I’ve been having trouble with higher than normal blood sugar about 2hrs post exercise. For a while, I was having trouble keeping my blood sugar high enough during exercise, so I was messing around with adjusting basal rate. I’ve been having less problems with that, but now I’m creeping up to 160s-180s about 2 hrs post exercise. I’ll be 80s when I finish my run, and often still in teh low 100s about an hour later.
Right now, I do a 50% reduction in basal for 2 hours, starting 1.5hrs before i plan to exercise. I usually eat dinner during that period, so I reduce my meal bolus by about 50% as well. I’ve tried using a dual wave with 75% of my normal bolus but that seems to put me too low during my run.
I’ve sometimes put a 115% basal as I finish my workout, but some times that seems to put me low. I have low basal rates, so that 15% is the minimum for raising it at all (from .35 to .40)
I’m hoping that others can help me troubleshoot. Thanks!
It sounds like the problem is your liver releasing stored glycogen into your blood in response to stress hormones generated by the exercise. You have two options- bolus a correction about 60-90 minutes post-exercise, before your bg starts to rise, or inject 60mcg of Symlin after you workout to signal the liver to stop sugaring you.
Also, strongly consider getting hooked up with a CGMS so you can spot trends earlier and analyze them in much greater detail.
When I exercise with any intensity, my #'s seem to rise right away. Same situation, just different timing?
Yes, most likely. If your basal rates hold you down fine otherwise, it almost certainly is the stress hormones causing a rise in blood glucose. Mine will rise almost right at the end of my workout, and I am usually doing heavy to moderately heavy weight training. When I do legs, which consists of squats and deadlifts, it happens quickly and consistently, which makes sense since those are the largest muscles in the body and those exercises often contain the heaviest lifts I do.
Thanks, o.