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August 4, 2006, Newsletter Issue #64: Preventing Hypoglycemia When Exercising
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Tip of the Week
Exercise is important both for its health benefits and its role in helping to control blood sugars.
But there can be some risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) with prolonged and/or strenuous exercise, especially if the person exercising has not eaten in several hours.
Here are some tips on preventing hypoglycemia:
1) Check your glucose level before exercising. If it is below 90, and you plan to exercise vigorously for a period, have a snack first. 2) ALWAYS carry a fast acting carbohydrate source (such as glucose tablets) with you when exercising. You donīt want to be stranded without it if a reaction should occur. 3) Learn how your body reacts to exercise by monitoring your glucoses immediately before, after, and 1/1/2 hours after exercising the first few times. You can balance your snacks and insulin or medication to maintain good blood sugars once you know how your body reacts. 4) If exercising for prolonged periods, it is best to check your sugar every half hour, and to have a snack if your blood sugar begins to drop 5) Try to avoid exercising just before meals, when you are more vulnerable to glucose lows. It is better to exercise after eating. 6) Be aware that prolonged exercise can use up glycogen stores in your muscles and cause delayed hypoglycemia. Check more frequently in the hours after exercising if you are exercising for a prolonged period, and especially before bedtime to prevent a low during the night. 7) Keep a blood sugar "diary." Make notes about the times of your sugars, their values, your eating patterns and what type of exercise you are doing. Make special notes if you have low blood sugar, i.e. what you had eaten, what you were doing before it was low, any changes in your medications.
Being aware of the risk of low blood sugar during exercise is the first step in prevention any complications that may arise. Like the Boy Scouts say, "Be Prepared."
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