Dear Ginger,
How do you mantain control of sugar levels when you're in sports? I know it has to be over 150 for me to do any sports, but it will drop right back down to like 39 (an almost-coma state). Please help! -Mareon
Hugely important question! Remember, there is no perfect science to keeping your blood sugar in range, because our bodies are each so incredibly different. So, what you need to do is figure out what works for you, and I can tell you I've been doing a lot of this "research" lately as I've been upping the intensity of my own workouts drastically and eventually you will find out what your body needs.
First of all, while it's great that you're starting exercise with a blood sugar over 150, you should also be eating at least 15 grams of carbs before you begin exercising. For some people, they might need more. Sometimes, depending on the time of day, I only need 5 grams because I'm very sensitive to carbs in the morning.
If my blood sugar is high (like 250) before I exercise, I take a very small amount of insulin (maybe one unit for my body) and let the exercise bring it down further. If your blood sugar is extremely high before exercise, it is dangerous to workout because you might induce your body to create ketones...which isn't good!!!
IMPORTANT: If I'm going to be working out for longer than 1 hour, I stop and check my blood sugar after 60 minutes. No matter what. If it's below 150, I have more carbs.
TWO IMPORTANT TIPS:
1. I check my blood sugar OFTEN. Before I workout. Once during my workout. And then immediately after I workout.
2. I keep glucose on me at all times. If I'm feeling low, I CHECK first, and if it is low, then I have anywhere from 5 grams of carbs to 15 depending on how low and how much more I plan to workout after it comes back up.
Remember, everyone is different. The more often you exercise and the more of a habit you make it, the less insulin you'll need and the less carbs you might need to keep you going. You've gotta pay attention and give that extra effort of checking your blood sugar often, because personally, I love to exercise and I'd much rather poke my fingers 12 times a day than have a seizure in the gym.
If you have ANY more questions about this, please post them and we'll discuss this further!
