Going high after exercise??

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Permalink Reply by Jaclyn on April 6, 2009 at 5:09am

Yes! I have a problem with going high during and/or after high intensity exercise! It's so hard to wrap my brain around because it's hard to keep my intensity exactly the same every workout, so I'm not always sure what I'm going to get. But more often than not, I'll peak in the middle of it, start dropping immediately after or during cool down, and then spike maybe 20-30 minutes after I'm done.

Where as on the other hand, if the exercise is not very intense, my blood sugar will just get low! XD

My pump and CGM are what save me with exercise because I get to pinpoint exactly what my body is doing at each moment and discover trends--as best I can. When I first started working in an intense exercise routine, I was on MDI and had a severe problem with spiking anywhere from 200-400mg/dl after exercise. Time of day has a lot to do with it in my case as well. I exercise first thing in the morning, and mornings are tough for me blood sugar-wise anyway. But, changing the time of day of my workout just wasn't an option. I'm making it work though! Just with lots of monitoring.

I have been told that strength-training will make your BS rise, and aerobic exercise will make it drop. For me though, I really relate it more to intensity, because I have days where I'll rise while running because the running is super tough.

Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Ahmad ( Al ) on April 6, 2009 at 7:54am

Will I did have the same situation caused by eating pizza before exercising and disconnecting my pump!

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on April 6, 2009 at 7:59am

I have the same thing! I haven't figured it out yet either. Do you eat before you exercise?

I am on an insulin pump and I reduce my basal insulin to 50% about a half hour before I exercise and leave it there for an hour. I exercise (rollerblading or running) for 45 minutes to an hour.

When I get back, usually my blood sugar is great, but goes high in the next half an hour. So I started taking insulin as soon as I get back.

I will be curious to read the other answers!

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Permalink Reply by Jonathan on April 6, 2009 at 8:00am

This happens to me all the time, particularly with intense aerobic exercise, but less so with weight training. During the exercise, BG goes down. As soon as it stops, it goes up, often dramatically. It was explained to me that the adrenalin rush caused by the exercise can trigger a release of glucagon from the liver, which increases BG as soon as the exercise stops using the BG that you have. For me, when I go low after exercise, I do not correct it, because I know I will be ok within a half hour. As a pumper, I use a reduced basal rate before the exercise to get myself a little high so I don't get too low during the workout. Then, as soon as the exercise begins, I use a higher basal rate to keep myself from going up too high after the exercise.

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Permalink Reply by dino on April 6, 2009 at 8:50am

Happens to me all the time...especially in the mornings when the hormones are all haywire. What time are you doing your workout?

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Permalink Reply by Bridget McNulty on April 6, 2009 at 11:28am

Hmm... fascinating! Thanks.
I'm exercising in the morning, before breakfast, but I'm on insulin injections (pumps haven't really reached South Africa yet!)
I thought it might be the adrenalin thing, I'm going to do half the number of reps tomorrow and see what happens. Otherwise up the insulin.
Thanks everyone!

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Permalink Reply by dino on April 6, 2009 at 3:11pm

Yes Bridget, me too. This happens to me when I exercise before breakfast and I'm on shots too :) If I do very intense weight training in the morning with no breakfast, the sugar shoots up by a lot. Frustrating!!!

Try eating some carbs and taking a little fast acting insulin pre-workout. I think because your body is out of food before breakfast, the stress from your early morning workout is causing your liver to pump out glycogen. Of course, don't forget to bring your monitor and glucose to the gym, you'll probably want to see how things progress throughout your workout.

This method has helped me a little, but its still hit or miss.Let me know what works, I'm very interested as I've just about given up on morning workouts. I've had much better success working out during the afternoons and evenings.

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Permalink Reply by Sheila on May 19, 2009 at 10:06am

I have started noticing this - I have been walking the dog in the evenings...he is a fast walker and I go up and down hills....I go high, very high, immediately afterwards...then a couple of hours later I crash. I had started correcting when I go high but that makes me bottom-out even more later - which is during the night. I am also on the pump and GCM and can see it rise and fall.....I have never noticed this before....I guess it is the liver releasing the sugar.
Before, when I was on shots, I guess I never noticed going high after strenuous exercise. I am going to try a lot impact walk and see what happens...
Sheila

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Permalink Reply by Annette Campos on April 6, 2009 at 2:02pm

Another reason why your bg could go up after you excersie is if you have not eaten in a while. try to eat a snack about an hour before you excersice. so your body will have something to burn up!

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Permalink Reply by tony on May 6, 2009 at 9:29am

After strenuous exercise, the liver release glycogen, because during exercise you depleted carb storage. This happens more on aerobic exercise like running ect. That happens to my always after a give an 1hr Spinning class. My nutritionist recommended to take 15gm of fast acting carbs, like example 4oz juice, the ones that comes in little boxes, the ones that you use for your kids snack. This will help replenish the carb storage that is depleting due to exercise, and preventing but not at all the glycogen release from the liver. So your BG may go up, but not as high, and will be easier to bring it down with a correction shot. I snack 1hr or 30 min before giving my Spinning class 15gm carb and a protein, this helps too. But be sure to test before, during if possible and after.

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Permalink Reply by Jason on May 6, 2009 at 9:44am

It's actually any exercise that releases a large amount of stress hormones. Running can do it, but it has to be a very strenuous run. In Type 1s, the hormone that signals the liver to stop releasing glycogen is not present, as it is produced by the islet cells which we don't have. A Symlin injection right after exercise can do the trick. Once the release of glycogen has begun I don't know that it can be stopped by ingesting more carbs. That hasn't been my experience, anyway. In any case, exercise is a fine balancing act, especially strenuous exercise.

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Permalink Reply by tony on May 6, 2009 at 9:54am

Since I'm doing the carb ingestion my numbers after the Spinning session still goes up, but less quickly, giving more time to insulin to work. My endo told me that BG is supposed to come down after the raise, but I haven't experience this, I always have to take a correction shot after Spinning. How about you Jason? how it works for after exercise? Have you tried Symlin after exercise?

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