Here's a link concerning the best time of day to maximize the effect exercise has on blood sugar for T2's. I myself find the most convenient time is when I get home from work, which falls within this studies most effective range. However, I don't get nearly the same drop in blood sugar this study shows. I might get 10 points. Interestingly the worst time is immediately upon waking (shown as fasting)
I do find that my numbers following a day with no exercise suffer, and when I go 15 to 20 days without a break my numbers improve.
So what has been your experience regarding timing of exercise? T1's how about your experience? I exercise for about 30 minutes (typically walking), Would upping my time lower my numbers much more?
Thanks for this link! I have a hard time exercising just cause I’m lazy! Do you exercise every day? The way I read it you do. Was told by a dr if I walked 10,000 steps a day it would really bring down numbers. Asked Santa for a pedometer this year. And any of the steps count even the ones to the kitchen! Lol sounds like I should do a consistent amount ot time about 5 hrs after a meal. I also read somewhere that 1/2 hr post for a walk will bring down numbers. Once I tested at 1 hr and had a 160+, went out for a brisk walk and got a 116 when I got back. The same study said before meals didn’t seem to do it like after meals. I am surprised at the 5 hrs later by that time it should be down anyway shouldn’t it? Or accumulative perhaps as you have found. Interesting and I have to get exercising! Got to!
Because I see a deterioration if I skip, my goal is to walk everyday. Of course I don't make it. I also have an elliptical for days when the weather would otherwise discourage me. I typically do less time on the elliptical because my knee starts to hurt. My observation is that it is less effective. It seems to me that time of exercise more important than intensity.
I think the study was measuring the additional drop in blood sugar that exercise adds to the normal drop post meal, but I might be misinterpreting it.
That makes sense, additional dropage.
I have heard that just the activity is good. It makes the muscle uptake the glucose which is what I want. Right now I’m trying to figure out metformin I’m almost afraid to exercise. I seem to have to eat carbs. Which is hard for me as vie been vlc for quite awhile. I had eEkiel bread made French toast with maypole syrup, little bit, and my 1 hr was 130. Went down to the grocery store and 2 hr was 77. Find I do lowers on metformin. Don’t think that number is considered low but know I’m going down farther. Do you know what is considered a low? Anyway know I don’t feel so good at 71. Lol maybe I’ll cut back the metformin and exercise tho I have read reports that starting metformin early is better because it protects the pancreas
I don’t treat anything 70 or above unless I have 2 staight down arrows on my Dex. That being said, if you are used to your BS running a little higher, 71 is not going to feel good so you might want to just have a light snack till your body gets used to being in the 70s. Also, if your BS is dropping fast, you can feel low even when you are not even close to being low.
I totally agree w/ the article, that it's best to exercise later in the day. On weekends, I don't mind 9:00 or 10:00 but really the late afternoon runs after work, I'm sort of *charged up* and have some steam to blow off and a lot of my best runs are then? I had a really nice Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving but skipped eating the night before (cf. Jeff Galloway's books...) and had sort of focused training, intervals, etc. beforehand? I felt the 'flow' sensation I get into more than some of the other races I've run where it took 2 or 3 miles to wake up/ warm up? At 3:30 or 4:00 PM, I don't have to worry about waking up at all, it's just maybe 1/2 mile to warm up and I'm good to go however far I'm going? A lot of times, when I run then, I am planning say 5 miles but will run a couple more once I get going because I feel better, it's smooth, getting across the busy street works out easier than I thought it would, etc. I'm not sure that this has all that much to do w/ diabetes either? One of my buddies likes running in the AM but most of the time, if I run in the AM, it is much less comfortable and can be downright unpleasant. I think that it might be better, in terms of fat burning and hitting the right point in your 'metabolic curve'?
I sort of suspect that "Dawn Phenomenon" would be an evolutionary response to hunting and gathering, in that Neolithic's bodies would crank themselves up to go find grubs and berries to eat? I can't think of any other reason you'd want your BG to go up in the AM?
Plus, exercising without any insulin 'on board' is, for T1, a huge advantage. I had one good race I actually bolused a reduced bolus during the race because of some blunders beforehand but, most of the time, I prefer to empty the insulin out to have a better run.
I’ve tried to walk more as time allows. Today I was off and walked before lunch and before dinner. Good numbers all day and I increased my time by 50% It sure can’t hurt.
