Running out of sugar...

9

90lbs

0
I'm 46 and hypoglycemic. I road-bike 15-30 miles at a semi-leisurely pace almost every day.
I drink orange juice + water or water + sugar, but I can't stand the repeated ups and downs (energy rushes and then dive-bombing) during the entire ride(s).
Can you recommend a time-release type of drink/powder that I can drink during the ride that won't have me on a sugar-rollercoaster?
 
Hammer gel, or similar.
 
I'm assuming you have reactive hypoglycemia where your beta cells produce too much insulin in response to carbs. Therefore, it's a good idea to add a little protein and/or fat to the sugar mixture. That will lower the GI (slow down the absorption rate of the glucose) and stabilize your blood glucose (BG) for a longer period of time. You might want to think about replenishing your electrolyte levels if you're going at it really hard.

E-Gel and E-Fuel are products that don't cause reactive hypoglycemia, and Enervitine sells a gel pack that also keeps reactive hypoglycemia in check. I've never used them, but the nutritional information looks good enough to me to stop you from having those horrible BG swings.

I'm diabetic so if I have too much glucose floating around in my bloodstream, I can just inject more insulin (not that I want to do that because I already inject 5-7 times a day). That being said, it's much better for me to do what I can to keep my BG as stable as possible.
 
Thank you for your replies

Thank you BOTH for your suggestions.


Oftentimes, those fuels (like Hammer Gel & E-Gel) are loaded with caffeine + fruit juices or 18% sugar, which gives me an energy boost, but I end up depleted from sugar again.

I'll try a little protein with a shot of Enervitine. (Extremely diluted chocolate protein with Enervitine doesn't sound appetizing, but I'll try anything!)

I'm sad to hear that you, 'I Love Muscles', have to inject insulin 5-7 times a day. I'm glad it doesn't keep you from your daily activities. :)


i_love_muscle said:
I'm assuming you have reactive hypoglycemia where your beta cells produce too much insulin in response to carbs. Therefore, it's a good idea to add a little protein and/or fat to the sugar mixture. That will lower the GI (slow down the absorption rate of the glucose) and stabilize your blood glucose (BG) for a longer period of time. You might want to think about replenishing your electrolyte levels if you're going at it really hard.

E-Gel and E-Fuel are products that don't cause reactive hypoglycemia, and Enervitine sells a gel pack that also keeps reactive hypoglycemia in check. I've never used them, but the nutritional information looks good enough to me to stop you from having those horrible BG swings.

I'm diabetic so if I have too much glucose floating around in my bloodstream, I can just inject more insulin (not that I want to do that because I already inject 5-7 times a day). That being said, it's much better for me to do what I can to keep my BG as stable as possible.
Click to expand...
 
90lbs said:
I'm 46 and hypoglycemic. I road-bike 15-30 miles at a semi-leisurely pace almost every day.
I drink orange juice + water or water + sugar, but I can't stand the repeated ups and downs (energy rushes and then dive-bombing) during the entire ride(s).
Can you recommend a time-release type of drink/powder that I can drink during the ride that won't have me on a sugar-rollercoaster?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I'd go for the standard gels since they are just sugar. You might want to look into AccelGel or Accelerade. They have a 4:1 carb/protein ratio that might help. Taking in too much protein may cause GI issues so I'd maybe start with the Accel stuff. I believe Endurox R4 is another that uses a similar ratio.
 
90lbs said:
Thank you BOTH for your suggestions.

...

I'm sad to hear that you, 'I Love Muscles', have to inject insulin 5-7 times a day. I'm glad it doesn't keep you from your daily activities. :)
Click to expand...

Figuring out my insulin is mostly a crap shoot for me. Every day is different. But I'm too stubborn to let anything keep me from my daily activities ;)

You figure everything out eventually!
 
Running out of sugar

Good to hear that you're 'too stubborn' to let diabetes get in the way! lol! :boxing_smiley:

i_love_muscle said:
Figuring out my insulin is mostly a crap shoot for me. Every day is different. But I'm too stubborn to let anything keep me from my daily activities ;)

You figure everything out eventually!
Click to expand...
 
ILM, I'm assuming you are type 1.

Glad to hear that you are persistent enough to not let it get you down.

I am a dietitian and have been doing some continuing education recently on the most effective treatments for DM. It seems like some of the long acting insulins along with short acting at meals have had great influences on keeping blood sugars near normal. This is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO important to help prevent complications associated with DM. Keep up the good work lady. You are the BOMB!!! If I can be of help, let me know.
 
Thanks for offering me your help, GT2003! :)

Yeah, I'm Type 1. I've had it for quite awhile. I'm pretty good at keeping my BG under 7 mmol/l. Most days I can keep it between 5.0 and 6.0 mmol/l. I'm totally anal about my BG. But it's a double edged sword. With lower BG, I can end up going hypo really quickly. And I have hypoglycemia unawareness now. Unless somebody recognizes my weird behaviour, I'll just pass out. Yes, I have a glucagon kit and I taped "Instructions for Dummies" on it ;)

Until the Omnipod is available in Canada, I am injecting Humalog and Lantus. I take Lantus once a day, and inject Humalog with my meals. Unlike most diabetics, I eat 5-6 meals a day because it works better for me.

It's always a crap shoot with calculating insulin doses because no two days are the same and no two diabetics are the same. Stress, exercise, "the monthly cycle", and even altitude all play a factor in how your body handles insulin. I could eat exactly the same things two days in a row, and my insulin requirements would be different, depending on what was going on in my life. If I miss working out one day, I have to increase my bolus amounts that day. If I'm working out really hard, I can often skip a bolus.

That's why I say it's a "crap shoot" :D
 
I just saw your response. I should have subscribed to the thread which I've done now.

Let me say it again, you are da bomb. It is so encouraging to see someone young who actually cares about controlling their diabetes. There are so many youngsters who blow it off and figure nothing will happen to them. Unfortunately when one thing goes wrong it's usually just the beginning of the consequences that have been mounting up over time. With your excellent control, it's likely you won't ever have to deal with the complications. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!

I am very impressed with you, PERIOD. Take care, Greg

POINTS for being AWESOME
 
GT2003 said:
I just saw your response. I should have subscribed to the thread which I've done now.

Let me say it again, you are da bomb. It is so encouraging to see someone young who actually cares about controlling their diabetes. There are so many youngsters who blow it off and figure nothing will happen to them. Unfortunately when one thing goes wrong it's usually just the beginning of the consequences that have been mounting up over time. With your excellent control, it's likely you won't ever have to deal with the complications. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!

I am very impressed with you, PERIOD. Take care, Greg

POINTS for being AWESOME
Click to expand...

You can't be talking about me ... are you? I just do what I do because I really care about my body. It's hard to believe anybody is really impressed with me. Wow, thanks Greg :)

I'm not so young, either -- I've been pancreatically challenged for about 25 years ;)
 
i_love_muscle said:
You can't be talking about me ... are you? I just do what I do because I really care about my body. It's hard to believe anybody is really impressed with me. Wow, thanks Greg :)

I'm not so young, either -- I've been pancreatically challenged for about 25 years ;)
Click to expand...

I have always been silently impressed with you, girl.

How can one not be........this is the question.

When a young woman (like you) is TOUGH, BUFF, and possess the beautiful inside STUFF.....

Men go RUFF! RUFF! ...........:animal2


:)


Best regards,


Chillen
 
Wow! I'm really quite overwhelmed. Thank you very much for your kind words :)

I'm actually speechless. I'm just being me. I don't know any other way to be ... this is what I am ;)
 
tsilcyc said:
I'm not sure I'd go for the standard gels since they are just sugar. You might want to look into AccelGel or Accelerade. They have a 4:1 carb/protein ratio that might help. Taking in too much protein may cause GI issues so I'd maybe start with the Accel stuff. I believe Endurox R4 is another that uses a similar ratio.
Click to expand...

I second this suggestion. I had a really hard time finding sports drinks/aids for my longer stuff due to GI issues, and accelgel and accelerade helped a ton. A little protein is good, but like tsil said, more is not better. I've done that too, and paid for it.
 
It wouldn't let me give points, said I did so not too long ago.

But, YES, you impress me immensely. If you only knew the amount of people that I see at your age that make no effort to control their blood sugars. Unfortunately, I also tend to see them down the road when they start having complications. With your tight control you should continue on the road of good health. WAY TO GO GIRL!!!
 
Gee, thanks Greg!!! My thinking is if you don't control your BG, you're committing slow suicide. I know that a lot of diabetics go into denial once they've been diagnosed and think it's no big deal, but when I was diagnosed, the first thing I thought was "if I don't control this, it will control me". And I really didn't want that because I wanted to remain active and fit. Diabetics can pretty much do everything non-diabetics can -- but it just takes a lot more work (as well as experimenting on yourself to get a "feel" for what's going on in your bod).

Greg, your post has really made my day :) Thank you so very much!
 
i_love_muscle said:
Gee, thanks Greg!!! My thinking is if you don't control your BG, you're committing slow suicide. I know that a lot of diabetics go into denial once they've been diagnosed and think it's no big deal, but when I was diagnosed, the first thing I thought was "if I don't control this, it will control me". And I really didn't want that because I wanted to remain active and fit. Diabetics can pretty much do everything non-diabetics can -- but it just takes a lot more work (as well as experimenting on yourself to get a "feel" for what's going on in your bod).

Greg, your post has really made my day :) Thank you so very much!
Click to expand...

wouldnt let me rep you again yet so I will say it here-

you are a great member. I am very gald you came along. You are fun, you are strong in beliefs, and you have a power to the way you think and talk.

Welcom to the board!
Totally!

FF
 
FF, that is so sweet! I guess I'm all that, but I know I can be a real pain in the butt, too because I'm VERY stubborn (bad Taurus trait!) :D

Thanks so very much for your words of kindness :)

Wow! I'm just totally blown away by this ...
 
See, FF see's it too. You're awesome!
 
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