Exercising first thing in the morning?

[zelack]

Usually I don't do this, but today I decided to BEFORE I ate breakfast--and my blood sugars were elevated after I ate for a good hour or two, hovering around 180 when usually it'll spike, at most, to 150 an hour after eating and then fall back down into the 90 range without a correction. Is it because working out on an empty stomach leads to the release of glycogen or something?

[shiftzor]

Slightly confused by what your asking. A low bg will trigger your liver into releasing glycogen into the blood stream, in an attempt to normalise blood sugar levels. Aerobic exercise such as running increases sensitivity to insulin (reducing insulin resistance) which would explain why your bg dropped, however anaerobic exercise such as weight lifting will have little effect on your bg.

Why does in my sensitivity to insulin increase why I do aerobic exercise? Its because your muscles have a reserve of energy which will last for a certain amount of time depending on exercise intensity, once this is depleted your body calls on your liver to release glycogen into the blood stream. Muscles have a limited mechanism to break down glucose in the blood stream bypassing the insulin mechanism. When supplemented with too much insulin your blood sugar level will drop very fast.

As the exercise continues your liver dumps less and less of its reserves (glycogen) into the blood stream, and at the same time the body breaks down more and more fat reserves to use as energy. Fat is harder to convert into energy than glycogen. Once your liver stops releasing glycogen you "hit the wall" which means you suddenly run out of energy and are forced to stop. Your body will then need energy to start refuelling the liver and muscles. Your body will become very sensitive to insulin in an attempt to restock the reserves.

I am sure I have missed something (brain dump :D), so please feel free to add bits. I tried to make it as high level as possible.

Insulin resistance explained (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin_resistance)

What is insulin? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin)

[ScottEnsink]

I'm not sure of the biology or chemistry behind it, but I exercise before breakfast regularly. I usually run 3-4 miles--not much weight training.

My blood sugar levels act similarly--rising for about 2 hours after I'm finished, then dropping lower.

When I do eat breakfast, I cut my I:C ratio by half or more.

[CarrieJett]

Morning exercise always gets me high. If I get a little rapid in me with a granola bar or something, it helps. If I do something strenuous pre-breakfast like a serious hill climb on the bike, I will shoot up to 200 in no time, and have a very hard time getting back down.

[Belle'sMama]

Endo told me that exercise will cause your BS to drop hours afterward due to the effect on your metabolism. I have found that if I exercise in the evening, after dinner, I can drop the next morning around 5am-ish. Also, he told me that it can depend on where your site is located on your body if you are on a pump, for example if the site is on your thigh and you bike, then the insulin will work more rapidly due to the use of the muscles at the site.

[MCS]

I am T2, so some of this will not apply. I have a similar problem, don't have to exercise to achieve this out come. FBG 6:00am: 99, drank a large glass of dilute protien Hydrosylates in hot water to slow the liver dump down, 7:00am 108, 7:30am 120, 8:00am 130, ate two eggs, two sausage patties on a 15g carb high fiber flat bread, 1hr PP: 167. Didn't exercise any before or after, its just a thing. Now from what I have read so far, in T2, your body turns off its supply of insulin in the morning, forcing your BG to go a little high. Its until I eat an adequate supply of carbs in the morning can I reverse this process.

A normal day would be FBG mid 90's, breakfast would be fried potatoes, eggs and a meat and a piece of flat bread toast. If I do this I will be in the low 100s in an hour. Do not always have time for this breakfast, thats why I was trying other things to combat this problem.

[morrisma]

I have worked out before breakfast for years (mostly because I make too many excuses not to do it in the evening) and find I can count on a drop of 50-80 points depending on length of workout and whether I do weights or cardio.

If I wake up above 150, I correct to get to between 150-170. If I wake up under 150, I drink a little juice before I head off to the gym. I have clif bars in my gym bag just in case.
Mike

[Belle'sMama]

What does everyone's dr reccomend to do when exercising?

My endo told me to take my pump off during exercise. She also said that if I exercise after a meal to cut the meal bolus in half on top of disconnecting. I think she also said that put a temp basal half of norma for 4 hrs, but not sure about that, I will ask her next week.

[lark 27]

What does everyone's dr reccomend to do when exercising?

My endo told me to take my pump off during exercise. She also said that if I exercise after a meal to cut the meal bolus in half on top of disconnecting. I think she also said that put a temp basal half of norma for 4 hrs, but not sure about that, I will ask her next week.

Definitely this is a topic where YMMV applies. I personally don't like to disconnect from the pump for exercise, but I do try to reduce my basal rate prior to running and during the run and then back to 100% after the run. I personally have found I can't effectively exercise following a meal. If I cut my bolus in half but don't exercise right away I'll spike high within the first 45 minutes. If I exercise right away, sometimes half might be too much and sometimes it might not be enough. Sometimes I'm OK with mild exercise-a pleasant family walk--following dinner and I will reduce my bolus and temp basal for this, but I really have difficulties figuringout all the variables if I'm going to do any significant excercise. Good luck and really watch your meter.