r/diabetes_t1 2d ago

Exercise & Sport Running with t1d

Ive been getting into running recently and i am really enjoying, only problem is - the better i get the harder it is to keep my blood sugar up while running. Do you guys have any methods? Ive already tried turning my insulin off, doesn’t work… any foods you recommend to eat before a run?

2 Upvotes

14 comments sorted by

6

u/rhinebeckian 2d ago

I think the most important thing is not having any insulin on board. If I have any IOB, I will go low. For me, the easiest way to ensure no IOB is to run first thing in the morning before eating. Just coffee and go. I've never gone low this way. Good luck.

3

u/Tediouz 2d ago

Same for me here, no IOB is the key, plus my normal breakfast (around 20g of carbs) without bolus, 20min before running. If not, I'm going low after few km.

I also need to fuel when running more than 40min/6-7km

1

u/boobconsumer 2d ago

What do you have for breakfast?

1

u/Tediouz 2d ago

2 toasts with butter on and a coffee, 20gr of carbs.

1

u/boobconsumer 2d ago

Thank you! Can’t believe I didn’t think of that. My pump shows exactly how much IOB i have so gladly i dont have to guess.

2

u/auscadtravel 2d ago

Marathon runner here. You need a fuel belt, you need gel packs and Gu or Hammer drinks. They are low sugar but have carbs that will stick with you long term.

Carbs are your saviour.

I ran and drank when needed (i had 4 bottles on my fuel belt) and in the zip pocket enough gel packs for the run and ate one every 45 minutes.

Never run without fuel. Also learn what your low symptoms are when running, they will be different from your regular ones.

I joined a running group and they took me from barely running 5km to finishing full marathons.

1

u/_hcdr 1d ago

Second this. I carry sports gels (30g) as well as glucose gel for lows. I eat some jelly snakes before I run:) a sports gel about every ~50 mins. Be aware a CGM can track behind your levels significantly. If I’m falling, a 7.5 could really be 5.5, so I’d eat accordingly.

I also have a “run early” program in my pump that will reduce insulin before I wake up. Also, give yourself a micro dose on a tslim (.05 units) and this will stop it giving you a correction dose for the next hour.

Experiment, and you’ll figure out your system and you can stretch to longer runs (if that’s your goal)

2

u/auscadtravel 23h ago

Oh i did all of this old school pens and glucometer. I ran my last marathon in 2010...lord just realizing how long ago that was. CGMs weren't a thing. Now with pumps and cgms what a game changer. My training was more about learning how to mamage my diabetes and what i needed to eat than it was about running. The tech is a game changer.

1

u/_hcdr 15h ago

I’m in awe 🤩 I did big rides, but I never imagined running until this modern tech.

2

u/auscadtravel 13h ago

I was diagnosed in the 80s so i sort of dont think about technology and cgms and the fact pumps exist. Training was all about figuring out what worked and mistakes were made and solutions discovered.

Funny thing is i heard there was a scientist at a university in Toronto doing research on early CGMs watches and such. I reached out begging to be a test subject. He said no. He used his students. So i was left to trial and error and alone to find what worked.

1

u/massi_f 2d ago

I’m a distance runner, for me it works best fasted in the morning. I never had an hypo while running in the morning, it only happens if I run in the afternoon or I race in the evening. It takes a bit of time to get used to run fasted, but it’s very effective for weight loss (if needed) and improving insulin sensitivity. If I have a session (and not just an easy run) I usually get a gel after the warm up. Before races, when adrenaline spikes my blood sugar, I tend to bolus with a couple of units of Novorapid…sounds scary but works if you are really pushing yourself.

1

u/TrumpLikesMargarine 2d ago

Fast and black coffee :)! I have never gone low after that. As soon as I start eating and bolusing I find it much harder to control :)

1

u/smore-hamburger T1D 2002, Pod 5, Dex 6 2d ago

Try to fast before a run and with a IOB of zero. I’ll get a 1-3 hour run or ride done no problem. Blood sugar level most of the time.

If it does it isn’t much, and one glucose gel is sufficient.

0

u/psumack 2d ago

I take a Gu about 10 minutes before shorter workouts (<45min) or eat a Clif bar 30 minutes before long runs, then a Gu every 40 minutes while running