For individuals with diabetes, participating in activities like pickleball or any form of exercise can significantly impact blood sugar levels. It’s crucial to monitor your blood sugar while exercising. Begin preparations an hour before playing to effectively manage any adverse sugar level fluctuations. Below are some strategies that I find beneficial. Remember, this is not medical advice, and you should consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise routines.
Carb up!
It’s important to increase your target blood sugar level before beginning a game, as it typically decreases by 50-100 points during a one-hour workout of medium intensity. Should your blood sugar fall below this range prior to playing, consuming a power bar, yogurt, or another snack can help elevate it. Finding the most effective snacks may require some experimentation.
Exercise Basal Rate!
It is also important to note that wearing an insulin pump during pickleball play is ideal for precisely managing blood glucose levels. An Insulin Pump – coupled with a continuous glucose monitoring device (CGM) – makes it possible to anticipate and monitor fluctuations. CGM’s also make it easier to stay within optimal levels. Your optimal level during play is based on your personal preference, but many like to keep it around 150. Keeping an eye on your glucose levels and using the CGM ensures you stay within that level and with the pump, you can quickly adjust as needed.
With the Tandem T-Slim pump you can create a new Personal Profile to use during exercise. Based on your own needs and “experimenting,” you’ll want to set this basal rate lower than your normal one. Start at 50% and increase or decrease as needed to keep your levels at your optimal number. Additionally, you may want to disable the Control-IQ to keep the pump from automatically giving a bolus during play.
Many have reported little success with using build in Exercise and sleep activity with the T-Slim pump. Try these, as they may work for you. Again, experiment with your basal rate and other settings to find what works best for you.
Be Aware of the “Rebound” effect!
During exercise, your body utilizes glucose for energy. Once glucose levels are low, it switches to using glycogen reserves. Glycogen, stored in muscles, originates from the carbohydrates in your diet. Intense exercise can exhaust these glycogen stores, leading your body to burn fat for energy instead. This shift can cause a rapid decrease in blood sugar post-exercise. After playing pickleball, I promptly restore my usual basal rate and reactivate Control-IQ. If glucose readings are elevated, the pump might administer a bolus, potentially lowering glucose levels further. It’s important to be aware of this and keep a close watch on your glucose. This phenomenon is what I refer to as the “Rebound” effect.
Final Note!
Keep in mind that everyone is unique, and what benefits one person may not benefit another. Work closely with your healthcare provider to experiment with various environments, diets, and schedules to discover what suits you best. Regular physical activity is crucial for managing diabetes effectively.
We control our diabetes; diabetes does not control us!