May 14, 2005
Exercise and Sports, Hyperglycemia and DKA
Question from Cedar Hill, Utah, USA:
I am a 41 year old woman and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about five months ago. I currently take metformin and Glucotrol to help control my blood sugar levels. I exercise regularly three to six times a week for an hour or so. Before I work out, my blood sugar will be normal or slightly higher than normal (155 to 178 mg/dl [8.6 to 9.9 mmol/L]). After exercise, my blood sugar rises to levels between 225 to 287 mg/dl [12.5 to 15.9 mmol/L]. I don’t have sports drinks while I work out, but still the big jump. Why is this happening? What can I do? Is it safe to continue to train for marathons?
Answer:
It is generally thought that if you are adequately insulinized, your blood sugars should fall with exercise. If not, the sugars will rise with exercise. With exercise, there is an increase in epinephrine and stress hormones that serve as antagonists to insulin. I would suggest the exercise is helpful. If you watch your sugars after the exercise, they will fall and be better than if you did not exercise. The effects of exercise can last up to 24 hours after you perform the exercise. Please talk with your physician about improving your blood sugar control with additional medical therapy.
JTL
