Today I started working out at the local ymca. This was my first time exercising since being on my pump and having my BG under control.
Before working out I tested and was 89. I ate 20 carbs on the way to YMCA and took my pump off when I got there. After only 20 min. on the treadmill (5 miles) I was soooo tired! I know I'm not in good shape but I thought this was odd for me so I tested. BG was 39. I had no symptoms besides being tired. It wasn't until my heart rate was back to a normal range that I was able to "feel" my low. By that time, it was coming up.
I know this is going to be a trial and error thing but I was just wondering what some of you do pre and post work out to avoid a low. I don't plan on anything too intense. Treadmill, weight machines and some group classes (yoga, Pilates, & spin).
First, I'd like to say that a 4 minute mile pace for 5 miles, even on a treadmill, is a hellacious workout for me and would make my BGs drop like a lead balloon if have any IOB at all. For really intense cardio workouts, the only thing I can do to keep my BGs from dropping is shut my basal completely off, like Siri says, and wait for my BG to stabilize at a high enough level to get me through without crashing.
For lighter workouts of 20 minutes or less, I can generally do what you did, check my BG, take some extra carbs, hit the gym or course with a slightly elevated BG, then ride that out til the end.
Any cardio, at all, lasting longer than 20 minutes means taking a long enough break to test, evaluate, then treat accordingly.
You'll work it out. It's a lot of trial and error but well worth it if you're motivated to add a workout to your plan.
I didn't even think about how long the pump had been off before I started the work out. I wasn't long at all- probably only 15-20 mins. before the workout.
Thanks for the reply. I guess that's where the trial & error will come in- seeing where my BG will need to be pre workout for the type & intensity of exercise I'll be doing.
I bought small boxes of raisins that I can take to the gym for mid workout. I figure that's easy to eat, a small amount, fat free, & higher in carbs for the amount I'll need to eat.
I find that any food that needs to be processed to get to the sugar take a bit too long to raise my BG during cardio. For mid workout lows, I'll opt for sugary liquids. Chewables usually will give e a post workout spike. For post workout lows, chewables seem to do fine depending upon how low I am.
If you need exact details I would be glad to share with you. I did 3 miles on the elliptical. Took a break, drank water, wiped my face. Then went to the treadmill & finished up.
Are these detail necessary to get advice on how to control a low during exercise or are you just trying to suggest that I didn't do what I said I did?
No need to get mad…just having fun. I wish I had more advice for you. I don’t pump, and my basal doses are very low so as long as I don’t exercise with bolus on board I’ve not had too many problems. When was the last time you had bolused for food before you started your workout? I suspect that may be the root of the issue
Depending on exercise type, and body weight and such there is quiet a bit of calculations on all this to get through. Best place to find it is the runsweet.com site, but more directly: http://www.runsweet.com/DietAndNutrition.html which on something like you are doing which is short term, high intensity exercise you are probably looking at something like 40g-50g of rapid acting carbs per hour if you are say 8-9 stone (a guess here as not asked), along with a basal at about 20-30% normal and no bolus for the exercise carbs. In drink form that's pretty easy and can be mixed up easily with a good sports drink (the powder stuff (I personally love the SIS powders) not the premade stuff like Gatorade and Lucozade which tends to have far to low a kick).
While that's all great, the other thing then to watch out for is later on a few hours later and the recharge factor when your body decided to grab whatever carbs it can to throw into muscle building and recovering reserves you used up. Basically test often and look out for a pattern, but generally go light on bolus at the next main meal.
Like most of these things though it's more a learning experience as all of us are different. But for the general rules and to get the basic maths to work out doses and fuel consumption the Run Sweet site it about the best I've found.
That's what I was thinking at first too. But it had been since dinner the previous evening since my last bolus. So maybe 11 hours. The insulin I had on board was all basal.
