April 7, 2002
Blood Tests and Insulin Injections
Question from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA:
My 16 year old daughter, who has had type 1 diabetes for five years, just joined a fitness center. She works out every day, has lost some weight, and is finding her blood sugars are in better control. We are wondering where body builders inject insulin, since you are not to inject in muscle.
Answer:
Injecting insulin into muscle may alter the absorption rate of the insulin, and therefore change the timing of its action. Insulin is absorbed much more rapidly from muscle tissue itself than from subcutaneous fat, perhaps risking hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.
Athletes with very little subcutaneous fat may observe some difficulties in this area, but most can still find some areas of subcutaneous fat, particularly in the abdomen in which to inject. In those for whom this is an issue, adjustments such as insulin type, injection or meal/snack timing could be made to better match insulin action.
DMW
