Exercise is an important facet to the management of diabetes. Not only does it affect your blood glucose levels, which may enable you to take less insulin, but it also helps improve health, control weight and lower the risk of complications associated with this disease, such as nerve damage, kidney damage and cardiovascular disease. But since exercise has a direct impact on energy expenditure, it can greatly influence blood glucose levels. This often means adjustments in diet and medications to ensure you keep your blood sugar in a healthy range.
Time Frame
For anyone living with diabetes, Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends exercising roughly one to three hours after eating. This helps elevate your blood sugar to an appropriate level to better support energy expenditure. However, if you've recently taken insulin, you may need to wait. The combination of insulin and exercise can greatly lower blood glucose levels.
Pre-Exercise
The Mayo Clinic suggests testing your blood glucose level 30 minutes prior to exercise and then again right before you start your workout. These two numbers give you an idea of the stability of your blood sugar. A range of anywhere between 100 and 250 mg/dL is often considered ideal. If your levels are higher or lower, wait before beginning exercise. (Consult your doctor for more specifics, as to how much to wait.)
During Exercise
There isn't usually a need to check your blood sugar during exercise, unless it's for longer periods of time. In this situation, check blood sugar at the 30-minute mark of your workout. You may also need to test blood sugar if you're taking part in a new activity, warns Johns Hopkins Medicine. If your blood sugar is too low, stop exercising and have a snack before continuing, to keep your blood sugar from dipping too low.
Post-Exercise
As soon as you complete your workout, it's important to check your blood sugar again and then a few hours later, advises Johns Hopkins Medicine. Your blood glucose level can steadily fall for a number of hours after exercising. The American Academy of Family Physicians explains that exercise actually alters the way your body responds to insulin, becoming much more sensitive to this hormone. It can drop so low that you begin suffering from hypoglycemia.
Foods
When you workout, make sure you have roughly 15 g of "fast-acting" carbohydrates on hand, cautions the American Academy of Family Physicians. This amount can quickly elevate your blood sugar when it drops too low. Fruit juice, milk, soda and candy can all serve this purpose.
Recommendation
Always talk to a medical professional before starting an exercise program. Your doctor may have certain recommendations concerning the types of activities, pre-exercise blood sugar levels and the frequency and intensity of your workouts. However, 150 minutes per week of moderately intense aerobic exercise is the norm, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. That's equivalent to five 30-minute workouts a week.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Diabetes and Exercise--When to Monitor Your Blood Sugar
- Johns Hopkins Medicine: Diabetes and Exercise--Keeping Your Blood Glucose Levels in Check
- American Academy of Family Physicians: Diabetes and Exercise
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease: What I Need to Know about Physical Activity and Diabetes
