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Exercise and type 1

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Posted 4/9/2017 6:13 PM (GMT 0)
This is more like a report on what I've been doing the last few months, but I'm also a little bit confused in combining type 1 and exercise.

I've been trying to make some changes in the way I live. So, the first thing I did was move out to an apartment of my own. Eventually I figured that I must be in a pretty bad shape, even got sent to a fitness test, the result was unsurprisingly weak, so I got myself a personal trainer and started going to a gym. I've been doing that all this year and am seeing some results and also feeling better. My trainer also sparked something in me so that I have completely stopped eating microwave dishes and am actually cooking proper food for myself. I'm aiming to get into the "mediocre physical shape" bracket by July.

But, now, I'm also figuring out what effect exercise can have to my blood glucose levels. I've been a type 1 diabetic for 30 years and still keep learning new stuff about myself. A regular 1 hour exercise can apparently cause my blood glucose to drop by almost 10 mmol/l (180) which means I must take some extra carbohydates to avoid passing out. The rule is to take something after every 30-60 minutes of exercise. Looks like I would have to balance the drop with up to 50g of carbohydrates for every hour. That's a little off of the rule of 20-40g every hour that I've been told, which is confusing me. I guess I should verify this with some more bgl measurement and that way I'll answer my own question.

And, then I've also been told that a really heavy exercise can actually raise blood glucose levels instead of lowering it. Further confusion comes from the fact that I've been considered insulin resistant, so the 10 mmol/l unit drop seems surprising to me (from 15 to 5). Sure, I was drinking a lot of water and I did take the measurement 1 hour after I had left the gym.
Posted 4/9/2017 7:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi! So glad to see you again and that you're doing well! I know that exercise, both cardio and strength-building, helps control blood sugar and also helps everyone's general health, but for specific information about a type 1's blood sugar and exercise, I don't know enough to give advice.

However, I am posting a link to a diabetes forum associated with Dr. Richard Bernstein who is a type 1 himself and a medical doctor. I am not a member of that forum but there might be some areas of it that could be useful to you. www.diabetesforum.com/

He is the person who wrote Diabetes Solution - the book that put me on the road for controlling my own blood sugar with diet and exercise. I'm going to check it out for information that might help with what you posted today. If I find anything, I will come back and post what I find.

yeah
Posted 4/10/2017 8:21 PM (GMT 0)
In Bernstein's book Diabetes Solution, he recommends keeping glucose tablets on you in case of your blood sugar going very low. Also, he says it's helpful to know what to expect before you start so you would have to test before and after you engage in whatever activity you are going to do so you know pretty much how low it will go.

Regular and sustained cardio helps break down and control insulin resistance so over time, your body will be using insulin more effectively and you might need to adjust your injections.

Obviously, all this implies that you have to test a lot and know how the exercise is going to affect your blood sugar and you need to be ready to deal with lows.

Wish I could help more!
Posted 4/10/2017 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
I'm trying to get into the practice of measuring just before and some time after the exercise but since I have not done much measuring over the years it's simply not a routine for me - I keep forgetting. And, if I measured immediately after the exercise I might not catch the low point because bgl just keeps dropping afterwards. I plan to measure again after the exercise just before I eat. I learned that I'm supposed to eat a recovery meal within 90 minutes.

Right now I'm thinking "this can't be" but I'm testing things. Of course I have glucose tabs but I usually keep those with me for unexpected emergencies in any case. I prefer something more substantial than plain hard carbs in glucose form, something like a snack, or a drink.

So, I ordered a can of sport drink powder that I could dilute as much I needed to. It's not high in protein. Looks like I am able to consume this high-carb liquid during an exercise without hitting highs. One liter bottle of the prepared liquid holds 53g of carbs which I previously considered very rich and impossible to digest, but if I still have at least some insulin left in my body, it goes down no problem during a one-hour exercise. I'm wondering how was I able to perform a 3-hour cycling trip without any of this stuff when I was younger...

Insulin seems much more effective during and after exercise. I've also noticed after an exercise like this my blood glucose is easier to keep at bay for a day or two. So I bet I would have a very good hba1c if I was to exercise once every 2 days but it remains to be seen can I keep that up. Not quite, seeing that I've only been doing this 2-3 times a week.

After I figure this out, you're right, I should also take lower amounts of insulin during the day before exercising instead of overindulging afterwards... still my weight is not going up even with that. I've actually been losing an inch or two from my waist and now I will soon need to buy new trousers, the belt only helps so far.. Also, it turns out that the type of basal insulin I just switched to does not allow quick adjustments, so I'm stuck with trying to do the same with just rapid acting insulin. Maybe it's the extra-long acting basal insulin that I take in the morning that hits me during an evening exercise..

Anyways, I'll trust my trainers and nutritional therapists advice. I'm feeling healthier thanks to the exercising so I feel that I must find a way to do this. I figured the best answer in this case would be to measure more. I'm trying.
Posted 4/10/2017 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
I am not on insulin so I cannot help you with that although you already have that under control, seems to me. I do know that even if you exercise 2 or 3 times a week, your heart, blood pressure, circulation, blood sugar and probably a lot of other things in the body will benefit. Since high blood sugar over the years can damage the heart, kidney, eyes and circulation, etc. you will definitely see healthy benefits!

Congratulations! yeah
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