pumps and exercise

[ang]

i know everybody is different and what may work for one person won't work for another ... but i just want to take a quick survey type thing and see what most people do.

for those on pumps, when you exercise (i'm specificially looking at cardio, mostly running, but any opinions would be good) do you program a lower temproary basal or do you just take your pump off and maybe give a little bolus when you reconnect?

i don't have my pump yet, but i don't think i would like running with that thing banging around on me or going low because i didn't set the basal low enough. i don't even like having a radio clipped to me when i run. just looking for what people do or any advice and where's a better place to put it. thanks.

ang

[duck]

LOL, it doesn't bang around on you; I've run, jumped, even tackled people with my pump on (and other things, but this is a G-rated site). You get so used to it most times you forget it is there.

All of the methods you mentioned work, and like you said it is a matter of preference. When I lift I don't program a temp basal...If I feel I am getting low while lifting weights, I'll drink a sports drink--It sounds dumb but it feels like it helps my pump (not my insulin pump, my muscles! What little I have :) ). Later, after I workout I may program a temp basal depending on whether or not I feel like eating to cover my subsequent lower sugars.

[nantomsuethom]

Thomas takes his pump off.

He is still pretty sensitive to insulin so when we would try a temp. basal he would still go low.

He still goes low even with his pump off but not as bad as if he left it on and did a temp basal.

[ksa01]

When I exercise (mostly aerobics or speed walking) I disconnect the pump or at least suspend it so that I'm not getting any insulin during exercise. This isn't enough, however, to prevent my from going low. I also find that I need to eat 30-40 grams of carbs before exercising. Because of this, I've found that exercising after a meal is best. Often times, I don't even bolus to cover the meal. I've also noticed that my bs should be at least 110 before exercising if I plan on making it through the workout (usually 1-1.5 hours).

With all this said, sometimes it's still hit or miss, unfortunatly, and I go low. I test before, during and several times after exercising to see what's happening. Exercising can make my bs drop very quickly.

I took me a long time to figure out what works for me, as I'm sure it does for most people. When you finally get your pump, remember to be patient. It takes a while to fine tune your settings so that you stay in control without too many highs or lows. Quite honestly, I've found a lot of it to be trial and error based on suggestions from my doctor. Keeping a log helps you find patterns.

Good luck! Let us know when you get your pump and how you like it. :D

[am1977]

When I go to the gym, I usually leave my pump on . It doesn't really bounce around all that much, even when doing my jogging on the treadmill. So I wouldn't worry about that too much. As for programming a temp basal or suspending the pump, that would probably be the best thing to do during exercise. Speaking from experience, I have found that if I don't or forget, I usually end up leaving the gym like a zombie (which is pretty scary :eek: ) . But then again, I find that sometimes I also will drop low anyway. Like someone else mentioned, exercise tends to dramatically lower my blood sugar.

Hope this is helpful! :)

[dixiepixie64]

I do a lot of running with my pump. I wear it several ways - either tuck it inside a sports bra, wear a waistpack, clip it to the waistband of my shorts or sometimes on race days I wear the harness you can order and use that. (it is crazy looking but very comfortable. I keep it under a shirt). It doesn't bother me.

I have several rules I go by before I begin a run. In the evenings I am very sensitive to hypoglycemia and my BGs can drop 100 points in 30 minutes. I like to start in the 150-180 range with no active insulin remaining - that way I will finish 70-80 range. If I am not in at least 150 when I begin, I eat 15-25 g carbs and then begin exercising. If I plan to exercise longer than an hour, I take in 15g-30 more carbs.

In the mornings, I am just the opposite and have to be aggressive with managing BGs. For instance I ran a 5K race which started at 8 a.m. recently, started at 114 and thirty minutes later I was at 337. Yikes! It is a race day intensity phenomenon because the Saturday prior I had run ten miles at the same time of day on a training run and started at 110 and finished at 146. I was out for an hour and forty minutes and ate no carbs, just water.

I think everyone's body behaves differently. You just have to test a lot and learn what works for you.

Oh, I learned this the hard way....I don't recognize hypos when I am out exercising. One day I started stumbling about a mile from home, not from tiredness, and next thing I knew I was testing at 26. Don't go out without some carbs on hand. I carry a waistpack.

[KrisinNM]

I have yet to figure a way to anticipate how excercise is going to affect my bs so I don't set my pump any differently, I just fix whatever happens afterwards. Sometimes I go higher and usually I go low. Sometimes I will go low as much as 24 hours after the excercise.

[dixiepixie64]

so I don't set my pump any differently, I just fix whatever happens afterwards.

Yeah, Kris, I meant to mention that. I have talked with some people who have luck adjusting or suspending their basals about 1.5 hours pre-exercise. It's just never worked for me so I leave my basal alone and deal with whatever happens as I go along.

[happypumper]

Even pumpers should strive for a somewhat consistent activity level. Bg's can fluctuate for some time after sustained exercise. If you are mostly inactive for many days or weeks and then suddenly start exercising, you'll see your basal requirement drop. If you get a moderate amount of exercise each day, you can better predict what basal profile will work for you on a long term basis. I've found that just walking for 30-60 minutes a day (briskly) gets my basals down from 15 to 13/day.

I sometimes drop my basals during a bike ride from .5 to .3, starting just before the ride. Sometimes I can ride 10-20 miles without snacking or getting hypo, and other times I need a few glucotabs to keep me conscious :) . Sometimes I start elevating as soon as 20-30 minutes after the ride. It's frustrating, to say the least. If I keep to my latest regimen of 1 or 2 brisk walks a day, my bg's remain more even keeled for eating, exercising, and during the night.

I DO NOT snack before bedtime. I don't understand why doctors recommend snacking before bed, unless the patient isn't a pumper. On MDI, I'd wonder if each night would be my last. I'd wake up either over 250 (sometimes WAAAY over), or under 40.

[duck]

I DO NOT snack before bedtime. I don't understand why doctors recommend snacking before bed, unless the patient isn't a pumper. On MDI, I'd wonder if each night would be my last. I'd wake up either over 250 (sometimes WAAAY over), or under 40.

Wasn't that the ****ed truth...

:mad:

[Zokes]

I DO NOT snack before bedtime. I don't understand why doctors recommend snacking before bed, unless the patient isn't a pumper. On MDI, I'd wonder if each night would be my last. I'd wake up either over 250 (sometimes WAAAY over), or under 40.


What a vicious cycle on MDIs at night. I used to inject befor bed and then immediately start eating so I wouldn't crash in my sleep. The lower my bgs in the am, the more I would eat the next night. Then, eventually, I'll wake up with high bgs and my doc would tell me to inject more at bedtime, which lead to more eating..... "Jane! Get me off this crazy thing!". Now that I'm pumping, I can actually go to bed on an empty stomach :)