Exercise sugars

Posted by johnnyv @johnnyv, Jan 12, 2021

I am curious concerning the effects of exercise in blood glucose. I sometimes have engaged in strenuous exercise beginning with a normal baseline glucose, say 100 or less, a finger stick after the exercise without any meal or nutrition I have had sugars as high as 150. I am curious as to why the blood sugar values rise without food intake.

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I learned from reading a paperback from a health food store, that the numbers rise and fall in a regular basis over a 24 hour period, with the highest number being two hours after eating, and the lowest number being first thing upon rising. Factors that can affect the numbers include exercise, amount of fat in the food along with the carbs, and stress factors. So the numbers are roller coasting up and down on a 24 hour basis. When I did the sugar test, back in the 1970's, I drank high sugar drinks and then they tested me a hour later, then another drink, and another test. Two hours after being heavily loaded with sugar, my blood sugar would drop and then start to rise again. This test confirms a problem with hypoclycemia, and the low number in the test was 35, which was dangerously low. They allowed me to drive home and I stopped twice because I thought I would pass out. No advice was given by my doctor except to eat often and carry cheese. No mention of diabetes problems was suggested. So I changed my diet and ate six times a day and worked on the stress levels in my busy family. Soon I was well with no sign of a problem. It was more than 25 years later that I was surprisingly diagnosed with diabetes. I quit baking so much sweets for my large family, and learned about the glycemic index for carbs. It is easy to manage if you learn about the physiology of the body and how eating a balanced meal with protein, carbs, veggies, and fruit, along with whole grain bread and some dairy will help normalize the metabolism. One doctor I know said to try to keep the high number below 180 but other doctors say there is no problem until you get to 200 or higher. My pancreas is still working but my energy levels are deplorable unless I push myself to exercise more. At age 85, that is not a huge priority for me. Dorisena

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To answer the question about blood sugar rise with exercise and no food, the body may be burning fat as a result of the exercise. The blood sugar is not steady on a 24 hour period, but goes up and down, with the highest number being two hours after eating. Then the number drops and begins a slow rise back to what is normal for your condition. Numbers above 200 on a regular basis are problematic, but the lower numbers are a record of your body metabolism according to what you eat and your exercise load. Dorisena

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@dorisena

To answer the question about blood sugar rise with exercise and no food, the body may be burning fat as a result of the exercise. The blood sugar is not steady on a 24 hour period, but goes up and down, with the highest number being two hours after eating. Then the number drops and begins a slow rise back to what is normal for your condition. Numbers above 200 on a regular basis are problematic, but the lower numbers are a record of your body metabolism according to what you eat and your exercise load. Dorisena

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I was taught that the higher the blood sugar rises after a rich meal, the lower it can drop two hours later, and then it begins the slow rise again. We can control those numbers with our eating habits and exercise. But the rise and lowering of the blood sugar is a normal prst of our metabolism. High numbers tell us that the pancreas is not working efficiently and that we can control the problem a great deal with how and what we eat. I do believe that some healthy people can reverse their type two diabetes, but different people are different.
Always remember that sugar doesn't have any vitamins of helpful nutrients except that it can provide some energy. So why eat it?
Dorisena

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