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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on February 12, 2013 at 5:27pm

The chart here is pretty useful and I keep the numbers (there's only 9...) in my head. The basic idea is that you turn your basal down to the %age depending on how intense and how long you intend to work out:

It can also work for eating, as a %age bolus. I took a pic of the one in "Think Like a Pancreas". I know it's out there online somewhere but I haven't been able to find it for years.

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Permalink Reply by Lois on February 12, 2013 at 8:27pm

This is why it is very important to always start any major change in diet/exercise under the supervision of a trained professional. There are a lot of ways to get to a goal but you have to test it out on your own body to know what is right for you. One thing I would urge a "beginner" not to do is to start out all gangbusters by going every day for such an extended period. If you haven't been actively exercising this much all along, I would encourage you to cut back some and hold that level for a while. Way back in "prehistoric" times when I was a teenage lass, the PE teacher told us that exercising every other day is the best to [at least] start out with because the activity can cause micro-tearing of muscle tissue and those poor old sore muscles need some time to heal. That's why our wonderfully designed bodies hurt like H-E-double toothpicks when we decide to become weekend warriors or start making up for all the exercise we've been missing for the last 10 years or so! :o)

Good luck to you!!

Lois

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Permalink Reply by Nyadach on February 13, 2013 at 12:55am

Personally I'm running in the next to nothing on basal's when doing something (10-15% region depending on what it is for how long). How I got there was lot's of trial and error though. Started by using an 80% temp to no effect, then 50% then 25% etc. until a comfortable level was found. Bolus wise I just knock things down a little on what I'm eating before hand and make sure it's something with a nice slow burning duration to it.

It might be a good idea (was for me anyhow) to go silly overboard with blood tests during a session. Early on I was testing every 15mins so I could see exactly what was occurring and when to try and gather enough info to learn from. A CGM is handy but not the cheapest or possibly the easiest things to get, or the most accurate sometimes other than for a direction.

The low's after the exercise sound like the usual bit where your body's pulling you down as it recharges it's reserves you've burned up earlier. They can be to some extent anyhow be avoided by keeping the levels more in the normal regions during the exercise and again having plenty of tests afterwards (not as many as the every 15min though).

Nice going on the exercise :) You'll get there! just takes learning yourself and what craziness your body decides to do when you do things is all :)

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Permalink Reply by Buckley83 on February 13, 2013 at 8:41am

Well when I exercise these days I just disconnect from the pump for up to 90 mins.

I then have a bolus as soon as I finish exercising, often from a pen into the muscle to correct any high

I have tried dialing down basal 50% etc.

But I am doing a lot of HITT and Tabata style training at the moment and I just find that I go low should I have any basal in my system all.

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Permalink Reply by Stacey Livitski on April 8, 2013 at 6:40pm

I have just started working out on a daily bases and am having a heck of a time with keeping my bg's in range. I am on a pump and need a little advice as well. I am doing a combination of excercises, using a little bit of Tony Horton and Shaun T so total body is getting into things. Now that I have started to work out after all these years how do I manage my pump settings and eating to help keep things in control?

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on April 8, 2013 at 7:31pm

I think Tony Horton, etc. would be more anaerobic and may push your BG up a bit. It may help to test and be ready to correct. I usually cover that sort of thing with a 200% basal for 1/2 hour and it works ok.

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Permalink Reply by IChoose on April 8, 2013 at 7:11pm

I am on 50% basil for 4 hours, but start it an hour before I work out...none during (I swim) and for 2 hours after. This seems to be working without any major lows.

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Permalink Reply by Rich Davis on May 9, 2013 at 12:07pm

I workout most days, either weights and walking or swimming. Working out typically lowers glucose for me. If my glucose is under 120 prior to a workout I will take 1 glucose tabs(4 units of carb)depending on my IOB (insulin on board i.e. 1 unit of IOB = 2 tabs). I also know that when I come out of the pool depending on how hard I worked I may need another so I keep glucose tabs in my swim bag. If I eat lunch and I know I'm going to work out I will cut back on my lunchtime bolus 1 unit which means I'm high at workout time and need no correction though I may be low when I finish. I always have glucose tabs available in the gym. The key is the insulin on board # and understanding what a certain exercise routine does to your blood sugar. Stay out of the emergency room. As a side note I am 67 years old and have been a diabetic for 20 years. 

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