Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kathy on August 1, 2012 at 4:52pm

Yes. I am retired and part of my daily routine is exercising at the Y right after lunch. I usually have two hard cooked eggs and a container of Greek yogurt, go for my workout and am fairly stable until supper time. If I were low before lunch, then I'd have something extra with the meal, like a few crackers and fruit.

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Permalink Reply by Zoe on August 1, 2012 at 5:03pm

No, I'm not an exerciser so that's not a variable for me. If I'm low before a meal I just wait and bolus either right before eating or after when my blood sugar starts to rise. I even ignore my pump instructions to reduce my bolus because if I do I will be high. If I am low with a few hours to go before a meal, I correct. I don't eat before bed, but would correct with glucose tabs if I'm too low. So no, for me there is never a situation where I don't bolus.

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Permalink Reply by denise102206 on August 1, 2012 at 5:17pm

The reason I ask is because my kids are about to start school again in a few weeks and I walk them to school it's about 10 minute walk there and then a 10 minute walk back. I'm not worried about the walk to and from school in the morning because my blood sugar is so stubborn in the morning I highly doubt it will go low. But they get out of school at 3 on normal days and 2 on wednesday so i'll be leaving my house like 2:30 or so. This will be only like 2 hours after lunch, and I live in Florida so it will be an extremely hot and I'm really afraid I'll go low either going to get them or on walk back. So wondering if I should eat something before I go get them or what? And how much would be appropriate if I do?

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Permalink Reply by Zoe on August 1, 2012 at 5:26pm

I don't know that 10 minutes there and 10 minutes back will make you go low unless you are borderline low already. What I would do is test your blood sugar before you leave since it will be your 2 hour pp anyway, and then you can decide. I carry glucose tabs everywhere with me as well as my meter. So if I feel low I can treat. But then if you find this happening a lot of time, then that's another story and you might want to consider a small snack.

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Permalink Reply by Shawnmarie on August 1, 2012 at 10:02pm

I think that's when a well timed glucose tab can be your friend. I don't bolus when I'm going to work out after dinner, but if I were going for a walk two hours after a meal, I might pop a glucose tab or two about 10 minutes before the walk, depending upon what my BG was at the time.

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Permalink Reply by smileandnod on August 2, 2012 at 7:06am

Denise, I live in south Louisiana so I understand your concern over the heat and humidity combined with bolus insulin on board. I also find that, for me, that time of afternoon is the time I will tend to go low anyway.

When I walk in our neighborhood, I always make sure I have a medical alert bracelet on and carry glucose and my cell phone in my pocket, just in case. When I walk in the heat and humidity, even short distances, I do tend to drop and sometimes quickly so I would just make sure you're prepared by having glucose with you.

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on August 1, 2012 at 5:27pm

Nope. I "ate" a "gel" (these goopy little bags of stuff they give runners, maltodextrose and vitamins, potassium, caffeine, etc.) at mile 13 in the Chicago Marathon. I "cut" the bolus, taking 1/3 or so of the normal amount as I was running but I had really bad cramps and figured maybe it would help? It didn't but BG was ok, stayed ok until about mile 25, when I tested BG and it was in the 70s, "trending" down so I had some jelly beans. I was sort of a mess by that point. I've discovered Enduralyte since then so I'm optimistic about this year?

There's a good chart in "Think Like a Pancreas" and "Usuing Insulin" showing the "cuts" to make to boluses or basal rates for exercise. It's important to have some insulin to help process "fuel" but it's still, as always, about balance?

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Permalink Reply by denise102206 on August 1, 2012 at 5:35pm

I read the book "Think like a Pancreas " Wish I still had it but had to return it to library and they didn't have "using Insulin"... These are 2 books I think i'm just going to have to buy. Because there was so much information in there I read and I can only remember parts I need the book for reference lol.

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on August 1, 2012 at 5:45pm

here's a pic, basically, every kind of exercise has a recognized "intensity" (low/ moderate/ high) and then you cross index it with the duration to get the cut amount, either basal (with a pump) or the bolus for a snack. I totally cheat, in that if my BG is up, I'll just blow off the bolus/ food bit. I also cheat with a CGM so I can sort of see what it's doing while I'm going. For short (30 minutes, 3ish miles, although I guess my fastest for 5K is 23:17...) I don't do much of anything, other than try to set my BG up and eat enough ahead of time that I don't have bolus insulin on board? That way, a slight drop from the workout will buzz me down but not fast enough to cause a problem. I always bring sugar with me and usually gatorade when it's hot out as it's also very important to hydrate. If you are ok BG wise, there are low-carb electrolyte drinks but I usually stay flat ok at 5+ miles if I have some gatorade?

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Permalink Reply by denise102206 on August 1, 2012 at 5:48pm

Doesn't Gatorade have carbs though?

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on August 1, 2012 at 6:20pm

I weigh the powder and bring it in a bottle and usually have 1/3-1/2, maybe 8-12 G of carbs for fuel and it works out great. I live in a nice area for it as I have 3/5/6/8/10 mile trails to choose from and there's always variables but I've been doing 6 mile runs during the week pretty regularly and usually have Gatorade about the 1/2 way point and bring 1/2 home and my BG works out ok. Think Like a pancreas Rx's about 70-80G of carbs for a 1/2 marathon but I think I've done ok at them with a bit less, and end up at 130ish.

I've seen some people recommend or explain that they feel like they need to run their BG up to 250/300 for long runs and I don't like to do that. I'd rather keep aiming for balance.

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Permalink Reply by denise102206 on August 1, 2012 at 5:32pm

Well it's basically like a 20 minute walk since it's 10 mins there and then back. When I was pregnant on insulin I was on a different kind and I always had to eat something because I went low everytime if I didn't. The heat index has been about 105- 108 lately and I know that affect it too. I'm just nervous about the what if because it will just be me and my baby going there and back if there's a problem. So if I'm on the lower side before it's time to go do I eat then?

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