elevated Blood sugar levels after exercise

[churchlady1]

Why is it that sometimes my blood sugar levels rise after walking. First thing in the morning,about an hour after exercise and not eating anything my b/s level goes up by about 4-5 points.

[star queen]

When you exercise, the muscles in the body needs more energy to perform. If you have not eaten any food, sugar in the form of Lactose is secreted by the muscle to give the muscle the energy it needs.  If this sugar is not used up during exercise, the sugar is still in the blood and will test higher for an hour or so before being used up by other bodily activities. If you eat before exercise, the sugar from the food intake will take care of the needs of the muscles and get used up before the muscle needs to secrete Lactose so the blood sugar in the blood will test lower.  hope this helps

[bobthetrainer]

star queen, you really need a class in exercise physiology

churchlady1, your blood sugar will vary, sometimes changing by 10-15 points, just based on normal human metabolism (stress, temperature, etc).  Generally, low intensity exercise will decrease blood sugar.  Higher intensity exercise (which sometimes can even be walking for some individuals who are deconditioned) can have a tendancy to increase blood sugar.  Sometimes individuals can wake up with higher blood sugar due to what is referred to as "the dawn effect".  This is a normal physiological state caused by the release of stress hormones early in the morning.

If you are diabetic, the general rule of thumb is that if your blood sugar is between 100-250 it is safe to exercise.  If it is less than 100, eat 15 grams of carbohydrate, and recheck your blood sugar in 15 minutes.  If your blood sugar is 250+ and you have urinary ketones present, delay exercise until it is below 250.

The reason why we don't want people exercising if their blood sugar is <100 is because they can go hypoglycemic.

bob
Registered Dietitian

[sarriah]

Also blood sugar can rise without eating due to the liver dumping it's stores of sugar in a stressful situation such as working out before eating.  Do as Bob the Trainer says and check your blood sugar before excercising and it's a good idea to carry a pouch of fruit juice with you just in case you experience the signs and symptoms of low blood sugar, especially if your work out is going to be intense.

[sirius_girl]

I have been having a real problem with my blood sugars being too high, after a 1.5 hour intense workout.  It was 371.  I had eaten about 300 calories and 40 grams of carbs 2 hours before the workout after a blood sugar of 135.  Any suggestions?

[Cyclingmaniac]

Howdy, sirius girl.....I do triathlons.....I've monitored blood sugars after a 4 to 5 hour workout while testing out my nutrition plan from my sports nutritionist.   Blood sugar immediately after exercising was 378.  I tested my blood sugar every 15 minutes and saw dramatic drops:  271 at post 15 minutes; 168 at post 30 minutes; 121 at post 45 minutes;  82 at post 60 minutes, and 57 at post 75 minutes.   I do tend to go hypoglycemic as referenced by bob.   My nutritionist worked out a pre-race, race, and post race nutrition plan so as to stabalize my blood sugars so that I wasn't havng the wide swings.   Next time you do an 1.5 intense workout, try taking your blood readings every 15 minutes to see the affect and how quickl your sugar adjusts.  

bob might have some suggestions on nutrition.   I'm not a nutritionist and sought professional help bevause I didn't want to end up in another medical tent after a race.  

[Samori]

If you are a type 2 diabetic this is normal if you start to exercise or increase your exercise routine. this is because your insulin receptors can not absorb enough insulin to utilise the sugar. The pancreas then dumps more insulin into the blood and the liver responds to the higher blood insulin level by producing more blood sugar. If the exercise routine is continued over a period of time without a break the insulin receptors will be stimulated, partially reversing the insulin resistance and you will find the rise in blood sugar gets progressively smaller and eventually you will experience blood sugar reductions after exercise. That would be highly beneficial to your health. If you are not a type 2 diabetic you may be pre diabetic and I would suggest you discuss this problem with a doctor specialising in diabetes or an endocrinologist.  

[Eish]

Thx for the info, now, WHY do the levels go up? Can somebody please explain that, it is contrary to conventional sugar theory?

My levels after hard exercise do exactly the same as that of cyclingmaniac, and I am very fit, exercise five times a week, exercise hard, and am spot on on my target weight........

    

[smed1920]

Interesting thread here!  Do you recommend eating before exercise?  How about if it is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach vs. a workout later in the day.  How will eating before a workout affect weight loss.

[Thee_Mayor]

My kids and I just got back from a walking track. After years of partying and a sedimentary lifestyle I have begun the change. The determining factor was a doctors visit. I weighed 203 and he told me I was pre-diabetic. I asked what to do and he said lose weight, quit smoking and exersise. Keep in mind when I say sedimentary I do not mean like a sloth. In my younger days I was very active but work and hangovers sidelined me for a while. I was still active with the kids to a certain extent. I now weigh 175 pounds but still smoke although not as much. I drink once a week. I have been monitoring my blood sugar for about a month now. I am usually around the 80 range 2 hours after a meal. Yesterday I only had two pieces of toast for breakfast and My sugar read 58. I did not check before walking two miles this afternoon. I had a 121 when I got home about 20 minutes after the walk. Is this normal?

Thee Mayor

[Cinney]

My father has Type II diabetes.  I was diagonosed as pre-diabetic a year ago and while I've tested under 100 for two doctor visits, and am not longer considered pre-diabetic, in monitoring myself, I find lately I'm over 100 a couple times a week.  My diet is excellent--I'm very careful..  Two things.  This morning I woke up with a 110 reading and wonder if the D-Mannnose and Cranberry tablets I'm taking for urinary tract discomfort has affected that reading. Secondly, when I returned from an intensive 2-hour hike an hour ago my reading was 102.  Now it's 116. ( I ate a high fiber cereal and cherries for breakfast before the hike.)  Shouldn't my levels be heading lower an hour after this hike--not higher?

Cinney

[marissposa]

Hi there,  you might want to check in on the diabetes forum. Good luck.

[lisagg]

I am a struggling diabetic..I am 226 lbs at 5 ft..I have had trouble with my metformin on my stomach so I am doing novolog pens right now.. I have started a exercise program where I do cardio 3-4 days and wieghts or resistance training 2 days.. I am very sore later that day. My problem is my blood sugars are also spiking after my work out to about 250.. now if I give insulin on that number in a few hours I fell shaky.. I check 15 to hour after work out and it is high. my NP told me to not do any resistance.. i am bummed.. I really want to change my body strength. What should I tell my trainer??