Where do you like your blood glucose to be before you do a heavy workout?

[BriOnH]

After taking over a month off from running, I have come back pretty strong these past two days. Just wondering where most of you like to be blood sugar wise before you start a heavy workout? Personally I like to be between 160-180 mg/dl(think this is to high?). After an hour of running I consistently get to 90-110 mg/dl, which always makes me happy, but after that test (I test right before I run, and when I get in from a run) my blood sugar starts to go up pretty rapidly. Here is what I was today, and this is a very typical pattern:

11:45am - 189 - Start run
1:00 pm - 109 - Finish run: Gave a unit of novolog, first time I have tried this.
1:13 pm - 129
1:33 pm - 144

Ate lunch at 1:33. Any insight or advice would be much appreciated on the bg rise and/or where you like to be before you do a heavy aerobic workout.
-Brian

[valc3]

I'm usually at 160-180. If I start any lower, I have problems with hypos. This also depends on what activity I'm going to do. If I cross country ski, I need to be higher. Strength training also requires me to be higher. I usually end up at 90-100. I see a slight rise later, but nothing I worry about. My starting number has changed as I added/changed my routine. I test before and after.

[jen_slc]

I like to be as close to 100 as possible because I have problems with exercise-induced hyperglycemia. The closer I am to 100, the less likely I will be high (>150) after exercise, although that's not always the case. I usually have to bolus 1-2 units before any type of exercise to prevent the spike. For example, I was 184 before my workout last night, and 237 afterwards (last night I thought I could get away without bolusing beforehand but clearly not). But before these spikes started occurring, 184 would have been a good level to start exercise b/c normally the exercise would have brought me down to ~100.

Maybe your BG rise is due to a similar exercise-related phenomenon, but happening later (1-2 hrs after exercise) rather than during. I wonder how high you would have gone had you not taken the 1 unit bolus after running. 144 isn't something I personally would worry about, but again, I wonder how high you would have gone if you didn't bolus and have lunch right then.

[am1977]

Personally, I like to be over 200, b/c I exercise for over an hour at a pretty mod-hi intensity. If I start any lower, I drop too rapidly...which is scary :afraid:

[Sparkle]

What is 200 in mmol?? Anyone know?!

I'd be interested as trying to start exercising but worry so much about hypo's during or after.

[jen_slc]

What is 200 in mmol?? Anyone know?!

I'd be interested as trying to start exercising but worry so much about hypo's during or after.
It's about 11 mmol. Divide mg/dl by 18 to get mmol.

[Sparkle]

Gosh - I would definitely want to 11mmol before exercising or even going for a brisk walk for an hour to be honest. Maybe I am paranoid though! I do test tons I'm afraid.

[Sparkle]

Thanks Jen by the way for the info!