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Click to view Beach Goddess's profile Rookie 6 posts since
Dec 27, 2007

Jul 25, 2008 12:13 PM

Type 1 diabetes & exercise


I am a very active type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetic (diagnosed 36 years ago) but I am having problems calculating my insulin needs on the days i work out.

I am using 1 unit of humalog to 7 grams of carb I ingest. Plus 1 unit per 20 points I want to bring my sugar down from its current reading (ex: reading is 180 before lunch, and I'm eating 21 grams of carb, so I'd take 3 units of insulin to cover the meal, plus 3 more to bring my readings down to 120).

any other type 1's out there? I seem to be crashing alot about an hour to two after my workouts. I am eating healthy meals pre-workout incl. carb and protein. I am also trying to lose a few pounds, so I don't want to snack toooo much.

I am wondering how other active Type 1 diabetics manage their meals, their insulin and their workouts.. please give me your anecdotes, schedules, etc.

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Click to view culinarydoctor's profile Community Moderator 73 posts since
Oct 31, 2007
1. Jul 30, 2008 11:11 AM in response to: Beach Goddess
Re: Type 1 diabetes & exercise
Go for a walk. I do not have diabetes, but have trained and worked with several people who do, and a post meal stroll can drastically effect blood glucose, might even help shead those extra pounds. Great book on the subject: Reversing Diabetes by Julian Whitaker. More so geared to type 2, but several jewels of wisdom. Best of luck.
Click to view steve s's profile Rookie 2 posts since
Aug 22, 2007
3. Aug 25, 2008 10:49 PM in response to: Beach Goddess
Re: Type 1 diabetes & exercise
This is an older post, but of major interest to me being an active type 1 diabetic as well. You seem to calculate things fairly well and my routine may seem haphazard in comparison. I bike 5 days a week averaging 120 most weeks and rarely less than 100 unless I run. I test at least 8-10 times a day, so before a work out if my sugar happens to be really high I'll inject some fast acting insulin to get my readings below 240, then go for a 20 mile ride. I always carry a gel or 2 ,so, if I feel funny I err on the side of caution. If I go 40 miles or more I make sure I do a route that is fairly close to home and try to check my sugar at about 20 miles. This usually works, but not always. Last week , after work, I checked my sugar and it was in the 300's (fortunately I have never gone dka), I injected too much insulin getting in down to about 240 and headed out for a ride. Just for caution I ingested a GU, at 15 miles, I started to notice my blood sugar was dropping. I finished my 20 mile ride and checked my sugar. I think it was 43. Needless to say my routine is not perfect. But you know the mantra. Keep your diet and routine pretty much the same and adjust your insulin as needed. I'm pretty much unaware of my nighttime lows. Sleep can really be a bummer and I've had a few bad lows. I hope you find out what works for you, but most of all, we type 1 diabetics can never give in to it. I x-country ski as well and take my inspiration from successful diabetic athletes that are competitive and these days I root for team type 1 cyclists. But AGAIN, I check, check, check my sugar frequently so I can adjust. I'll err on the slightly higher side to avoid the lows, even if it means my A1Cs are no longer as good as they were in the past. Again, you may be shooting for really tight control, but I still don't have any diabetic complications more than 10 years after being diagnosed. The other poster mentioned walking. You and I know, that just ain't goin to cut it. Best of luck. Staying healthy until they find a cure.