pretty much like when on MDI except I use a temp basal sometimes.

Apart from the auto mode, why don’t you want to have the insulin/carbs you need?

 

[Maco]

I don’t understand how auto mode works but I just treat a gym session on the pump pretty much like when on MDI except I use a temp basal sometimes.

Apart from the auto mode, why don’t you want to have the insulin/carbs you need?

Probably should of worded it better. I can set a temp target in automode but not temp basal, the recommended temp target is 8.3 so obviously higher than my normal target range to stop hypos. That would be completely pointless for a heavy weight gym session because obviously weights spike your reading. I am taking the correct amount of insulin for what I eat before the gym but obviously still seeing a big spike in my readings because of the type of workout. Pre gym 8.5 post gym 16 & raising. Like I say, usually when I was on MDI I would just take a couple units of insulin with my pen but with the pump I’ve been told lots of times that entering a ‘fake carbs’ is a big no no!

Naturally I would of expected automode to take care off any raises that are happening during a workout but maybe the spike is too much for it to handle

 

[Inka]

Did the auto mode bring you down eventually? I’ve never been told not to enter “fake carbs”. I do what I need and the pump deals with it, but I don’t have auto mode or any loop going on so it’s a bit different for me.

So I’m probably no help really - sorry! If you search for your pump on the forum, you could find other users who might know more and have some general advice.

Hope you get it sorted. Highs are frustrating - particularly when you’re exercising.

 

[Maco]

Did the auto mode bring you down eventually? I’ve never been told not to enter “fake carbs”. I do what I need and the pump deals with it, but I don’t have auto mode or any loop going on so it’s a bit different for me.

So I’m probably no help really - sorry! If you search for your pump on the forum, you could find other users who might know more and have some general advice.

Hope you get it sorted. Highs are frustrating - particularly when you’re exercising.

As of yet I’m still quite high, auto mode is frustrating because it knows my reading is 16/17 but it’s not wanting to give me any correction dose because it’s thinking eventually automode will bring me down. That’s where the only way you could do a corrective bolus would be to enter fake carbs to bolus.

At the minute exercise is the only problem I’m having with automode, it seems like it can’t quite handle it. Apart from exercise it’s keeping me at around 90-95% in range

 

[Inka]

Would it mess things up to do a moderate correction with a pen? I wouldn’t like to stay high like that for too long. That is, don’t tell the pump if it’s going to mess up your data.

Is there any advice about highs? Eg if you were high because of illness or whatever? Or, can you temporarily switch to manual mode this evening and maybe overnight?

 

[Maco]

@Inka I have actually thought of doing that, but then your taking away the pumps features of active insulin etc which I’m guessing is why it won’t give a corrective dose because of active insulin.

Advice on highs is basically to check infusion set & treat with a pen if you think you have a pump problem, but again I know the problem is just how intense the workout is & the type of workout. It kind of puts you in a rubbish situation especially when automode should just be giving corrective bolus soon as it picks up the raise. Switching to manual is easy enough I suppose, just not something I thought I would ever need to do with this new pump.

 

[Inka]

Obviously you must do what you think best, but speaking just for myself, I’ve frequently used a pen when it’s been necessary and I don’t always tell the pump. I do, of course, keep my pen dose in my mind.

A moderate correction would at least get you down a bit and then the auto mode could get you back down the rest of the way.

 

[Inka]

Switching to manual is easy enough I suppose, just not something I thought I would ever need to do with this new pump.

I’d choose the best answer for now, and then perhaps over time you can find a way to get it perfected and refined. I don’t loop, but I do know someone who does and he occasionally has to ‘step in’ and act rather than let the loop do it’s thing. Perhaps none of them are 100% perfect?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I stopped going to the gym a few years ago, and then our dogs arrived, and my gym time got switched to dog walking!

I didn’t used to do heavy weights, my routine was more cardio and light resistance, so I had a BG reduction rather than anaerobic BG boost.

Consequently I needed completely opposite approaches. Reduced breakfast dose and TBR before going, then 0% basal during my session and fast-acting carbs on hand just in case!

I think the Extod website was due for a bit of a refresher, so there may soon be even more good stuff on there for exercise with T1

Home

Home

extod.org

 

[Maco]

I stopped going to the gym a few years ago, and then our dogs arrived, and my gym time got switched to dog walking!

I didn’t used to do heavy weights, my routine was more cardio and light resistance, so I had a BG reduction rather than anaerobic BG boost.

Consequently I needed completely opposite approaches. Reduced breakfast dose and TBR before going, then 0% basal during my session and fast-acting carbs on hand just in case!

I think the Extod website was due for a bit of a refresher, so there may soon be even more good stuff on there for exercise with T1

Home

Home

extod.org

It seems like pumps are one sided towards cardio gym work, I don’t really do any cardio anymore but if I did I would use the temp target. I wonder if I can set my temp target lower at say 5 instead of 8.3 for weight work.

 

[Maco]

Unfortunately ive just checked & the temp target can't be lowered, 8.2mmol of nothing. Thankfully automode has brought me back down to 8.5mmol. Just a shame you've got to go so high first when exercising