I am finally getting off my rear and I rejoined my gym today. I haven’t been exercising regularly since I got on the pump last year so it is time. I have no hypo awareness so I just started a CGMS which is helping.
So I have been reviewing old discussions on exercise and the effect it has on blood sugars. What I have figured out to try to avoid lows is to reduce my basal by 50% for one hour before exercise and then one hour after. My doc even suggested starting at this reduction. I get that I need to be between 150 to 180 when I start exercising and I need to make sure my sugars aren’t trending down. I need to eat some carbs if I am not in that range or I am trending down. I need to test regularly while exercising and after while I figure out what my body is doing. I have let my fear of lows keep me from this important piece of my health care and I have to do this. I want to be as healthy as I can be…
So what I am forgetting? What are the best types of carbs to eat? Should I stick with low glycemic foods when eating the carbs? For you guys who bring gatorade with you for workouts, do you get the regular kind or the G2 lower carb kind? Regular gatorade tastes too sweet to me, I don’t think I could chug it if I went low. I get that I would need to drink more G2 than the regular gatorade, I am OK with that…
The plan is to start with a yoga class tomorrow and then a half hour on the treadmill if my sugars hold up…
watch out for IOB, if you bolused for a meal in the last 3 hours before a workout, that insulin could still be active enough to lower your blood sugar fast. there’s nothign you can do about IOB, but awareness is key and eating some carbs may be necessary.
low glycemic if your bs is good but you are jogging for an hour or riding your bike many miles.
high glycemic if your worout includes short bursts of energy, or if you are low.
" reduce my basal by 50% for one hour before exercise and then one hour after" …Do you mean : start basal reduction one hour prior and complete one hour after the completion of the exercise ??? I actually think you do . I only reduce basal( for me : 45 percent ) , if I do more than 1 hour of walking .
I always carry DEX4 glucose pills with me . Sometimes a banana , which will raise BG pretty fast, We are all so different and it has to work for you .I have never tried gatorade .You may still need to finger poke initially , regardless of CGMS if you go for well over 1 hour …HAVE FUN Suzanne !!
Nel, you are right, that is what I meant I have never done a basal reduction before and I have paid the price with lows so I am going to start at 50% and tweak up or down, based on what I learn. I really hate to exercise but I am really going to try to have a good attitude about it.
I have been pumping for about 2 months and did not work out for the first month. I usually work out before I eat dinner. I check before I workout and make sure that I am at least at 180 as 1hr of a combination of stationary bike 30-45 mins, sit ups(4 sets of 30) and light weights for the arms or legs will drop my readings about 100-120 points. To make sure I don’t go too low I keep a tube of glucose tabs in my pocket. This way I know exactly how much carb I am getting rather than just chugging juice or a gatorade product. I have always been told to use the 15g carb every 15 mins rule. If still low after 15 mins, take another 15g. My concern for a gatorade type product is that the bottle size is 2-3 servings and I would not know how much of the bottle would be 15g. If I drank too much, it may put my readings too high and eliminate the benefit of the exercise.
. I only reduce basal( for me : 45 percent ) , if I do more than 1 hour of walking .
I have never done a basal reduction before and I have paid the price with lows so I am going to start at 50% and tweak up or down, based on what I learn. I really hate to exercise but I am really going to try to have a good attitude about it.