Can exercise cause hypoglycaemia?
Why does exercise induce hypoglycaemia?
Hypoglycaemia is a when there is a sudden drop in blood glucose. But your symptoms may vary and the exact level you experience symptoms is different for everyone and may change each time.
When exercising, you use up more energy, and the glucose in your body provides you with that needed energy.
Active use of muscles in exercise produces extra demands on the body’s energy supplies. Low blood glucose levels can develop for up to 24 hours after a workout if the body doesn’t have enough energy stores.
Exercise can also make the body more sensitive to insulin. When this happens, insulin works more effectively and lowers glucose levels faster. This can place you at a greater risk of hypoglycaemia, especially if you take medications to lower insulin levels.
Can people without diabetes get hypoglycaemia from exercise?
You can experience exercise-induced even if you don’t have diabetes.
People are more likely to experience hypoglycaemia for the following reasons:
engage in a high intensity workout
already have low blood glucose from not eating for a while
are sick
do not consume enough carbohydrates
work out right after eating a meal
have an insulin sensitivity
drink alcohol, which can lower your blood sugars several hours after you’ve stopped drinking
Can people with type 2 diabetes get exercise-induced hypoglycaemia?
People with type 2 diabetes may also experience exercise-induced hypoglycaemia.
To reduce your risk of experiencing exercised-induced hypoglycaemia when you have diabetes you can:
talk with your GP about the best times for you to exercise
discuss with your GP whether you should adjust the amount of insulin you use before or after exercise
check your blood glucose level before, during, and after working out
increase the amount of time you spend exercising slowly
What happens if you have hypoglycaemia during exercise?
If you have hypoglycaemia while exercising, it’s important to stop your workout and consume something with fast-acting carbohydrates. Ideally, something like dextrose or glucose chews or a glucose liquid shot, are more effective then more traditional orange juice, sugary pop or sweets.
You’ll need to rest and give your blood sugar levels a chance to rise before resuming activity.
Also, be aware that fast-acting carbs will only boost your blood sugars temporarily. Once your blood sugars are at safe levels, you may consider eating something with more substance — such as a piece of toast with peanut butter.
How do you treat exercise-induced hypoglycaemia?
Mild exercise-induced hypoglycaemia may not need any serious treatment.
For many people, eating or drinking some carbohydrates and then resting is all they need to treat it. To prevent it in the future, you might eat a small meal an hour or two before working out.
It’s also a good idea to slowly build up the length and intensity of workouts.
If you have diabetes and experience hypoglycaemia related to exercise, you may need to adjust your medication and carbohydrate levels before and after exercising.
It’s important to monitor your glucose levels for several hours after working out to ensure that they aren’t dropping too low even though you’re no longer working out.
It’s important to seek emergency medical help if you experience signs of severe hypoglycaemia. These include:
confusion
seizure
difficulty walking or seeing
inability to talk properly, slurred words, or looking drunk
fainting
You might consider consulting your doctor if symptoms remain after resting and consuming carbohydrates, or if you experience exercise-related hypoglycaemia frequently.
They can help guide you toward any needed medication or routine changes to prevent this from happening in the future.
Extracts taken from Catherine Crider from www.healthline.com