# Cycling with Diabetes



## Brava210 (20 May 2014)

Hi,

Just wondered if there were any cyclists like me, with type 1 Diabetes?
How you cope with the stress on your Blood Sugar etc. it can be quite frustrating.


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## Pro Tour Punditry (20 May 2014)

This might be worth a read:

http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/


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## Brava210 (20 May 2014)

Cheers, although page wont load.


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## Brava210 (20 May 2014)

It loads now, thanks a lot


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## montage (21 May 2014)

Marmion said:


> This might be worth a read:
> 
> http://www.teamnovonordisk.com/



They were fairly aggressive in the Tour of California at times.
Where there is a will..


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## Bay Runner (21 May 2014)

Diabetes lives in Port Talbot now and I dont often cycle with him.


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## ayceejay (21 May 2014)

Do you mean stress generally or cycle related and is that day to day stuff or competition?


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## Bryony (21 May 2014)

I'm type 1 diabetic, I just make sure I check my blood sugar before going for a ride, and I carry cereal bars to munch on the way. I also carry a tube of glucagel in my saddle pack. As long as you go out prepared you should be fine!


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## Brava210 (21 May 2014)

Strange, I do check my BG before and like it to be around 9-12, sometimes I am fine but last night for instance it dropped really quickly.
Today I started at 8 and 1 hour later 6.5.


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## Brava210 (21 May 2014)

ayceejay said:


> Do you mean stress generally or cycle related and is that day to day stuff or competition?





Its the stress of blood sugar possibly dropping rapidly that worries me, has done for years 


Gary


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## Bryony (21 May 2014)

Mine can do that, I can go to bed with a blood sugar of 12/13 2hrs later I wake up shaking and covered in sweat and a blood sugar of 2.3!! 

I was told after exercise to keep an eye on my blood sugar as it can carry on dropping 4 or so hours after you have finished. 

If you blood sugar is dropping rapidly for no reason I'd have a word with your diabetes nurse and see if your insulin needs tweaking or even changing. 

Does your blood sugar drop at the same time, each time or is it happening randomly?


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## Spin City (21 May 2014)

Brava, my approach is similar to Bryony's. 
For rides longer than an hour or so I use a combination of fast acting and slow acting sugar/starch to my keep my Sugars up. I drink Ribena or Hi-Juice and eat things such as Malt Loaf, Banana Bread, Tea Bread, Fruit Cake, Scones, Flapjacks, etc. 

Personally, I find a mixture of low and high GI food/drink is a good balance for cycling. So I will consume at least 500ml of drink per hour that contains between 5% and 7% of sugars i.e. an isotonic drink. As well as this I will eat a small handful piece of food after each hour. If I'm on a long ride such as an all day Audax I will also eat a meal and take a very small amount of insulin. If riding a Sportive then I probably wouldn't get the opportunity to stop for a meal with insulin so I will just snack all day. 

The effects on your Blood Sugar levels could last up to 24 hours if you've been on a very long ride. You'll have to give us an idea of the type of cycling you do i.e. intensity and duration.


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## ayceejay (21 May 2014)

Brava210 said:


> Strange, I do check my BG before and like it to be around 9-12, sometimes I am fine but last night for instance it dropped really quickly.
> Today I started at 8 and 1 hour later 6.5.


Aren't these figures a bit high Garry? Do you take an Ultra Lente type at bedtime and Act Rapid or something before meals? You may want to get a BP meter as your blood pressure will effect the readings on your other meter. 
Sticking my neck out as there is not enough information here to make anything other than a guess, you should take less insulin rather than eat more of the food listed above and I would suggest that if your blood sugar is higher than 12 - 14 don't go out until you have better control.


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## Brava210 (22 May 2014)

I have my BG at 9ish before riding to avoid dropping too low, I am on a pump and my insulin basal rates and bolus are pretty good.
Checked them recently.


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## Bryony (22 May 2014)

I'm not on a pump but hoping to be at some point. Is it better than injections?


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## fossyant (22 May 2014)

Some great stuff here as we are new to Type 1. My lad has had it just two months.

We did a cycle chat velodrome 2 hour session just a month after diagnosis. He drank a 50/50 mix of orange juice and water as well as a few snacks. We also tested at the start, middle and end of the session


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## Bryony (22 May 2014)

fossyant said:


> Some great stuff here as we are new to Type 1. My lad has had it just two months.
> 
> We did a cycle chat velodrome 2 hour session just a month after diagnosis. He drank a 50/50 mix of orange juice and water as well as a few snacks. We also tested at the start, middle and end of the session


How old is he? I was diagnosed on my 12th birthday!


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## fossyant (22 May 2014)

Biggest issue we have is doing tests, I.e he can't be bothered unless we remind him.

He is also going low quite a bit, so needs to check on coming home from school after cycling back. He doesn't always notice he has gone low after exercise


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## fossyant (22 May 2014)

Bryony said:


> How old is he? I was diagnosed on my 12th birthday!



13...


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## Bryony (22 May 2014)

fossyant said:


> Biggest issue we have is doing tests, I.e he can't be bothered unless we remind him.
> 
> He is also going low quite a bit, so needs to check on coming home from school after cycling back. He doesn't always notice he has gone low after exercise


I was the same I was always being reminded to test and inject! 

Maybe before he leaves school to ride home he could snack on a cereal bar? That should help to keep his levels up for the journey home, I've also found the mini cans of fizzy drink a handy thing to have, although they seem harder and harder to get hold of lately. 

Unfortunately low BG can creep up on you and I have had occasions when I've had no symptoms at all. All I can suggest is just keep reminding him, and hopefully it'll become routine.


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## fossyant (22 May 2014)

This is probably a good thread to keep all the useful hints and tips.

I would say @Brava210 that your levels look a bit high starting exercise. 8 yes, not 12...


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## fossyant (22 May 2014)

Mini cans, best place is Tesco. Sainsbury's rob you blind for single cans. 12 for £4.50 ish at Tesco.

Also small orange and Apple juice cartons are ideal and cheaper. Got to do a mix though as it gets boring.


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## 400bhp (22 May 2014)

@gam001


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## ayceejay (22 May 2014)

The emphasis seems to be on avoiding 'low's' or 'hypo's' but when you think about it the 'natural' condition for a diabetic is Hyperglycemia that is high blood sugar and it is this condition that leads to problems in the long term. In a type 1 diabetic insulin has to be injected because the pancreas doesn't do its job of regulating the metabolism. a full time job. So the 'job' of a diabetic is to inject enough insulin to cope with the various conditions ones body goes through that the pancreas normally deals with the key is the insulin NOT fizzy drinks or orange juice. Exercise/food/stress/age all of these effect how much insulin a body needs, whether you do it or your pancreas does .
In the end it is a suck it and see situation and one day is different from the next. I just wanted to say that the wisdom is in how much insulin to inject rather than how much/what food to eat.


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## Spin City (23 May 2014)

Bravo 
I'm just about to move to a Pump as the funding for it has been agreed this week and now I'm waiting for the particular pump I requested. I guess I'm going to be on a whole new learning curve getting used to it once it's arrived. I might be asking you a few questions! As I said previously you'll have to let us know the type of cycling you do i.e. intensity and duration.

Fossyant 
A BG of 12 probably isn't a bad place to start exercising if you know that your Blood Sugars are likely to fall once you get going. I get a bit wary about exercising if my Sugars are up in the teens. When I've been to the Velodrome it's been quite easy to stop and check my Sugars during the session and liquid refreshment containing carbohydrates is a good way to keep your Sugars up in that environment. Lastly, of course, I hope your son gets through those difficult 'teenage years' without too many problems.


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## Brava210 (23 May 2014)

Spin City said:


> Bravo
> I'm just about to move to a Pump as the funding for it has been agreed this week and now I'm waiting for the particular pump I requested. I guess I'm going to be on a whole new learning curve getting used to it once it's arrived. I might be asking you a few questions! As I said previously you'll have to let us know the type of cycling you do i.e. intensity and duration.
> 
> Fossyant
> A BG of 12 probably isn't a bad place to start exercising if you know that your Blood Sugars are likely to fall once you get going. I get a bit wary about exercising if my Sugars are up in the teens. When I've been to the Velodrome it's been quite easy to stop and check my Sugars during the session and liquid refreshment containing carbohydrates is a good way to keep your Sugars up in that environment. Lastly, of course, I hope your son gets through those difficult 'teenage years' without too many problems.



I have been on a pump for 4 years now. It is a lot more flexible and convenient as there is no background insulin to compete against when exerting yourself.
I tend to set a temporary basal which can be adjusted from plus to minus 100%, so for execise I usually go -50% for 3 hours to compensate for the drop after cycling.
I am overdue a new pump as it is 4 years old, I currently have the Animas vibe, which is a good pump although Roche are bringing out a new one in June so Clinic say I can wait until then. Pumps do have disadvantages of course, air bubbles in pipe, snagging on door handles etc. constantly attached 24/7 and if the pump fails you have no basal insulin in your body to keep your BG down.


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## Brava210 (23 May 2014)

fossyant said:


> This is probably a good thread to keep all the useful hints and tips.
> 
> I would say @Brava210 that your levels look a bit high starting exercise. 8 yes, not 12...


Nurse said anything below 14 is ok to exercise, above that and you lose the abilty to produce energy


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## fossyant (23 May 2014)

Didn't realise you were pumping. We're still injecting.

Be interesting to hear your 'advantages' of pumps.


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## gam001 (23 May 2014)

Spin City said:


> Brava, my approach is similar to Bryony's.
> For rides longer than an hour or so I use a combination of fast acting and slow acting sugar/starch to my keep my Sugars up. I drink Ribena or Hi-Juice and eat things such as Malt Loaf, Banana Bread, Tea Bread, Fruit Cake, Scones, Flapjacks, etc.
> 
> Personally, I find a mixture of low and high GI food/drink is a good balance for cycling. So I will consume at least 500ml of drink per hour that contains between 5% and 7% of sugars i.e. an isotonic drink. As well as this I will eat a small handful piece of food after each hour. If I'm on a long ride such as an all day Audax I will also eat a meal and take a very small amount of insulin. If riding a Sportive then I probably wouldn't get the opportunity to stop for a meal with insulin so I will just snack all day.
> ...


This is what I would have said too.
There are general guidelines like this to follow, but it's also about trial and error to see what works best for you personally.
Other points that come to mind that have worked for me are…
Keep testing regularly before / during / after exercise to spot trends (have you got the software that analyses your digital blood readings?).
Also analyse this alongside an exercise / food diary – a pain in the backside, I know, but it really does help to see trends of what works and what doesn’t, so well worth the investment of time.
Ask to speak with somebody at the diabetes hospital with experience of adjusting for exercise, to help you do this analysis and ensure your glucose levels are in the right target range before / during / after exercise.
Ride slightly within yourself at first to see how your glucose levels react –consecutive full-on efforts (e.g. if riding around steep hills) can deplete glucose levels very fast!
Watch your glucose levels carefully for several hours after a hard ride – they can still be falling fast as your muscles suck in glucose to restore glycogen reserves for your next ride.
Until you get used to things, ride with others as a safety measure in case you have a hypo (and let them know in advance what signs to watch out for and what to do), and try to avoid long solo rides in remote areas.
Carry ID with you saying you are a diabetic with emergency contact, etc.
Take more sugar products with you than you think you need just in case (images of filling up my bidons with table sugar at a café with @400bhp spring to mind here, when I forgot to take my carb powders with me - tut tut!).
Increase your distance / intensity gradually as you get used to managing your levels.

BTW - I’m nowhere near perfect at doing all of this all of the time, but even doing half of these things most of the time helps immensely.
Best of luck,
Gaz


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## Brava210 (23 May 2014)

fossyant said:


> Didn't realise you were pumping. We're still injecting.
> 
> Be interesting to hear your 'advantages' of pumps.




Advantages are mainly near instant adjustment of basal level so you can in theory stop insulin delivery immediately for unexpected or unplanned excersion
The pump can also accurately correct high BG with a on board calculator, to avoid insulin stacking etc.
On injections I used to drink a fair bit more lucozade type drink to counter my basal insulin - not needed on pump


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## Spin City (24 May 2014)

Brava 
From your post just above I'm already learning! 
I've gone for the OmniPod pump as it looked to have a clear advantage over the other pumps on offer (including the new Roche Accu-Chek one) because it's a single unit and there aren't any tubes between the pump and the infusion set. 
As far as I can work out the only disadvantages will be the size and possibly the weight of the 'pod'. As it's not possible to test these issues out in advance I hope they won't cause me any problems. However, I can immediately see the issues of using pumps with tubes in relation to the problems you've mentioned above so I hope I've made the right decision for me. 

Right, let's get back to cycle chat!


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## Brava210 (24 May 2014)

No ride today it's pi55ing down


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