I am a 56 year old male who weighs 306 pounds and has type�2 diabetes. I have been working out regularly for more than two months (40 minutes on a treadmill), and I have had to stop taking insulin, to avoid low blood sugars which are now in the normal range. Recently, I have observed post-exercise readings that are slightly higher that those taken just before workout. Is this normal, or am I making a mistake with my testing?

Congratulations to you on your commitment to exercise! You don’t say how much of an increase you are observing in your blood sugar response to an exercise session, but it is actually not uncommon. In particular, higher intensity or anaerobic type exercise (short bursts of power and speed, even weight training) can produce an elevation in blood sugar immediately after exercise. This is due to the body’s hormonal response to the exercise, resulting in an increased release of liver glycogen (stored glucose) and the eventual rise in blood sugar. Realize, however, that both metabolism and insulin sensitivity remain elevated for hours after exercise. At this time, the body replaces the liver and muscle stores which were used during exercise, and blood sugar as a result will often decrease in the hours following.

Remember too, that any food intake prior to exercise may play a role in your blood sugar response as well. Often training adaptations allow your body to become much more efficient at balancing your blood glucose levels during exercise. The amount of carbohydrate that you require prior to exercise to prevent hypoglycemia may change as your exercise training progresses. Understanding your blood sugar response to exercise, as you are doing, is key.

Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing!

DMW