# Prolonged hypers post exercise



## Donna Louise (Oct 5, 2021)

I am exercising 3 times a week mainly indoor rowing. (I have lost 10 pounds in the last 3 weeks through healthy eating). About an hour after exercising my sugars are about 12 and are still high about 4 hours later. When I measure my sugars on waking they are over 8 when they were previously about 7 I feel fine and am taking my meds as normal? Bit worried, any ideas as to why this is happening?


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## helli (Oct 5, 2021)

How intense is your exercise, how long do you do it for and do you experience discomfort from your exercise?
I ask because there is quite a bit going on which can affect your blood sugars. To start with, our liver releases glucose to give us the energy for exercise. This can raise our blood sugars. Then, if we continue to exercise, our body becomes more efficient at using insulin so we need less to use the sugar so our levels can drop. But there are other things which can affect our levels such as stress.
This is why high intensity interval training tends to cause levels to go up and prolonger exercise at a comfortable levels tends to cause them to go down.

The example I would for me is cycling.
If I pootle along a flat route chatting with my mates, my heart rate remains stable and so does myt blood sugars.
If I do a medium intensity 45 minute ride, I get out of breath and my heart will rise but be sustained and my blood sugars will fall.
If I do short sprints, heart rate will and I will get very out of breath quickly and my levels will rise.
If I cycle up a long steep hill against the wind on a horrible wet day, my levels will rise.

Exercise is not equal.


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## Donna Louise (Oct 5, 2021)

I row quite vigorously for 35 mins, cycle only moderately for about 10mins weights. I don't experience any discomfort, in fact I feel pretty good. I don't feel breathless just sweaty. Appreciate 'not all exercise is equal', more concerned about the prolonged knock on effects of blood sugars and what I can do to correct the hypers.


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## ianf0ster (Oct 5, 2021)

Hi @Donna Louise and welcome to the forum.
May I ask if you are low carbing or not? If not then it may be the carbs you eat (for energy) before your exercise that are compounding the higher BG cause by the exercise.


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## Donna Louise (Oct 5, 2021)

Hi ianf0ster, thank you for your welcome. 
I'm not low-carbing, I eat a banana and a low fat muller rice pot about an hour before I exercise. I am attempting to eat healthily (still eating carbs) and have lost 10 lbs in the last 3 weeks. 
What do you think I can do to help things?


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## EmmaL76 (Oct 5, 2021)

That might be it, the banana and muller would be about 40g carbs and your exercising after an hour which will be when that food hits it peak. Plus exercise can raise sugars also. Although a perfectly healthy option,  most of us would see high numbers after those with or without a workout. It’s really hard to get your head around especially when you feel like you making all the right choices and putting in the work, but it does get easier I promise xx


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## Kaylz (Oct 5, 2021)

There may be your problem then, a pot of the plain rice has near 30g carbs and 100g banana around 20g carbs, have you tested these foods alone without adding the exercise? I suspect they may be higher if you weren't exercising after it if I'm honest xx


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## Donna Louise (Oct 5, 2021)

EmmaL76 said:


> That might be it, the banana and muller would be about 40g carbs and your exercising after an hour which will be when that food hits it peak. Plus exercise can raise sugars also. Although a perfectly healthy option,  most of us would see high numbers after those with or without a workout. It’s really hard to get your head around especially when you feel like you making all the right choices and putting in the work, but it does get easier I promise xx


Thank you for your email. Have only ever taken meds(although one of them is gliclizide) so I had never  had to consider amount of carbs. What would be a better option?


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## EmmaL76 (Oct 5, 2021)

How about something like this, these are my favourite from m&s. Quite filling and 6.9g carbs other supermarkets do similar ones. Look for anything under 10g if you want to avoid a big spike xx


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## Donna Louise (Oct 5, 2021)

Kaylz said:


> There may be your problem then, a pot of the plain rice has near 30g carbs and 100g banana around 20g carbs, have you tested these foods alone without adding the exercise? I suspect they may be higher if you weren't exercising after it if I'm honest xx


Thank you for your email. Have only ever used meds which meant I didn't need to test, but am taking gliclizide now so am testing. 
So counting carbs is not something I've done. How can I bring the sugars down otherwise?


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## Donna Louise (Oct 5, 2021)

EmmaL76 said:


> How about something like this, these are my favourite from m&s. Quite filling and 6.9g carbs other supermarkets do similar ones. Look for anything under 10g if you want to avoid a big spike xx


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## Donna Louise (Oct 5, 2021)

So should I eat this an hour before exercising? xx


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## ianf0ster (Oct 5, 2021)

Donna Louise said:


> So should I eat this an hour before exercising? xx


The comments about reducing the amount of carbohydrates don't only apply to before exercise. Rather than low carb manufactured food products, I prefer to eat real natural food even when that comes with the fat it naturally comes with (i.e. as eaten for generations before the obesity/diabetes crisis).

If you were 'fat adapted' then you wouldn't need to eat anything before exercise (unless you are a professional athlete). Because you would have access to all that stored fuel in the form of your body fat. 
But since you aren't in that position I suggest eating something with some healthy fats and medium carbs. In order to make it similar to what you currently eat I suggest something such as some of the higher carb nuts (cashews, pistachios even almonds), and /or some berries (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry or blueberry) and /or some seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, flax, chia) with some full fat greek style yogurt.


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## ianf0ster (Oct 5, 2021)

Eating enough protein with some fat will keep your energy high and keep you feeling satiated without feeling bloated for much longer than a meal of carbohydrates will.


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## travellor (Oct 5, 2021)

I never ate specifically low carb for exercise.
Fat before exercise usually makes me feel sick, and certainly takes the edge off the workout.
I usually took an apple.
I did a lot of exercise, and yes, you will see BG possibly rise initially.
Any change in routine will normally take about two weeks to settle down again.
However, that's quite normal, and as your muscles start to lose some of the insulin resistance, and start to use the glucose releases, (a couple of weeks) you'll notice a great improvement.
Also, the effects of the exercise will last a few days beyond the point at which you did the exercise.
As to the impact, I usually try to triple my heart rate, then keep it at double, but I certainly wouldn't advise that for anyone else.
The loss of weight is excellent so far!


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## Donna Louise (Oct 5, 2021)

Thank you so much for your message. That makes sense, my heart rate is about double, get a bit sweaty but good otherwise.


ianf0ster said:


> The comments about reducing the amount of carbohydrates don't only apply to before exercise. Rather than low carb manufactured food products, I prefer to eat real natural food even when that comes with the fat it naturally comes with (i.e. as eaten for generations before the obesity/diabetes crisis).
> 
> If you were 'fat adapted' then you wouldn't need to eat anything before exercise (unless you are a professional athlete). Because you would have access to all that stored fuel in the form of your body fat.
> But since you aren't in that position I suggest eating something with some healthy fats and medium carbs. In order to make it similar to what you currently eat I suggest something such as some of the higher carb nuts (cashews, pistachios even almonds), and /or some berries (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry or blueberry) and /or some seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, flax, chia) with some full fat greek style yogurt
> ...


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## Donna Louise (Oct 5, 2021)

ianf0ster said:


> Eating enough protein with some fat will keep your energy high and keep you feeling satiated without feeling bloated for much longer than a meal of carbohydrates will.


Thank you very much for you advice.


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## Drummer (Oct 5, 2021)

I eat at 12 hourly intervals, and that is it.
We can usually store enough energy to face just about anything for several days and survive - so I can't see the logic in preparing to exercise by eating.
When I go out for the day I usually take something to drink, but that is all I need. It doesn't feel like I am doing anything unusual - but perhaps I am.


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## Donna Louise (Oct 7, 2021)

Thank you for your help. I think I'm going to stick to a little bit of everything in moderation. I've lost 10 pounds doing this so far and I hope the blood sugars will sort themselves out as I loose weight.


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## ianf0ster (Oct 7, 2021)

Donna Louise said:


> Thank you for your help. I think I'm going to stick to a little bit of everything in moderation. I've lost 10 pounds doing this so far and I hope the blood sugars will sort themselves out as I loose weight.


I would just like to point out that although @travellor promotes 'moderation', they actually used the 'Newcastle Diet' to get to the place they're in currently. 
The Newcastle Diet is much more extreme than 'Low Carb' can be (of course 'Low Carb' can also be as extreme as desired).
Newcastle is an 800 Calories per day for 8 week regime. The meal replacement shakes consist of 600 calories , 46.4 % of which are carbohydrates , 32.5% of protein and 20.1% of fat.

This equals approx 75 gms of carbohydrates - which is well into the 'Low Carb' and not so far from the 'Ketogenic levels'.
Yet they say that 1,500 to 2,000 calories including up to 130 gms of carbohydrates is exceedingly strict!

Perhaps some do better with meal replacement shakes, but to claim that Low Carb is excessive, unsustainable etc. when compared to Newcastle is just crazy!

Oh, and Newcastle doesn't claim to cure diabetes - just to put it into remission like Low Carb does. The success rates for the two methods are comparable with Low Carb having the edge by upt to 10% more remissions at the 2yr point.


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## travellor (Oct 7, 2021)

ianf0ster said:


> I would just like to point out that although @travellor promotes 'moderation', they actually used the 'Newcastle Diet' to get to the place they're in currently.
> The Newcastle Diet is much more extreme than 'Low Carb' can be (of course 'Low Carb' can also be as extreme as desired).
> Newcastle is an 800 Calories per day for 8 week regime. The meal replacement shakes consist of 600 calories , 46.4 % of which are carbohydrates , 32.5% of protein and 20.1% of fat.
> 
> ...



I'm glad we agree the Newcastle Diet is a viable low carb diet.
The number of times I've seen people advised it's mostly carbs and should be avoided is unbelievable.
Sadly, it does seem many people don't look beyond the initial eight weeks, and miss the point the if diabetes is cured, or reversed, (or put into "remission") it's then possible to eat a normal diet, and not have to worry about the pesky carbs for the rest of your life.
And as you say, the old "balanced" diet certainly did you and me no harm.
It was a large bowl of porridge for me this morning, just like my grandmother started the day with.
I'm just back form the gym, breadmaker on for later, and finishing off the last one I made for lunch.
(ok, bit of a cheat with the breadmaker, I'm sure, like mine, your grandparents made bread most days by hand)


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## travellor (Oct 7, 2021)

Donna Louise said:


> Thank you for your help. I think I'm going to stick to a little bit of everything in moderation. I've lost 10 pounds doing this so far and I hope the blood sugars will sort themselves out as I loose weight.



Excellent results.
Keep at it!
I've just joined a second gym yesterday, I moved during lockdown and realised even though the first one they carried my membership through to next year, I just wasn't getting there enough.
The new one is ten minutes walk away, so the target is 1 hour a day, 5 times a week, and a couple of evening swimming sessions.
I have some catching up to do!


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## Drummer (Oct 7, 2021)

Donna Louise said:


> Thank you for your help. I think I'm going to stick to a little bit of everything in moderation. I've lost 10 pounds doing this so far and I hope the blood sugars will sort themselves out as I loose weight.


From my own experience, I can only say that you'll have a much better result if you base your meals around meat, fish and seafood, eggs, cheese, full fat yoghurt, salad stuff and low carb veges and then a few times a week have berries - but do check your levels after eating,
You can indeed eat carbs, but they will most certainly raise your blood glucose levels, the more concentrated the carb 'hit' the higher the spike is the usual rule of thumb. By cutting out high carb foods and finding out the amounts and the foods you can eat at meal times using a meter and adjusting according to what you see, your averages will reduce, your spikes will reduce, your liver will not be so 'helpful' pouring out its excess glucose - and I found my weight had reduced quite drastically with no effort at all.
By all means keep exercising, it will mean you become fitter, and more muscle can deal with more glucose, but it is a hard road to go when there is a far easier route you might take.
These days, just under 5 years from diagnosis, and all of them low carb, I can go out and pick an apple to add to the pork casserole I am preparing for dinner - I have been classed as in remission for a number of years and diabetes is so irrelevant now.
I have just found that I need to sort out a new winter wardrobe again, as I have shrunk, again, but that is all to the good.


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## Donna Louise (Oct 7, 2021)

ianf0ster said:


> I would just like to point out that although @travellor promotes 'moderation', they actually used the 'Newcastle Diet' to get to the place they're in currently.
> The Newcastle Diet is much more extreme than 'Low Carb' can be (of course 'Low Carb' can also be as extreme as desired).
> Newcastle is an 800 Calories per day for 8 week regime. The meal replacement shakes consist of 600 calories , 46.4 % of which are carbohydrates , 32.5% of protein and 20.1% of fat.
> 
> ...


I have epilepsy and am vegetarian so I cannot do the low calorie diet and I don't think I could stick to low carb for long, might loose weight quickly but keeping to it for life seems unlikely.


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## helli (Oct 7, 2021)

Drummer said:


> From my own experience, I can only say that you'll have a much better result if you base your meals around meat, fish and seafood, eggs, cheese, full fat yoghurt, salad stuff and low carb veges and then a few times a week have berries - but do check your levels after eating,


Please take care when questioning someone's choice to eat a vegetarian diet. There are many reasons why someone may eat this diet including religious and cultural reason. It may not be a choice. 
It is great that your diet works for you but please be aware that it may not be culturally sensitive for others.


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## ianf0ster (Oct 7, 2021)

Donna Louise said:


> I have epilepsy and am vegetarian so I cannot do the low calorie diet and I don't think I could stick to low carb for long, might loose weight quickly but keeping to it for life seems unlikely.


Just want to point out that way back 100yrs ago or so a low carb/keto way of eating was successfully used for treating both childhood epilepsy and for Type 2 Diabetes. It was also used to prolong the lives of Type 1 diabetics, but nothing could circumvent their ultimate need for Insulin.


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## ianf0ster (Oct 7, 2021)

helli said:


> Please take care when questioning someone's choice to eat a vegetarian diet. There are many reasons why someone may eat this diet including religious and cultural reason. It may not be a choice.
> It is great that your diet works for you but please be aware that it may not be culturally sensitive for others.


@helli While what you say is true, I hope it wasn't meant as a criticism of @Drummer  who made that post *before the OP had revealed being a vegetarian.*


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## Leadinglights (Oct 7, 2021)

I don't think being vegetarian should present difficulty in finding plenty of low carb meals which will give you a varied and sustainable dietary regime if that is what is going to help your blood glucose management.
Many of the low carb recipe books I have do have many vegetarian meals.


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## Donna Louise (Oct 7, 2021)

Thank you I will look into this.


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## Drummer (Oct 8, 2021)

helli said:


> Please take care when questioning someone's choice to eat a vegetarian diet. There are many reasons why someone may eat this diet including religious and cultural reason. It may not be a choice.
> It is great that your diet works for you but please be aware that it may not be culturally sensitive for others.


It would really help to have it mentioned - as far as I can see, it was not revealed until message no 38 in this thread. Perhaps there could be a line included in the signature to indicate the type of diet.


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## travellor (Oct 8, 2021)

Donna Louise said:


> I am exercising 3 times a week mainly indoor rowing. (I have lost 10 pounds in the last 3 weeks through healthy eating). About an hour after exercising my sugars are about 12 and are still high about 4 hours later. When I measure my sugars on waking they are over 8 when they were previously about 7 I feel fine and am taking my meds as normal? Bit worried, any ideas as to why this is happening?



Just back from the gym.
I'm back in my old routine, a circuit of all the resistance and weight machines, 10 reps, 2 sets, 10 minutes exercise bike, 10 minutes rowing, 10 minutes treadmill, then back on another circuit of the machines to finish.
Large bowl of porridge and grapes and raspberries at about 10am, let it settle, then started at the gym at 12:15, finished an hour later, nothing at the gym but water.
I decided to test my blood after the discussion on here, (I haven't actually checked for ages), it's in at 4.9.

Like many others on here, your body will adjust to your new regime if you give it a couple of weeks.

Now to chill in the hot tub.


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## Donna Louise (Oct 8, 2021)

Thanks for that,encouraging how things can change. Enjoy your hot tub!


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## Jenny105 (Oct 9, 2021)

travellor said:


> Just back from the gym.
> I'm back in my old routine, a circuit of all the resistance and weight machines, 10 reps, 2 sets, 10 minutes exercise bike, 10 minutes rowing, 10 minutes treadmill, then back on another circuit of the machines to finish.
> Large bowl of porridge and grapes and raspberries at about 10am, let it settle, then started at the gym at 12:15, finished an hour later, nothing at the gym but water.
> I decided to test my blood after the discussion on here, (I haven't actually checked for ages), it's in at 4.9.
> ...


@travellor   (?? i think    )              Im a 2 month newbie (probably) type 2 .Metformin slow release.
Twice a week I swim or do an aqua aerobics class. After my last aqua @ 10.30am. I felt a bit weary and hungry. I took a reading at 5.4. Should I eat some carbs b4 ?  after the class?  Or wait til lunch.  Brekkie is about 7.30 am. Class @ 9.15. Im ok on other days after brisk 1 hr walk on the Downs etc .           Any suggestions?


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## travellor (Oct 9, 2021)

5.4 sounds spot on.
I wouldn't eat before, if you already had breakfast. 
Again, I wouldn't eat after, until lunch as normal either.
Unless you can't wait, but then just bring it forwards a bit.
Maybe just a coffee when I got home, 

After a while your body will get used to the new regime, and it'll feel normal.


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## Jenny105 (Oct 9, 2021)

@travellor. OK  sounds good.   Thanks


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## trophywench (Oct 14, 2021)

@travellor - Hot tub always reduces my BG so if I stay in it longer than 10 minutes, I'll be hypo and have difficulty getting out.  My T2 friend was much the same as me.


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## travellor (Oct 15, 2021)

trophywench said:


> @travellor - Hot tub always reduces my BG so if I stay in it longer than 10 minutes, I'll be hypo and have difficulty getting out.  My T2 friend was much the same as me.


It most likely reduces mine as well.
Well actually, I can't say that as I haven't tested since I bought it, but a hot bath used to when I did, so I guess it probably still will.
Then again, we do eat and drink in it, so that'll push it back up.
I used to think it might be the increased blood flow, and the increased capillary flow letting the body use the BG better.


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## Jenny105 (Oct 15, 2021)

trophywench said:


> @travellor - Hot tub always reduces my BG so if I stay in it longer than 10 minutes, I'll be hypo and have difficulty getting out.  My T2 friend was much the same as me.


Cor Ive always fancied a hot tub (well warm tub - ive got used to cold showers these days- saves fuel  ).  Are the temperatures variable? Would it help your BGs to reduce the hot water temp gradually.


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## Jenny105 (Oct 15, 2021)

travellor said:


> It most likely reduces mine as well.
> Well actually, I can't say that as I haven't tested since I bought it, but a hot bath used to when I did, so I guess it probably still will.
> Then again, we do eat and drink in it, so that'll push it back up.
> I used to think it might be the increased blood flow, and the increased capillary flow letting the body use the BG better.


Can one float (5'1 inch) in hot tub in winter ???


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## travellor (Oct 15, 2021)

Jenny105 said:


> Can one float (5'1 inch) in hot tub in winter ???


I'm afraid they aren't good on the electric bill. 
But they are variable to 40C. 
Not easy to float in, ours is more sit in, but big enough to get all of you under in the chilly weather.
It's probably  emptied at the end of November, but my daughter keeps hers out all year.


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