Hey everyone. Recently i've been going to the gym more often and i keep having low blood sugars. Before the gym I always make sure to have a high protein snack along with some type of complex carb to keep me going but i still end up having lows. So i've tried eating different foods, bolusing only half the amount it tells me to, i've tried temporary basal rates. But when i disconnect my blood sugar spikes really high. SO im just curious if any of you have come up with any tricks to keep your blood sugar in range while exercising, THANKS :)
If disconnecting makes it high and leaving it on makes it low, I would conclude that you have to reduce your basal maybe not quite as much? If half doesn't work, maybe 67% would work? I've found that I just have to stay on top of it. I think that it's worked ok for me to try to take as much insulin as I can without crashing. When my BG crashes while I'm running, I'll turn it down to 7% (b/c 7 is lucky?) or 13% (%$#@ luck!, I have a tattoo to that effect...) but I don't turn it off as I want to avoid the spikes. I think too that insulin will help provide energy, as long as you don't get carried away.
Sometimes too, stuff like "complex carbs" seems to take like 2 hours to digest and might be helping to fuel the spikes? I try to have those sort of snacks like 2-3 hours before I do something so I bolus for it, the insulin processes the food and the energy is "on board" but the insulin is mostly "done"? If my BG is low and/ or there's IOB, I'll try to cover it with a moderate snack, like V8 or skim milk, like 10G of carbs instead of 15. Plus eating stuff that sort of reeks of healthiness makes me feel good about it too. Good feelings for $3.99/ bottle is a good deal!
I have had this same problem for years. It comes down to trial and error. I will decrease my basal rate with a temp 2-3 hours prior to working out by 20-30%. I do mostly cardio for about 30 min to an hour, therefore, I am leaning more towards 30% decrease 2.5 hours in advance. You will react different, but try decreasing in advance, not right when you start working out because that will affect you couple hours later, not when you are working out.
thanks! i will try that, never thought to decrease it in advance
I'd adjust that temporary basal. I do 50% but when I got back to working out a couple of weeks ago that threw me into a couple of scary lows. My endo suggested that I keep the temporary basal going longer (3 hours) but switch it up to a lower temp basal.
Also, 30 or so minutes in stop, check your glucose level and be ready to march in place (to keep moving) but snack. I usually have fruit juice or a banana because you're going to need something to get you back good level to exercise fast.
I was first advised to only reduce my basal by 30% whilst exercising..
That didn't work, I now reduce it by 70% 1 hr before exercise and make sure there is no IOB... I consume 15g of carbs, sorry I mean I eat 15 jelly beans before I start, then I consume 10 jelly beans for every hour of exercise.. Quick acting carbs like this are burned through quickly and cause me to spike later.
I don't disconnect from my pump for exercise, don't see the point if basals are reduced correctly.
This keeps me pretty flat, although I usually come home from runs about 3.5 Mouthful of orange juice and I am back up to 4.5. Job dine,