Some general exercise advice for aerobic exercise
If you have listened to Vicky talking about how she plans for exercise you will have heard her talk about ideal glucose levels for exercise. You should try to aim for around 6 - 9mmol/l immediately before exercise.
If glucose levels are:
- 10mmol/l - 14mmol/l - check for ketones and consider taking a correction dose.
- above 14mmol/l or if you have ketones greater than 0.6mmol/l - you should not exercise until you have treated the situation.
- less than 4mmol/l - you must treat your hypo. Do not exercise until you have recovered.
- 4 - 6mmol/l - you should consider topping up your glucose level with some fast absorbing carbohydrate, about 20 - 30g, to avoid hypoglycaemia during the exercise.
If you are exercising soon after a meal you will need to consider reducing your meal time bolus.
As a starting point you could try reducing your bolus by 50% if you are eating within an hour of taking your insulin. If it's within 1 - 2 hours, try a 25% reduction. You will need to test during and after exercise to see what works best for you.
Remember that that the effect of exercise on the glucose transporting cells will continue for several hours after the exercise.
For that reason you should consider a reduction of your long acting insulin at bedtime. A starting point might be 20%. Do some over night testing to assess the right adjustment.
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