27 Comments
Do you modify your insulin dose for a meal if you plan to exercise within a few hours after eating?
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Depending on the situation I might lower insulin doses AFTER I exercise as well.
I always have to give myself extra insulin after I exercise as my sugar rises when I stop. If I have gone on a several-hour bike ride during the day, however, I would need to lower my basal insulin during the night as that is when my sugar may have a difficult time staying above 70.
I may take less insulin if I am exercising soon after eating. Most times I am better off taking a normal bolus and waiting at least 2 hours before exercising. I take carbs during long exercise periods. I have a 24 hour walk on April 30 and I will set my basal rate to 50% and set my low alarm from 80 to 100. Hoping to walk 73 miles.
Way to go! 🙂
I am modifying my insulin dose right now, as I’m sitting here eating my breakfast. I usually dose for 45 carbs at breakfast, but this morning I dosed for 25 carbs. I also increase my protein intake, so my blood sugar does not drop too quickly. I’m going for a run after breakfast, when my blood sugar gets above, oh, maybe 175. I’m at 137 now. Going up!! I always decrease my insulin, and often increase my carbs and proteins before running or exercise.
Oh, one more thing. I’ve also unplugged my insulin tubing from my cannula, and won’t reconnect until I’m about 15 – 20 minutes completed with my run (workout).
Question Lawrence. How low do your readings go when running? I would freak out with 137 before breakfast.
Jane,
The 137 was actually at the end of my breakfast. I started breakfast at around 97. Funny, I had two phone calls before this run, and by the time I got out to run, I was on 217. I was on 120 at the end of the run. But, if I had not eaten the protein with my meal, I probably would have gone sub-40. My blood sugars really plummet without the protein.
Almost never. My usual exercise after a meal is mild walking, rarely right after a meal. I often lower my basal rate though before walking.
I answered no because on a few hours o would know if my BS was stable. If I am doing cardio would probably eat a snack but weights or machines doesn’t lower my BS noticeably. Always have my phone for CGM readings and glucose tabs in case.
I try to walk for an hour or so daily and I always eat before doing so and rarely bolus for that meal. My glucose level can drop 60 – 80 points over an hour of enthusiastic walking or walking on a treadmill which is sometimes an option.
I answered, “Sometimes depending on the situation”. If very strenuous exercise is planned, then I will lower my insulin dose. If light or moderate exercise, like walking with my husband, who walks a slower pace, I will extend it out over a time period to cover the exercise. My pump has Exercise Mode, so I will activate that mode and adjust insulin if the exercise is going to be lengthy (strenuous yard work, bicycling, etc.). I ALWAYS take carbs with me when exercising though to be safe.
I exercise 5-6 days a week. I don’t exercise if I have Insulin on board.
I use control IQ so use activity setting when I exercise mostly. Just depends if exercising right away after eating I wd use less insulin for meal and not use activity setting
Even light walking can drop my BG! So I also adjust doses if I need to go to a big box store and run a lot of errands. 🤪
Yes – as my DEXCOM G6 has taught me, I can get BS level drops greater than 100 in the 1st hour of exercise (sometimes in the first 15 minutes) I need to always start exercise with BS readings above 200. Since starting with the CGM I haven’t collapsed or had a visit from EMS for a severe Hypoglycemic event. Relying on finger sticks has proven, at least in my case, highly problematic. ( Sorry and not sorry for sounding evangelistic about CGMs, yet they really are game changers!)
I am the same way. My blood sugars drop like a rock when I work out. I recently found a solution; eat more protein before I work out. The protein is a game changer for working out!
I walk for over an hour every morning about 1-1/2 hours after breakfast. I don’t really change my dose for that and will walk the hills and flats at a moderate clip usually without going low. (Sugar tabs are with me always!) I will also do some strength training or a little more cardio after the walk and seem to do okay. I do adjust my bolus for lunch if I plan to head out to work in the yard right after the meal. Otherwise, I go low!
I normally half dose
After reading through the comments I am again impressed with my fellow T1’s amazing willingness to adapt and overcome. as well as how there are so many different answers to a common disease that lead to success. My fellow T1s are the greatest encouragement to deal with this disease – far more than formulaic Endo practices. Argh – 284 on waking up, as opposed to 75 yesterday – time to go shoot up.
I have better luck of stable post dinner bs if I both take my normal dose AND walk my dogs post meal. I always have more of a post meal post spike if I don’t walk them.
I regularly substitute 1 hour of post-breakfast cardio for 2 units of pre-breakfast insulin. I also use a t:slim Control IQ exercise profile to reduce my basal to 15% of normal while I’m exercising and use a 1:500 (unit:BG) correction bolus setting to minimize “stealth” boluses that might try to bring my BG too low. It took a while to figure this out, but it allows me to get a good workout without having to consume extra calories.
If I plan on doing something immediately following the meal, then I will definitely make accommodations regarding the insulin dosage for whatever activity is coming. If the activity is a few hours away, I would not modify the dose. Thus my response of ‘Sometimes,…’
Inhaled Insulin makes my life much easier when exercising. This stuff works FAST! I have no issues working out 1hr after dosing.
I just took the pulmonary lung function test today and only planned to use afrezza with a stubborn high, but I was thinking about using it for dosing before exercise as insulin on board does sometimes cause my sugar to drop when exercising after eating.
NO !! I just eat MORE !! Or I carry some carbs to eat if my BG drops .. from Sweet Charlie..
My job keeps me very active, so it’s actually more likely that I would modify my insulin dose because I know I _won’t_ be exercising within a few hours after eating.