Physical Activity’s Impact on Blood Glucose in Diabetes

Many people with diabetes wonder how different workouts might affect their blood sugar. It’s common knowledge that staying active is a cornerstone of managing diabetes, but the specific ways that physical activity influences blood glucose can often feel like a mystery. This is especially true when trying to understand how to prevent hypoglycemia.

It turns out, physical activity’s influence on blood glucose in diabetes is significant, but it is not always straightforward. This can create issues and challenges for those trying to manage it all. This guide will walk you through helpful, actionable steps that make a difference.

Table of Contents:

• Understanding the Basics of Blood Glucose and Diabetes
• How Exercise Impacts Blood Glucose Levels
• The Impact of Exercise Duration on Blood Sugar
• Type 1 vs. Type 2 Diabetes: Different Considerations
• Physical Activity Influence on Blood Glucose in Diabetes and the Role of Insulin
• Preventing Hypoglycemia During Exercise
• Physical activity, blood glucose and the Dawn Phenomenon
• Practical Tips for Managing Blood Glucose and Exercise
  • Plan and Monitor
  • Adjust Insulin and Food Intake
• Different Types of Physical Activity
• Staying Consistent with Physical Activity
• FAQs about Physical activity influence on blood glucose in diabetes
  • How does exercise affect blood sugar in diabetics?
  • How does physical activity influence risk for diabetes?
  • Does your blood sugar go up when you walk?
  • What role does physical activity play in type 2 diabetes?
• Conclusion

Understanding the Basics of Blood Glucose and Diabetes

Glucose, a simple sugar, is the primary source of energy for our bodies. When we eat, our digestive system breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which then enters the bloodstream. Think of it like fueling up your car, but for your body.

Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, acts like a key. It unlocks the doors of our cells, letting blood glucose in to be used for energy. In people with diabetes, this process doesn’t work quite right.

How Exercise Impacts Blood Glucose Levels

Exercise typically lowers blood glucose levels. This effect can last for up to 24 hours, or even longer, after your workout by making your body more sensitive to insulin. You can use your blood sugar monitor to understand these patterns and keep your levels in a healthy range.

Muscles use glucose for fuel during physical activity. As the intensity or duration of exercise increases, so too does the demand for blood sugars to fuel muscles. This is a major reason why staying active helps so much with diabetes.

Understanding your blood sugar levels takes time, especially regarding how hard or long you exercise. This interaction of intensity is crucial for athletes with Type 1 or 2 diabetes. For instance, resistance exercises, instead of typical aerobic ones, might increase blood sugars.

The Impact of Exercise Duration on Blood Sugar

The duration of exercise also plays a significant role. Longer, lower-intensity exercises might involve using a different mix of glucose versus free fatty acid for energy. This depends on factors like the type of diabetes a person has.

Here’s a table to compare what the science suggests in research studies. These effects aren’t definite outcomes, but they give a general idea.

Activities like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming generally cause blood sugar to decrease. However, longer-duration activities, done even on consecutive days, can impact sugar control. Muscles pull more blood sugars for recovery and to build stamina and strength, influencing your levels.

Type 1 vs. Type 2 Diabetes: Different Considerations

Physical activity influences blood glucose differently between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Knowing the differences helps you make better decisions about your exercise routine.

In type 1 diabetes, the body doesn’t produce insulin. Those people can experience high variability from the various modes of exercise. Careful monitoring of sugar levels during different durations and intensities of exercise is recommended to create an optimal meal and medication regimen.

For people with type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t use it efficiently. Exercise helps the body use insulin more efficiently. According to the American Diabetes Association , regular exercise helps with A1C levels.

Physical Activity Influence on Blood Glucose in Diabetes and the Role of Insulin

If you take insulin or certain diabetes medications, you’re at risk for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Your health care provider can tell you how best to avoid this.

It’s good to have close communication with your health care provider about an exercise, eating, and medicine schedule. This will help to be safe, but will help maximize the results from physical activity. It can be especially important for older adults.

Low blood sugar can occur during or long after your session. Low sugars are more likely if someone exercises too long, at too high of an intensity, or skips meals while exercising. To address low blood sugar, follow the 15-15 rule and keep glucose tablets or a small snack nearby.

Here is the 15-15 rule to follow:

1. Have your blood glucose meter to first read blood glucose.
2. Eat 15 to 20 grams of carbohydrate.
3. After about 15 minutes re-check levels, following the previous steps as needed.

Good carb choices are foods like 1/2 cup of fruit juice, fruit or crackers. After exercising, recheck sugar levels after about 15 minutes. Some people may opt for juice instead of regular soda.

Preventing Hypoglycemia During Exercise

Taking proactive steps can be most helpful in mitigating issues with hypoglycemia when doing workouts. Discuss a treatment plan with your medical professional, before undertaking any workout habits.

Here’s some added considerations:

• Check your blood glucose levels. Before, possibly during, and after exercise, it’s important to keep tabs on them.
• Don’t Exercise During Peak Insulin Times Ask your doctor what those peak times are, when you might want to consider backing off on exercise, especially a strenuous work-out. This can be especially critical when needing to determine insulin doses.
• Snack Smart: Consume a small, carbohydrate-rich snack before your workout. Knowing about carbohydrate intake is helpful.

Physical activity, blood glucose and the Dawn Phenomenon

The “dawn phenomenon” describes a natural rise in blood glucose that often occurs in the early morning. This happens around 4:00 am to 8:00 am for most. Exercising in the early mornings can cause increased blood sugar readings at this time.

One option is to work out later. Then it might be less likely a person will get higher blood glucose readings. People could also take medication like insulin to mitigate blood sugar.

Practical Tips for Managing Blood Glucose and Exercise

With these ideas in mind, here are practical steps to optimize physical activity sessions, while being mindful of blood sugar safety.

Plan and Monitor

Planning what, how, and how long an activity takes might seem like a lot at first. Being mindful of planning is a core part of exercising safely.

The goal of physical activity, monitoring, and eating right is to learn body cues and rhythms. This can involve understanding ideal pre- and post-workout sugar readings. This allows one to properly exercise work .

Adjust Insulin and Food Intake

You can use meal timing and adjustments as a helpful tactic to maximize workout safety. This also means being aware of the types of workout. Speak with your doctor about a potential insulin dose adjustment.

Short-duration exercises such as walking usually do not cause any elevation in sugar levels. Physical activity can occur safely and without many changes.

However, certain higher-impact exercises such as weights or a very brisk walking session (especially over 60 minutes long) might involve extra attentiveness with food or meal timing. This could also include doing some training. Balance training can help to improve overall performance and help to avoid injury.

Different Types of Physical Activity

It is ideal to experiment safely with different physical activities, for optimal sugar management. People will discover new things during this phase of exercise, too, perhaps activities that are really fun. Consider also focusing on a mixture of strength training and aerobic exercise for more glycemic control.

• Brisk walking or hiking is ideal for those in moderately fit shape, that already have the stamina for longer-form exercises that lasts at least an hour or more.
• Swimming or water workouts can offer benefits, too, as a great way to help prevent heart disease and diabetes, while offering bone-strengthening activities, per the CDC.
• Stair Climbing might involve simply parking the car farther away from one’s house, if the neighborhood allows. It might involve a deliberate choice to pick stairs over the escalator, for example, when out and about running errands.
• Games with friends Many people take exercise as something that requires special clothes or settings. Try a game like Tug of War or tag. Doing something at the YMCA or outdoors can keep things light and airy while encouraging others, such as family members.
• Other sports. Basketball and tennis or just light throwing of a baseball back and forth with children in the backyard. Get playful again.

Staying Consistent with Physical Activity

Consistency is good for helping achieve fitness goals, just like it is for diabetes goals, too. Staying regular keeps insulin resistance, and long-term damage away, too. Making it a true lifestyle intervention will keep it sustainable.

Find exercises, like swimming, hiking, walking, running, or resistance training. See what appeals to you the most. Mixing it up also helps.

The key is to discover different ones to make life vibrant. You might want to add balance training into your workouts.

FAQs about Physical activity influence on blood glucose in diabetes

How does exercise affect blood sugar in diabetics?

Exercise generally lowers blood glucose by increasing insulin sensitivity. The body is more efficient with the usage of sugars to fuel muscle and body needs. Keep in mind, levels can vary a bit, especially after intense workouts where levels actually spike.

How does physical activity influence risk for diabetes?

Physical activity lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It reduces the resistance our cells and the body have towards sugar absorption, per research. Improving your overall insulin action will give you better overall control.

Does your blood sugar go up when you walk?

Generally walking should cause your glucose to dip a bit. However, for some who deal with early morning rises, aka “dawn phenomenon,” levels might vary. Be sure to check your blood glucose routinely.

What role does physical activity play in type 2 diabetes?

Physical activity is very important in managing type 2 diabetes. This not only assists blood sugars but also decreases the complications that people encounter when managing their disease over a longer period. Staying active can help to keep away many of the most common diabetes complications .

Conclusion

Managing diabetes effectively involves understanding and balancing many factors. The benefits of physical activity influence on blood glucose in diabetes is real. Remember that a consistent, proactive, and knowledgeable approach will get you moving right along with blood sugar levels as your partner.

Being intentional about an eating, monitoring, and activity routine goes a long way to making this process feel doable. Add in some variety, some friends, and a playful outlook to make the process joyful and freeing. Making healthy decisions will change lives.

Jose Rossello, MD, PhD, MHCM

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