Exercise Activity

Exercise is food for everyone, including people with diabetes.  Exercise keeps you fit and helps you keep your blood glucose well controlled. 

During exercise or activity, glucose that is stored in your muscles is used as a fuel.  Once this supply is used up, glucose that was eaten at your most recent meal or snack is used by the active muscles.

If you exercise for a long time, or exercise with only a small store of glucose, you might have a 'hypo'.

After exercise, particularly strenuous exercise, it can take a long period of time for muscles to replace their glucose stores, which is why hypos can happen sometime after the exercise (sometimes the next day).  It is therefore important that you eat extra starchy carbohydrate within 2 hours of doing exercise to prevent this.  For example, have an extra slice of bread, extra potato or spoonful of rice or pasta at your next meal or, if you are not eating a meal for a while, have a snack (e.g. a banana, packet of crisps, 2 plain biscuits, piece of toast).  You may also need a larger supper if you have been doing very strenuous activity lasting for more than one hour.

Remember, blood glucose and activity are influenced by a lot of other things (e.g. the seasons of the year, type of exercise, weather).  We all tend to be more active during the summer when the weather is warmer, and we may not eat at much.

The following is a guide to try and help you manage your food intake when you do exercise.  Remember that everybody is different -  we all digest food at different rates, and all use up energy differently.  The amount of extra carbohydrate you need to take will also vary, depending on the type of exercise you are doing, so be prepared to be flexible.  Doing a few extra blood tests before and after exercise will help you assess if you need more or less carbohydrate.  Ask your diabetes team if you need more advice.

Activity in the under 8's

Young children are unpredictable in the amount of activity they undertake, and can use up a lot of energy very quickly, simply running around.  they can also be very erratic with their food intake, often refusing to eat all of a meal, which can make it difficult to manage their blood glucose levels.

If the activity is happening over a long period of time, or is very energy demanding, or if there is only a small store of glucose available, a 'hypo' may occur.

Hypos can happen very quickly in young children and they are not always able to recognise their symptoms, so it is important that somebody supervises them at all times to look out for warning signs.  It is a good idea to have some fast acting carbohydrate to hand if necessary (e.g. carton of fresh fruit juice, 5 Jelly Babies or Fruit Pastills or some ordinary cola (100mls) or Lucozade (50mls)).

Activity which is of a longer duration or more energy demanding, such as tricycle riding, jumping on a bouncy castle, or running races, may need a small amount of carbohydrate before the activity (unless it is just after a meal), especially if it is a particularly warm or cold day.  Good things to choose would be: a piece of fruit, glass of milk, carton of fresh orange juice (150mls) fun-sized chocolate bar, chocolate coated biscuit, Jaffa Cakes, or a small ice cream.

Many parents find it helpful initially to test blood glucose before and after this type of activity to help them judge if more or less carbohydrate is needed.

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