# Exercise and Insulin



## Mini-Vicki (Nov 8, 2015)

I wonder if you guys have any helpful tips for me, I'm sure you do!

I started on insulin a few weeks ago, and I haven't had much opportunity to get back to the gym yet, due to lots of long work hours!

Anyway, I'm a bit apprehensive about having a hypo whilst exercising. I tend to be at the gym, when I go, for 60-90 minutes, so that's quite a lot of exercise, My BGs are behaving themselves a lot more these days, generally hanging around 6ish. Do you think it would be a good idea to have a snack, like a banana just before I go to exercise, and then re-test post workout?

I will, of course, take some glucose tablets with me, but I was just wondering how other people manage exercise?

Thanks all!


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## Copepod (Nov 8, 2015)

You already have a good plan, Mini-Vicky. It's worth being aware of how long since your last short acting insulin dose before exercise. You may need to adjust doses of both short acting and long acting insulins for a period of several hours afterwards.

There's a couple of really good websites for people who use insulin and take part in sport:
www.runsweet.com and www.teambloodglucose.com


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## Mini-Vicki (Nov 8, 2015)

Thank you Copepod, I'll have a read of those websites later on


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## Matt Cycle (Nov 8, 2015)

Agree with what Copepod has said and both those websites are very useful.

High intensity exercise can in the short term raise blood glucose levels whereas with prolonged lower intensity exercise you are likely to see a drop in levels.  Depending on the level of your workout levels can keep dropping for quite a while afterwards.  As with most things over time you will begin to see how exercise affects your levels.  Of course this is diabetes we are talking about and nothing is straightforward so what happens on one day may be quite a bit different to another but over time patterns should develop.  Testing is key.  To begin with I would suggest easing into it with plenty of testing.  Don't let diabetes put you off - exercise is great and plenty of us do it.

There are some interesting points and tips along with the science behind it in this Canadian study.

http://insulinfactor.com/graphics/pdf/t1_diabetes_and_vigorous_exercisel.pdf


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## Northerner (Nov 8, 2015)

In addition to the above excellent links and advice I'r recommend reading the Diabetic Athlete's Handbook - helped me understand what was happening and gives some strategies for different sports  As Matt says, test a lot at the start and you will learn your reactions. Different activities affect me in different ways, and using different muscle groups can have an effect (as can where you inject, as it may increase insulin absorption due to increased capillaries around the injection site. Gardening is an almost guaranteed hypo, but I can run for 5-7 miles and be fine  I usually try to inject and eat 1-2 hours prior to exercising so that I have both circulating insulin and food digesting during the activity.


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## HOBIE (Nov 8, 2015)

Good luck & well done for being active. Its good for you & later in life you will get the rewards


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## TheClockworkDodo (Nov 8, 2015)

I was told initially that I should halve my dose of fast-acting insulin if I'm about to do anything energetic (eg halve my breakfast dose if planning to garden that morning).  When I explained that I could never know in advance (due to other illness) what I might be able to do later in the day, they said I should eat a biscuit first, in that case, and test afterwards.

I often find that it catches up with me later though, so if I garden in the morning, instead of hypo-ing lunchtime I might hypo mid-afternoon.


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## Mini-Vicki (Nov 9, 2015)

Thanks all! I will definitely have a look at all the suggested material. 
My BG pre-workout yesterday was 6.5, I had half a banana before and after 90 minutes of training, it was 5.7. So that seemed to work yesterday... It'll just be trial and error I guess.

Thanks for all your help x


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2015)

Mini-Vicki said:


> Thanks all! I will definitely have a look at all the suggested material.
> My BG pre-workout yesterday was 6.5, I had half a banana before and after 90 minutes of training, it was 5.7. So that seemed to work yesterday... It'll just be trial and error I guess.
> 
> Thanks for all your help x


Result!  Do be prepared for your insulin sensitivity gradually increasing and doses reducing - sometimes my requirements drop by 50% or more when I am exercising regularly


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## HOBIE (Nov 9, 2015)

Mini-Vicki said:


> Thanks all! I will definitely have a look at all the suggested material.
> My BG pre-workout yesterday was 6.5, I had half a banana before and after 90 minutes of training, it was 5.7. So that seemed to work yesterday... It'll just be trial and error I guess.
> 
> Thanks for all your help x


It is a learning time. & even when you think you have sorted ???  Good numbers to work off


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## BigMalc (Nov 13, 2015)

Learning is definitely the key, except for when the body does a flip on you- like last night!

Did a 6m run in the evening half hour later had a kebab, 10.2 prior to kebab so lowish does of insulin taken due to exercise tending to raise my levels for a while.  Bedtime 5.5, thought likely to go q low into the night so had a small snack (Sainsburys version of mars bar).  90mins later awake with one of those 'why the hell am I awake' heads, tested 3.3 - Oops!

Magnum and gummy sweets and another 40mins of being awake sorted that and back to normal 7 this morning.

OK so food groups not the healthiest I know, but quantity and exercise wise it was unusual - maybe stepping up the frequency of my exercise has kicked the body into being a little less resistant or the pancreas woke up for a while.

Test, test, test more often for me for a few days I think.


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