Recently, I have noticed a spike in my blood sugars every time I do even a minor amount of exercise. This happens even with very very easy walks and does not have to be exercise that may increase my adrenaline. Additionally, when my blood sugars come up they never bring themselves down. I hang around that elevated number until I take insulin to bring it back down. The spikes are anywhere from 100-200 points beginning early on during an hour of exercise. I am to the point where I have to take insulin before I workout even if my numbers are ideal just to stop this spike. Was curious if any one else had this problem and might have other techniques to prevent the high without taking insulin before each workout.
Hi Ashley @amcfeeley, I hear what you are saying and I have had the same problem - but not always consistently experienced. so I only can offer theory on what I’m guessing.
Heat and dehydration and the "dehydration need not get to the point that you notice symptoms. I walk similar routes year round and in winter [I’m Florida year round] I need to reduce my pump basal and in summer my BGL goes up like yours. Now, believe it or not, when I sip Gatorade while walking in the summer, my BGL does not increase. I use regular Gatorade powder [with sugar] and only put in my 20 oz. water bottle the measure for 12 or 16 ox Gatorade.
I picked up this “treatment theory” when discussing with our daughter who has 30 years emergency medical experience - when someone is brought to her ER with high blood sugar the immediate treatment is IV hydration.
Monitor yourself! Know that exercise CAN raise your sugar. For me, if I start with sugar in low 200’s I can drop 100 points with 30+ min of walking, BUT if I start with a higher reading, the same amt. of exercise will raise it. But once in a while, the <low 200> will drop me 20-30pts. only!
Thats the way of T1D – treat it as a game, who outwits whom! Its laugh – or cry! You decide which!
Marina