Day 12-

I wasn’t sure which direction to go, but today I decided I have to talk about the E word. Yes, EXERCISE. That word and verb we as a nation seem to be so good at avoiding. Well, I am sure you have figured out by now that blood flow and good BGs are good for T1Ds so with that you probably figured out exercise it excellent for us too. You are right! Anytime I can keep blood moving means that my body will work better… well kind of. So exercise is extremely essential for being a T1D. I have had my Endocrinologist tell me more than once that one of the reasons I don’t have any complications yet is because I exercise. For those of you that don’t know I am a Spinning instructor, group fitness instructor, and love to ride my bicycle. I really LOVE to ride my bicycle. Let’s go back to my Endo’s words and really think about it… I don’t have any complications YET partly because I exercise, this is a huge and yet very heavy statement. Yay, for me working my butt off, but sadly complications are a very real thing. You see when you have T1D every time your BG is over 250 it is causing organ, tissue, vein, artery, and over all damage. So, overtime your body can only handle so much. My Endo also told me the only reason why I still have an ankle reflex is because I exercise. He went on to explain that most adults with T1D loose their ankle reflex after 5 years. Diabetic complications are a very real and very serious thing. I will get into depth about complications on a later day, because my friends, it is going to take up some time. So, I exercise, and I mean 5-6 times a week. What is the big deal? Well when you have T1D anytime your heart rate goes up, your BG goes down. Sometimes a little, sometimes it drops a ton… sometimes it goes up?!?!? Sometimes my BG does whatever the hell it wants. BG levels and exercise get complicated. So when my heart rate goes up, my BG goes down. If I am pushing hard, say running, it drops fast, so fast; I end up eating so many carbs I feel like a sugar baby. If my heart rises a little and then maintains, my BG drops slower over a period of time, like when I ride my bicycle or swim. Think about it this way, sure your heart rate goes up when you are swimming or biking, but they are more of an endurance event, unless your are sprinting of course. Weight lifting is also something that doesn’t cause my BG to drop much… because unless I am doing squats or lunges my heart rate isn’t rising much. BUT exercise, any kind can make my BG drop up to 48 HOURS after I exercise. Also if I am under any kind of stress, say I am fighting off some sort of cold crud and don’t have any symptoms yet, my BG can shoot up after exercise and then bottom out 2-3 time the next day. Or let’s say I go on a long bike ride with a lot of hills… you know the ones I am talking about, and it is muddy, so I am using more muscle, this can all cause my BG to rise because of my body needing more glucose, so my liver delivers on that need, and then I don’t have enough insulin in my system to make up for the extra glucose. Also, if my muscles are sore from working out, my BG goes up, because of the lactic acid. Then there are the times I get ready to go out for a ride, walk, or swim and then I get going and my BG drops continuously and won’t come up.. so then I have to stop and call it a day. Or if I have plans to do something and my BG is too high because high BG and exercise together can cause the beginning of DKA if you don’t have adequate insulin for some reason. EXAUSTING right? Please note, I do have most of my exercise somewhat figured out and I eat a certain number of faster acting carbs before I work out to compensate for the activity I am doing. So if you see me eating “gels” that is what I am doing. This works for me, it doesn’t work for everyone else. That is the whole thing, what I have figured out that works for me doesn’t necessarily work for other T1Ds. I know what you are thinking, why even bother with all this? Because exercising is something I CAN do, because I want to live a quality life, because I want to live. Just because I have T1D doesn’t mean I can’t do things, there are Ironmen, Ironwomen, Olympic swimmers, and many more athletes with T1D. It just means as T1Ds we have to work a bit harder.