Dafne & sports nutrition. How does it work?

January 23, 2012 09:09

JennyNZ 29 posts

Hi folks. Have a question about Dafne and exercise. Have to admit, I kind of gave up training after I started Dafne 'cos I couldn't get my head around all the new ideas regarding exercise and it felt like the ideas were very black and white. Well, it is the middle of summer over here and I've just heard about a ocean swim I'd like to do and I thought I'd like to try and do it well. its a 10km swim and last time it took me 4 hr 20 and my tests weren't great. this was pre dafne. I've found Dafne doesn't talk much about managing CP's while you're training/racing. For those of you who dont know, the general rule of thumb is that you consume the equivilant of your weight , in grams, of CHO so I try and have about 60 gr carbs/hr when i'm either training or racing over 2 hours. What would be the Dafne approach to this and what do others do? If there are any othera who do triathlons or longish swims especially, I'd be really keen to hear from you.

January 23, 2012 09:22

novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate
NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts

I really dont have the experience to give good advice, however the DAFNE section on exercise would suggest that you reduce your insulin dose.................so this could mean dropping your previous bolus injection with your last meal and/or reducing your basal dose also..............with prolonged activity that I assume your training and participation in a 10k swim would involve, a combination of both of these reduction will help prevent hypos during the event and up to 24 hours later as the muscles replenish their store of glucose...............

And with any activity like this you should always have a truck load of hypo resolve just in case......

There is also the website www.runsweet.com that provides a much more detailed explanation of how to manage blood sugars when exercising/playing sports etc...........

good luck.......... Wink

January 24, 2012 04:36

JennyNZ 29 posts

thanks for that but how would you accomodate eating about 6 cp's per hour while training?

January 24, 2012 08:12

meltow DAFNE Graduate
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust 78 posts

http://www.steveredgrave.com/diabetes.html
Steve Redgrave, our 5 times Olympic champion, also supports and advises to use the RunSweet website. He was diagnosed in 1997, and went on to win his 5th gold medal in 2000.
A true champion in more ways than one!

January 24, 2012 10:16

novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate
NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts

JennyNZ said:
thanks for that but how would you accomodate eating about 6 cp's per hour while training?

Well I believe a reduction in your previous meal and/or your background dose would mean you would not need to eat anything during the training, as the energy stores of your muscles are depleted, the extra glucose you have swimming around because of your lower insulin dose, would be used whilst training and to re stock the muscles................

However you should always have hypo resolve to hand just in case............................its all trial and error really...............I dont train for events like this, so my experience is limited, this is just my understanding of the DAFNE approach to exercise..............

January 24, 2012 19:02

Carolin
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals 83 posts

JennyNZ said:
thanks for that but how would you accomodate eating about 6 cp's per hour while training?

Hi Jenny. You're quite right that you will need the additional carbs during the training / event, as well as reductions in your insulin doses. The standard DAFNE curriculum and workbook doesn't go into this in great detail as it's meant to give people just the basics, but the runsweet website, or the Diabetic Athelete Handbook (available through Amazon) are fantastic in giving guidelines for the extra carbs required. 60g per hour does sound about right, so try to think of forms that you can easily keep in your swimming gear, e.g. Glucose gels.
Good luck!
Carolin

January 23, 2012 09:09 JennyNZ 29 posts	Hi folks. Have a question about Dafne and exercise. Have to admit, I kind of gave up training after I started Dafne 'cos I couldn't get my head around all the new ideas regarding exercise and it felt like the ideas were very black and white. Well, it is the middle of summer over here and I've just heard about a ocean swim I'd like to do and I thought I'd like to try and do it well. its a 10km swim and last time it took me 4 hr 20 and my tests weren't great. this was pre dafne. I've found Dafne doesn't talk much about managing CP's while you're training/racing. For those of you who dont know, the general rule of thumb is that you consume the equivilant of your weight , in grams, of CHO so I try and have about 60 gr carbs/hr when i'm either training or racing over 2 hours. What would be the Dafne approach to this and what do others do? If there are any othera who do triathlons or longish swims especially, I'd be really keen to hear from you.
January 23, 2012 09:22 novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts	I really dont have the experience to give good advice, however the DAFNE section on exercise would suggest that you reduce your insulin dose.................so this could mean dropping your previous bolus injection with your last meal and/or reducing your basal dose also..............with prolonged activity that I assume your training and participation in a 10k swim would involve, a combination of both of these reduction will help prevent hypos during the event and up to 24 hours later as the muscles replenish their store of glucose............... And with any activity like this you should always have a truck load of hypo resolve just in case...... There is also the website www.runsweet.com that provides a much more detailed explanation of how to manage blood sugars when exercising/playing sports etc........... good luck..........
January 24, 2012 04:36 JennyNZ 29 posts	thanks for that but how would you accomodate eating about 6 cp's per hour while training?
January 24, 2012 08:12 meltow DAFNE Graduate Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust 78 posts	http://www.steveredgrave.com/diabetes.html Steve Redgrave, our 5 times Olympic champion, also supports and advises to use the RunSweet website. He was diagnosed in 1997, and went on to win his 5th gold medal in 2000. A true champion in more ways than one!
January 24, 2012 10:16 novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts	JennyNZ said: thanks for that but how would you accomodate eating about 6 cp's per hour while training? Well I believe a reduction in your previous meal and/or your background dose would mean you would not need to eat anything during the training, as the energy stores of your muscles are depleted, the extra glucose you have swimming around because of your lower insulin dose, would be used whilst training and to re stock the muscles................ However you should always have hypo resolve to hand just in case............................its all trial and error really...............I dont train for events like this, so my experience is limited, this is just my understanding of the DAFNE approach to exercise..............
January 24, 2012 19:02 Carolin Sheffield Teaching Hospitals 83 posts	JennyNZ said: thanks for that but how would you accomodate eating about 6 cp's per hour while training? Hi Jenny. You're quite right that you will need the additional carbs during the training / event, as well as reductions in your insulin doses. The standard DAFNE curriculum and workbook doesn't go into this in great detail as it's meant to give people just the basics, but the runsweet website, or the Diabetic Athelete Handbook (available through Amazon) are fantastic in giving guidelines for the extra carbs required. 60g per hour does sound about right, so try to think of forms that you can easily keep in your swimming gear, e.g. Glucose gels. Good luck! Carolin