[Schlep]

I have read a lot of posts on here that you should watch your blood sugar when exercising as it may go dangerously low.

I exercise in the morning before I eat or drink anything. I walk 3 miles then shower and find my numbers jump way up from what they were before I started exercising.

Anyone know why?

[miss_ok_ish]

Yes you didn't eat anything and so didn't take any insulin, in this case exercising will increase you sugar, stored glucose is released.

Eat and take insulin as normal and have something carby throughout the work out or eat and take alittle less insulin so not to go to low.

xx

[Schlep]

Originally Posted by miss_ok_ish

Yes you didn't eat anything and so didn't take any insulin, in this case exercising will increase you sugar, stored glucose is released.

Eat and take insulin as normal and have something carby throughout the work out or eat and take alittle less insulin so not to go to low.

xx

Sorry my fault as I do not take insulin as I am type 2 and take TR Meformin 2000 mg with supper.

[miss_ok_ish]

haha opp, well in that case i don't know,

but maybe it works on the same principle, your body is starved of energy.. so it releases some?? now i'm guessing. haha

Have you tried eating something small like a piece of fruit and seeing what happens to your sugar?

It may just need something small to kick start all you bits and pieces inside.

[bryan42]

Originally Posted by Schlep

I have read a lot of posts on here that you should watch your blood sugar when exercising as it may go dangerously low.

I exercise in the morning before I eat or drink anything. I walk 3 miles then shower and find my numbers jump way up from what they were before I started exercising.

Anyone know why?

Your not alone... I notice mine does the same thing, and Im also Type 2 on metformin (1000mg) a day.

[Schlep]

Originally Posted by bryan42

Your not alone... I notice mine does the same thing, and Im also Type 2 on metformin (1000mg) a day.

hey Bryan maybe we should eat a donut while we exercise. LMAO

[morrisma]

Could be some form of the dawn effect dumping glucose according to internal rhythms coinciding with your walking. Or you could be starving your system for energy which could also cause the liver to dump glycogen.

Test:
You might try slicing up an apple and eating a few slices before you start and a few more while you walk. If that works, it isn't a dawn thing.
Mike

[sedita]

What is your BG when you start exercising. Here is some info from Joslin.

Joslin Diabetes Center | Managing your Diabetes

I have exerienced this same issue when exercising and BG has been up around 170 or so. For me being within range when exercising prevents this from happening.

[xMenace]

Originally Posted by morrisma

Could be some form of the dawn effect dumping glucose according to internal rhythms coinciding with your walking. Or you could be starving your system for energy which could also cause the liver to dump glycogen.

This non-medical person suspects the combination. You are doing this after fasting for 6 to 12 hours, and your liver is already stressed about starving. Any dump will also be magnified by your increased DP insulin resistance.

I found when I played hockey in the mornings before work, I'd shoot from 6.5 mmol/l to 24 mmol/l. Playing at night only sent me into the low teens.

[kstreeter513]

It could be the elevation in stress hormones following exercise. My usual I:C ratio is 1:15, however following a long run of 15+ miles, I have to give 10 units of humalog to cover 45 grams of carbs immediately following exercise. That almost triple the amount of insulin usually needed. This is because stress hormones like epinephrine, glucagon, etc. are extremely elevated to supply muscles with energy being converted from fat stores. It takes an extra amount of insulin to counteract these hormones and bring my body back to homeostasis.

[Handybear]

I find that my numbers go up if I exercise in the morning. Therefore I do my exercising in the evening and everything seems to be ok.

[JediSurfer]

After exercising you need to replace the glucose you burned up within 45 minutes with something startchy like a sandwich. This will stop your liver dumping glucose into the system. This is a general guideline for any exercise and especially for a diabetic. I find that if I dont replace the glucgen fast I spike and suffer from fatigue the next day which makes exercising even more difficult. Eat within 45 minutes and bolus as normal, but you may need to reduce the bolus as it will absorb quickly and be used more effectively due to the increased heart rate.

[kriss]

Ok, I know this sounds dumb but I am new to diabetes. My 12 yr old son is a type 1 diabetic (dx 8 months ago) and he had basketball practice every morning at 6am. He does not or will not eat anything prior to practice & his sugars are usually 110-140. After practice he is 160-250 and then he eats at the school and takes his insulin. We always thought that this was OK but should he take insulin prior to practice too? He does not want to eat before practice since he runs so much and does not want to get sick.

[REDLAN]

Schlep i was wondering, do you have type 2 diabetes by any chance?

Because I was thinking (on my walk to work this morning)...

that your blood sugar rise may have nothing to do with liver dumping, but more to do with type 2 diabetes.

In a normal person whilst they are fasting, they will become insulin resistant - this is so that the body preserves it's dwindling supply of glucose,and starts to utilise fat instead. As soon as they eat, (I think it's due to stimulation of the vagal nerve) then insulin resistance drops, and the body (muscles really) become ready to absorb the glucose from the meal.

people with type 2 lose this flexibility - so what happens is that they do not become insulin resistant enough when fasting to switch completely to fats, and they do not become insulin sensitive enough when they eat for their muscles to absorb all the glucose from food.

A similar thing happens when a type 2 exercises - a normal person becomes much more insulin sensitive when they exercise, while this response is blunted in someone with type 2.

so....

could it be that what is happening to you in the mornings, is that you are waking up - you are insulin resistant when you wake, and you go for a walk. The liver responds to the demand by releasing glucose, but your muscles remain insulin resistant and so can not absorb the glucose - leading to BG rising.

You can perform a simple experiment....

a snack before you walk should improve things - the food will help lower your insulin resistance, allowing your muscles to better utilise glucose.

(this all assuming that you have type 2 of course)