Exercise Risks For People With Diabetes and Insulin Resistance
Before you begin your exercise program, be sure to consult with your health-care provider, as exercise affects blood sugar levels.
Exercise helps to decrease blood glucose concentrations, potentially reducing or eliminating insulin doses, especially for those with Type 2 diabetes.
You need to have a clear understanding of how activity and medications affect your blood glucose levels for your physical activity program to be both safe and effective.
According to the American Diabetes Association, you should not exercise if you have a fasting blood glucose of more than 300 mg/dL, foot problems, or nerve conditions such as peripheral neuropathy.
You may, however, be able to successfully participate in non-weight-bearing activities such as swimming, water aerobics, or cycling.
Low Blood Sugar The greatest exercise risk to people with diabetes is hypoglycemia, or low blood-sugar levels.
Hypoglycemia can lead to a life-threatening loss of consciousness.
People with Type 2 diabetes that is controlled by meal planning and exercise usually do not have problems with low blood sugar.
However, people who take insulin or oral diabetes medicine, in particular sulfonylureas, may have low blood-sugar levels both during and after exercise.
The risk of developing low blood glucose is greatest after high-intensity or extended exercise.
This reaction can take place even twelve or more hours after a workout.
To help prevent hypoglycemia, you must time your medications carefully.
The ACSM recommends injecting insulin at least one hour before exercise.
In addition, you need to ensure adequate food intake and monitor blood glucose levels before and after exercise, as well as during longer exercise sessions or when trying a new activity.
The signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia include extreme fatigue, excessive sweating, headache, trembling, weakness, slurred speech, poor coordination, feeling faint, pale moist skin, full rapid pulse, and elevated blood pressure.
If not dealt with, hypoglycemia can result in loss of consciousness or seizures.
Since exercise burns fuel, you need to monitor food intake carefully in relationship to increased activity.
ADA advises individuals with diabetes to exercise from one to three hours after eating a meal.
One hour of exercise generally requires 15 additional grams of carbohydrates, which you should consume before or after exercise, depending on your individual condition and needs.
If exercise is vigorous or longer than one hour, an additional 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates are recommended for each additional hour.
Exercise helps to decrease blood glucose concentrations, potentially reducing or eliminating insulin doses, especially for those with Type 2 diabetes.
You need to have a clear understanding of how activity and medications affect your blood glucose levels for your physical activity program to be both safe and effective.
According to the American Diabetes Association, you should not exercise if you have a fasting blood glucose of more than 300 mg/dL, foot problems, or nerve conditions such as peripheral neuropathy.
You may, however, be able to successfully participate in non-weight-bearing activities such as swimming, water aerobics, or cycling.
Low Blood Sugar The greatest exercise risk to people with diabetes is hypoglycemia, or low blood-sugar levels.
Hypoglycemia can lead to a life-threatening loss of consciousness.
People with Type 2 diabetes that is controlled by meal planning and exercise usually do not have problems with low blood sugar.
However, people who take insulin or oral diabetes medicine, in particular sulfonylureas, may have low blood-sugar levels both during and after exercise.
The risk of developing low blood glucose is greatest after high-intensity or extended exercise.
This reaction can take place even twelve or more hours after a workout.
To help prevent hypoglycemia, you must time your medications carefully.
The ACSM recommends injecting insulin at least one hour before exercise.
In addition, you need to ensure adequate food intake and monitor blood glucose levels before and after exercise, as well as during longer exercise sessions or when trying a new activity.
The signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia include extreme fatigue, excessive sweating, headache, trembling, weakness, slurred speech, poor coordination, feeling faint, pale moist skin, full rapid pulse, and elevated blood pressure.
If not dealt with, hypoglycemia can result in loss of consciousness or seizures.
Since exercise burns fuel, you need to monitor food intake carefully in relationship to increased activity.
ADA advises individuals with diabetes to exercise from one to three hours after eating a meal.
One hour of exercise generally requires 15 additional grams of carbohydrates, which you should consume before or after exercise, depending on your individual condition and needs.
If exercise is vigorous or longer than one hour, an additional 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates are recommended for each additional hour.
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