Moving Toward Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

Oct 28, 2010 by Emilia

Physical activity

The three cornerstones in the treatment of diabetes are food, medication, and physical activity. Of this three, activity is often a first choice for the person who has diabetes. Moving toward a more physically active life is generally inexpensive, easy and when it comes to healthy blood sugar levels, it usually produces great rewards.

How moving leads to healthy blood sugar levels

When we move our muscles, we burn both fat and glucose. During and after periods of activity, the beta cells in the pancreas detect low levels of glucose in the blood; this causes the following reactions:

1. The pancreas decreases the output of insulin.
2. This gives the beta cells, the cells responsible for releasing insulin, a break from excessive insulin production.
3. The lower level of insulin signals the liver to release its glucose reserves (glycogen) into the blood to supply the muscles with the energy they need to perform the physical task.
4. As we continue the physical activity, the liver converts amino acids, lactic acid, and fats into glucose to supply the muscles.
5. If the activity is prolonged, the fat cells convert the stored triglycerides into fatty acids.

When all of these steps are considered, it is easy to see why using our muscles is the perfect treatment for diabetes. To review the benefits:

1. It lowers blood glucose
2. It lowers fatty acids in the blood
3. Gives the pancreas a rest
4. And unless you are taking a medication that may cause hypoglycemia, physical activity won’t cause your blood glucose level to follow below normal, the way other diabetes treatments may.

Before you start moving

Becoming more physically active can involve some risks for people with diabetes. On the other hand, remaining sedentary will do nothing to help you control your glucose level, or manage your weight. Understanding those risks ahead of time will allow you to take steps to prevent problems before they occur. Problems you need to evaluate before you increase physical activity are:

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia can be a concern for those people with diabetes who take medication or insulin. Whenever you are physically active, your muscles burn glucose. First they use the glucose they have stored as glycogen. As you continue the activity, the glucose in the blood moves to the muscles to supply the energy needed lowering the level of glucose in the blood.

In addition, because the muscles need to refill their deposits of glucose, the transfer of glucose from the blood to the muscles doesn’t stop when we stop moving; in fact it keeps happening for the following 24 hours.

If you have experienced frequent episodes of hypoglycemia after a brisk walk in the park or when you mow the lawn, do not make the decision that physical activity is not for you. A solution could be testing your blood glucose more often and prepare your body for exercise by adjusting medication or the food you take before you start your physical activity.

Heart disease

Before you increase your activity level, you need to consider the possible presence of heart disease. As you probably know, coronary heart disease is very common in people with diabetes. To assess your risk you need to talk to your doctor; he will evaluate your risks by giving you an exercise tolerance test. This test is done on a treadmill and reflects your heart’s ability to work under stress.

Diabetes complications

Before you increase your activity level, you need to remember that certain types of activities may not be suitable for people with certain medical conditions.

An activity that includes straining, such as weight lifting, can cause a substantial increase blood pressure during the activity. Before starting any activity, and especially one where straining is involved, you need to have your blood pressure well controlled.

Retinopathy is also aggravated by straining because increases the pressure inside the blood vessels of the eyes, already weakened. Straining can cause a hemorrhage in the eyes. This is why it is important to have your eyes examined for any signs of retinopathy before starting any exercise program. Check my article about healthy foods list for your eyes.

Avoiding glucose problems

To prevent hypoglycemia during or after exercise, there are a number of things you can do:

1. When planning to be very active, test your glucose level prior to getting started. If your blood glucose is near normal but you have the potential to develop hypoglycemia, eat prior to the activity. It you take insulin, you will need to eat prior to the activity or lower your insulin dose.
2. Plan your activity to follow a meal so that it can help lower the increased blood glucose level that follows eating.
3. If you are at risk for hypoglycemia, plan for a possible hypoglycemic episode. Carry glucose tablets with you. If symptoms of hypoglycemia appear, stop the activity immediately and use the fast acting glucose.
4. If you manage your diabetes with insulin, avoid the times when your insulin is peaking and at its strongest. It will help you manage hypoglycemia.
5. Monitor your glucose during exercise to see what effect activity has on you. Check it every half hour during exercise and again when you are finished.
6. If during any activity you experience shortness of breath, chest pain, or leg cramps, call your doctor right away. These are all possible signs of blocked arteries and require immediate evaluation by your doctor.
7. If you experience a lot of hypoglycemia episodes, contact your doctor; you may need a change in your medication.

Final thought

Being active needs to be fun, otherwise you will not stick with an active lifestyle. So choose your activities carefully so you can enjoy them when you practice them most days of the week.

To your health
www.TheDiabetesClub.com

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Tags

• diabetes
• healthy blood sugar levels
• heart disease
• high blood pressure
• physical activity

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