Hypoglycemia can be brought on by exercise in individuals with blood sugar issues, such as diabetes or reactive hypoglycemia. Insulin-dependent diabetics need to be particularly careful and plan in advance how to monitor blood sugar levels during exercise. Exercise is part of diabetes and hypoglycemia management. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends 30 minutes of exercise five days a week, lightly at first until you learn how to manage your diet to increase your intensity level.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, happens when there is an exceptionally low level of glucose in your bloodstream. Disease and poor diet can disrupt blood sugar levels. People with diabetes have high blood sugar, but too much insulin can cause blood sugar to fall, causing hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia can also occur without diabetes. Symptoms include headache, sweating, dizziness, mental confusion, fatigue and depression.
Hypoglycemia and Exercise
A recent study reported in "Diabetes Forecast" magazine showed that many people with insulin-dependent diabetes don't exercise due to fear of low blood glucose. Using insulin increases the risk of hypoglycemia during exercise. Since physical activity can deplete the insulin you have stored, you can have a low period between 30 minutes and two hours after exercising. If you work out after dinner, you could experience nighttime hypoglycemia and may need to check blood sugar levels during the night.
Considerations
The Diabetes Guidelines website gives the following suggestions for exercising with hypoglycemia. Take a small amount of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates prior to light or brief exercise. If you are exercising intensely, strenuously or for a prolonged period, you must carefully monitor your blood sugar levels and consider reducing the amount of insulin you take. Strenuous exercise in the afternoon or evening should be followed with slowly absorbed complex carbohydrates, along with fat and protein. High-risk exercise or sports activity, such as water sports, climbing, skiing or diving, must have extra rapidly absorbed carbohydrates throughout the exercise period and blood sugar must be closely monitored.
Caffeine
The American Diabetes Association reports on a study at Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust in England. Caffeine increases levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline, keeping glucose in the bloodstream longer. The researchers studied five patients with type 1 diabetes who took caffeine and had higher blood glucose levels before exercising, compared to those with the placebo. Levels stayed close to the baseline after 20, 40 and 70 minutes after exercise. Two patients on placebo needed extra glucose to avoid hypoglycemia, but none with caffeine did. However, the amount of caffeine used was twice the maximum recommendation in the United Kingdom. The researchers thought these findings could be helpful with unplanned exercise.
