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The Question
05/24/09 11:57 PM

"Exercise and lows..... how can I handle late evening lows caused by heavy exercise after dinner?"
Asked By: mousie neergaard  
Category: Exercise

Background Info Hide
I use an insulin pump and love to exercise at night. Sometimes my bedtime reading is 60 or so and I have 2 units of insulin still active. My dr. recommends not going to bed under 100 (with active insulin especially. ) When I correct the low, do I correct to over 70 and then add a snack to bring me up to 100 while also considering the active insulin on board? I usually choose a protein and carb snack, a little lighter on the carb side ( and calorie side too) so that when I get to 100, I will most likely stay there. I don't want the extra calories, but don't like nighttime lows either!! Of course the answer is reducing my supper bolus or using a temporary basal rate, but I don't always know how hard and when I get to exercise until right at the time I do it. Mousie

Expert Answers (1)

05/29/09 12:09 AM

Dear Mousie: The whole purpose of using an insulin pump is to give you the flexibility to exercise or eat at any time and be able to maintain good blood glucose control. If you are having frequent lows at night after exercising, the best thing to do is definetely program a temporary basal at least 30 minutes before starting to exercise and leaving it until one hour after finishing. This way you are reducing the risk of a serious low. Also, including a bedtime snack with a protein and at least 15 grams of carbs is essential. Another thing you can do is perhaps add a lower basal rate in the evening that will allow you to adjust if you do exercise. Having a pump takes a lot of trial and error but if you keep a good record of your BG readings, and have a good understanding of carb counting, you will be able to maximize the use of your pump. Good luck and thanks for visiting dLife!
Answered By: Sonia Angel
Accreditations: MS, RD, CDE
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