Question:
From Canada:
I am 42 years old and have been diabetic for 2 years. On NPH and Regular insulin in the morning and at supper. I go to the gym three mornings a week. I do not have anything to eat or drink before I go to the gym to exercise. My blood sugar is higher after an hour's exercise than if I just get up and go to work. Why?
Answer:
I assume you are getting up the same time and taking your insulin at the
same time on the days you go to the gym as on the days you do not go to
the gym. If you are getting up at different times or taking your
insulin at different times, this may partly explain the difference. It
is also possible that your are "rebounding" on days that you wake up
with a low blood sugar (after a low blood sugar, the body can overreact
by pulling stored sugar from the liver which will raise the blood
sugar).
Usually, exercise will lower the blood sugar. If ketones are present,
or there is not enough insulin available, the opposite may occur. You
are taking a somewhat unusually high proportion of insulin in the
morning compared to the evening dose. It is quite possible that your
morning NPH is working well into the night and early morning and wearing
off by 5:30 AM. You may want to discuss with your physician rearranging
your insulin to take less in the AM and more in the PM to have more
insulin working in the early morning hours. You should not make any
changes without discussing them with your own physician.
TGL
Original posting 25 Jan 97
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