Cycling and exercise

An inspirational article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/jul/07/type-1-diabetes-cycling-team-novo-nordisk

Good read. Thanks Warwick.
Regards
Garry

There is also a (UK) domestic cycling team based along similar principles, Team Diabetes UK. I think they only started up this year and their online presence is not massive but they have twitter and facebook pages that will turn up via the search engine of your choice.

Hi this was really cool,I have just done my first 40 miles on the bike, this weekend, found the sugars not too bad with reducing insulin, on the day but found that I should have reduce on the Sunday as well , if any one has any tips for cycling and the insulin that would be great, as would like to continue with cycling longer distances

Yeah, exercise can reduce blood sugars for 24-48 hours afterwards. If you need to, you can 'drizzle' carbs using sports drink, gels etc while cycling, but if you don't need to then your teeth will be happier :-)

All I can suggest is reducing basal if need be, and test a little more often afterwards until you get an good idea of how your body's BGLs are responding to the increased exercise.

Also check out a really useful website call http://www.teambloodglucose.com/TeamBG/Home.html

I find testing during riding is good too, particularly if I am riding for a couple of hours. It is an inconvenience to have to stop part-way through the ride but it allows you to see how your body reacts to the exercise.

Personally I don't reduce my insulin prior to riding, taking my normal dose for breakfast (I usually ride in the morning). When I return I will drink a blended banana with some milk and cocoa and match the carbs 100%. My subsequent lunch and evening meal doses will however be reduced by 50% and 25% respectively. I will also bear in mind my dosing the next day too, maybe taking a shade less than normal to counter any exercise "hangover".

Depending on the pace you are setting, anything over an hour will probably necessitate some form of fuel. Knowing the composition of that is helpful to account for the readings during and after riding so you can tailor your insulin accordingly.

Hi guys thanks for the advice, the 40 miles did take a fair few hours, and I did end up stopping and testing a few times, and had a few extra snacks , I hope I do the next 40 a bit faster, as I get fitter but Iam really enjoying the cycling