Swim Meet Tips

I just swam in my first actual swim meet and my BG numbers were kind of all over the place. Is anybody a competitive swimmer, and how do manage your T1D In a meet?

Hi @PurpleBoots and congratulations on knocking out your first meet! Could you describe what you mean by “all over the place”? And are you on a pump, or do you take injections?

I use a pump and my numbers were on the high side (250ish) for most of the meet, and then I was low overnight. I’ve raced before, just not swimming, so I am used to the low afterwards. But it was weird to be high when was competing.

Sally @PurpleBoots , I am far from being a copetive swimmer, but I will suggest that you look at anaerobic exercise and how it may affect BGL management; try looking at the search tool on this page. This is exercise that pushes you, and your heart-rate well above “normal” exercise or activity. In addition to your competitive swimming causing the high during the activity followed by avdrop to low several hours later [even with a good meal] weightlifters have this experience. I would sometimes experience a sudden low at 8:30 in the evening after having finished 30 miles on bike no later than 3::30 in the afternoon.

One method I would use to avoid the evengng drop, after calculating my evening meal insulin dose, I would make a guess at how much I should cut the dose.

As I recall, you currently use an OmniPod; before the competition, did you adjust your basal? Unless you felt physically uncomfortable when at 250, I wouldn’t risk taking additional insulin either before or during a race, that is until you have the experience of a few more meets. Play safe!

I am not a swimmer but I experience a very similar situation when I bale hay. I will be high while working for hours but drop like a bomb afterwards. I have experimented around and a couple things I have found, adrenaline from stress keeps my sugar high. Dehydration is also a factor for me, so while staying hydrated I up my basal about 1 hr before starting and I try to cut my basal about 2 hrs prior to finishing and I try to time my meal not long after finishing. I never comprehended how all that lifting was allowing my bg levels to go high but there is no arguing experience. As others have said make sure you get enough experience with meets before making too many changes but don’t be afraid to make small changes to make sure you feel your best while competing.