Working Out With Type 1 Diabetes: A Few Tips Regarding Insulin Control

India
February 4, 2007 9:00am CST
If you have type 1 diabetes and enjoy exercising, you must take extra care in managing your insulin injections so that you can avoid hypoglycemia and/or hyperglycemia. Because you have type 1 diabetes you must depend on insulin in order to help manage your blood glucose levels. Exercise is physically demanding on your system, so it is imperative that you avoid having too much insulin before you exercise as this could lead to hypoglycemia. And if you do not have enough insulin in your system during exercise then your glucose levels may rise even though it is not being used for energy. Now that you understand the importance of balancing your insulin injections when comes to exercise, what is the best way to measure exactly how much you need? Research has shown that it is best to actually reduce the amount of insulin taken before exercise. Remember that you do not want to have too little insulin, but by reducing your dosage slightly then you will help prevent hypoglycemia. Everybody is different when it comes to finding the right dosage of insulin for type 1 diabetics, but with a little trial and error you can soon find out what works best for you so that you can enjoy your physical fitness activities.
1 response
• Philippines
4 Feb 07
Your blood glucose levels goes down during and after exercise. This is because it is being used up by the body in the form of energy. A diabetic person must take great precaution when exercising. He/She should be able to plan his/her insulin intake, food intake and amount of exercise well. He/She risks developing hypoglycemia if his/her insulin intake exceeds what he/she needs to maintain a normal reading after exercise. He/She must balance everything to avoid a hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia episode.