Has anybody else checked their blood, excersised, checked their blood again and realized that its lower? I did that just today, my BS were in the 200's (they have been for a while, my meters are starting to get messed up (I was just very recently DX with T1 on 2/20/10)) and afterwards, I was reading close to the 150's so that was definatly a releif! What I did was 40mins of cardio and 10mins of yoga.
Another thing I'd like to ask is, I'm only 12 and I know some people have been DX with T1 even younger than me but I'm really srtuggling mentally with all of this, so if you have any advice for me, please respond.
You are right that aerobic exercise will lower your blood sugar. You can adjust for this (one you've done the same thing several times to figure out the pattern of what happens to your numbers) by eating something beforehand, or lowering your basal rate beforehand, if you wear a pump. Even different kinds of exercise will have different effects - advice from your doctor combined with some trial and error is how you figure it out! :)
Can you be more specific on what you'd like advice on? We're all here to help.
Exercise will definitely lower blood sugar and it takes some experience to find out how severely your body reacts to different kinds of exercise. I like to run and that drops my blood sugar A LOT in a very short time period (same with badminton for some reason). Just be sure to check before you exercise and make appropriate adjustments (eat a snack, give less insulin before you exercise, etc.).
I was diagnosed when I was 4, about 11.5 years ago so I'm pretty experienced with diabetes. I can't really imagine my life before diabetes but I can imagine the great stress you're under having to adjust to a completely new routine. It's awesome that you're here, because if you have any specific questions, want some support, or just want to vent, we offer open ears (eyes...lol). I'm sure you've worked with your endocrinologist to establish a strict routine with testing, insulin dosing, and maybe carb intake. If you stick with it really well for a few weeks, it will become second nature to you - you just have to endure it for a while and then it won't seem like such a big deal. Make sure to tell your friends and teachers/coaches/other adults you work with so that they know what to expect and what your needs are. Don't try to hide it from people who you interact with because if something bad were to happen to you, they could always be there for support. You may want to look into a 504 plan for school, if you haven't already. It allows you to retake or reschedule tests if your blood sugars are not in range before a test and lets you eat in class if you have to, check your blood sugar there, etc.
It's great that you're here and we are here for you if you need it!
I think I can safely say that exercise has this effect on ALL T1 diabetics. But it's different for each one of us, so the only general rule is that it will happen unless your BG is very high before you start to exercise. Don't try to ignore it. You must learn how to prepare for it. I'm surprised that your doctor or educator didn't warn you about this. Exercise is such an important part of all of our lives that we all have to deal with this problem that's associated with exercise. I would say that you have been lucky to discover this as you did, by testing, and not by passing out because you weren't aware this was going to happen!
The only good advice I can think of myself is to test before and after you excersise (like you did), and also about an hour after you are finished because the effects will still be taking place. Also, if you ever feel any symptoms of low blood sugar while you are working out, be sure to stop what you are doing and test your blood sugar.
Good luck with everything! I remember having a hard time with playing 3 sports competitively in middle school and high school and 1 in college.
I sometimes go low even four hours after exercising. But, you'll figure this out and I bet your endocrinologist will have suggestions too. As you said, if you're a little high, it's a great way to bring yourself down!
Have you learned to test for ketones yet? If you're high and also have ketones, don't exercise until the ketones are gone b/c it could make them worse. You'll have to correct with insulin instead.
Hang in there! And remember, you're not alone as you'll see from all the people your age on this site!
I go high when I exercise, but this might be because I disconnect my pump too...I try to mitigate this by bolusing a little bit (1-3 units) prior to my workouts. I notice that when I am done, my BG isn't as high, or not high at all. Never have I gone low during exercise.
If you go high during exercise, just correct with half of what you normally would since the high is a response to your adrenaline and other hormonal levels that resulted because of your workout intensity.