MOVING
Managing blood glucose on the run
Exercise affects blood glucose—here’s how to keep it in check if you have diabetes.
Physical activity lowers blood glucoseBlood glucoseThe main sugar found in the blood, and the body’s main source of energy., right? Actually, it’s not quite that simple, especially for people with type 1 diabetes.
In reality, blood glucose can go down or up during and even after physical activity. Everyone’s body responds a little differently, but in general:
- Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) from physical activity most often happens to people with type 1 diabetes who exercise for long periods or who work out hard without adjusting their insulin dose or meal plan
- High blood glucose (hyperglycemia) can happen to people who perform very high-intensity (anaerobic) exercise like biking hard
It’s not always possible to know how your blood glucose is going to react to different activities. Some change is unavoidable, but the key is to keep your blood glucose levels from going too high or too low. Be sure to speak with your doctor about how to handle low and high blood glucose situations.
Avoiding LOWS during and after physical activity
- Watch the clock. Blood glucose levels can go too low if you’re active for long periods
- Eat something first. Being active on an empty stomach can cause low blood glucose
- Plan for your insulin and food needs. This may take some trial and error as well as the help of your diabetes care teamDiabetes care teamYour diabetes care team may include a primary care doctor, a diabetes and hormone doctor (endocrinologist), a registered nurse, a diabetes educator, a dietitian, a heart doctor (cardiologist), a foot doctor (podiatrist), an eye doctor (ophthalmologist/optometrist), a kidney doctor (nephrologist), a dentist, a pharmacist, and a mental health professional. . But adjusting the insulin dose and food intake to the level of activity you plan can help keep your blood glucose in a safe range
- Stop if you feel any warning signs of low blood glucose. Just going “5 minutes more” can be dangerous. Take a moment to eat or drink some kind of high-carbohydrateCarbohydrateCarbohydrates are the main kinds of food that raise blood glucose levels. Your digestive system changes carbohydrates into glucose, and then uses this glucose as a source of energy for your cells.
There are 3 main types of carbohydrates in food: starches (complex carbohydrates), sugars (simple carbohydrates), and fiber. Fiber is the part of plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, and nuts, that you can’t digest. food if you feel like your blood glucose is low
- Keep “emergency carbs” close at hand. Always keep some form of high-sugar food handy. This can be a soft drink (non-diet), fruit juice, glucose tablets, raisins, or hard candy
- Monitor later, too. Blood glucose levels can drop even 16 to 24 hours after physical activity because the body uses blood glucose to replace sugar that has been used by the muscles
Avoiding HIGHS during and after physical activity
- Make sure not to start out too high! A high blood glucose level can go even higher because of exercise
- Match insulin dose to activity intensity. Blood glucose can also go too high if physical activity is too intense and/or insulin levels are too low
- Check for ketones. If blood glucose is too high, the body might produce ketonesKetonesOrganic compounds produced when the body breaks down fats and fatty acids to use as fuel. This is most likely to occur when the body does not have enough glucose or carbohydrates or the body cannot use glucose effectively. Because high levels of ketones are dangerous, a urine test is one way to check the level of ketones in your body. and a dangerous condition called ketoacidosisDiabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)DKA is a condition that occurs when there is a lack of glucose in the body and a buildup of ketones in the blood. Ketones are made when the body uses fat for energy instead of glucose. This can happen when the ratio of glucose to insulin in the body is improper, so your cells don’t get the glucose they need to use for energy. can result. So, if your blood glucose is unusually high for you, check for ketones, too!
- Going for the long haul? You may need to eat during or after physical activity if the workout is very intense or continues for a long time. A low‑fat snack that has 15 to 30 grams of carbs may help
- Know which way blood glucose is going. Start checking 90 minutes before starting an activity. If the blood glucose level is going down (even if it is still in a safe range), a snack may keep it from going any lower. This is really important when starting an activity where it will be hard to pause for a blood glucose check
- Planning for longer activities. When longer periods of physical activity are planned, it's a good idea to have a pre-exercise snack that includes fast-acting carbohydrates. This can include juice or glucose tabs. However, it may be better in some cases to decrease insulin doses for planned activities, rather than increase calories. Always check with your diabetes care team before adjusting insulin doses
Test your knowledge
Sometimes it’s okay to have candy or a little sugary soda?
Correct!
Sorry, that's incorrect.
Emergency carbs like these are good to have on hand in case you experience low blood sugar.
