# How long is insulin resistance decreased for?



## Rosiecarmel (Oct 30, 2016)

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!


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## grovesy (Oct 30, 2016)

I read somewhere but can't remember where that sometimes exercise can affect Blood Sugar for more than 24 hours following! I personally suspect as with everything else we are all different and it depends on what exercise!


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## Northerner (Oct 30, 2016)

Rosiecarmel said:


> 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!


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## Rosiecarmel (Oct 30, 2016)

Thanks, Grovesy and Northerner! I have a other question. Alcohol affects blood sugar levels, yes? So I was drinking last night and I'm going to the gym in about an hour. Does alcohol have an effect with the exercise reducing sensitivity? I'm not sure what I'm getting at. I'm just worried about hypos today!


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## grovesy (Oct 30, 2016)

I thought the Alcohol affected the liver and that is why it affects blood sugar, and nothing to do with sensitivity but I could be wrong!


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## Radders (Oct 30, 2016)

grovesy said:


> I thought the Alcohol affected the liver and that is why it affects blood sugar, and nothing to do with sensitivity but I could be wrong!


That's what I thought too.


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## Ralph-YK (Oct 30, 2016)

What I've been told is that the liver can release glocose into the blood (hence the dawn effect, levels going up when you haven't eaten) (if I've got that right).
When you have alcohol in your blood, the liver is too busy processing that to control glucose levels.
How this works with exercise and insolin sensitivity I don't know.


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## Northerner (Oct 30, 2016)

Yes, @Ralph-YK has explained it well - your liver can't multitask so it slows or stops releasing the glucose it normally trickles out whilst it deals with the alcohol. If you've drunk a lot then this glucose production from the liver can remain lower the following day, so you can end up with basically too much basal. So it's not having a direct effect on insulin sensitivity, rather it is reducing the amount of glucose that the insulin has to cover. Very hard to predict though!  More regular testing and topping up with lucozade/jelly babies might be required if exercising after a heavy night


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## trophywench (Oct 30, 2016)

I was just thinking that Northie - you might need to eat more carbs to actually sustain the exercise when your liver isn't doing it's job regulating the amount of  glucose you get.  Which really if you are trying to lose weight as well as get fitter, isn't going to be helpful.

It's a grey area really since everyone is different what their individual capacity and tolerances are.  Alan Shanley's catchphrase definitely applies - Moderation in all things! (except laughter)  You just have to find what are the right amounts for you and then try and stick to em.  Only think is - you might not like what your body tells you eg you can't drink gin all night any more Jen, cos you'll simply be ILL (not more drunk, or throwing up - just ILL) but eventually you really do have to accept it and learn to live with the swine.


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## Chris Hobson (Dec 27, 2016)

I am sure that I read somewhere that fat cells are much worse at processing your carbs than muscle cells are and, as a consequence of that, exercise improves things over time as you get leaner. I've looked through the pile of leaflets that I got from the hospital when I was first diagnosed but I can't find it.


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