Basal reduction and hypoglycemia

We could run our own study right here!

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I’m in… in like 4 weeks probably, but I’m in.

Not real happy about these baseline levels…

When the 17 participants of the OmniTIME study suspended their insulin pump delivery immediately prior to a moderate-to-highly active aerobic exercise session (walking at approximately 50% VO2 max for 60 minutes), their blood glucose level fell by an average 67 mg/dL (3.7 mmol/L) from a baseline level of 164 mg/dL (9.1 mmol/L).

This reduction was significantly greater than that seen when the same participants reduced their basal insulin by 50% and 80% 90 minutes before exercise. Under these two experimental conditions, the reductions in blood glucose were 47 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L) and 31 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L), respectively, from baseline levels of 191 mg/dL (10.6 mmol/L) and 164 mg/dL (9.1 mmol/L). The difference between the 50% and 80% settings was also statistically significant.

Given the option between starting at 191 and dropping 30-50 points but taking no carbs during the exercise, or starting at 100 and proactively taking carbs as needed throughout the exercise to prevent a drop, the better choice is obvious.

Basal cuts are extremely beneficial, but that doesn’t mean you need to start at such a high BG.

Both combining basal cuts and carb intake is the best solution. That way you don’t need to start as high.

Almost any sport gives you some way of taking carbs. I had sugar packets in a pocket sewn into my soccer shorts. Maybe swimming is the only activity that makes it very difficult to consume while participating.

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Those are all good points! If we did our own survey… :sunglasses:

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Yes - we would have a better plan :wink:

Let me see…

  1. Start at a normal blood glucose - say 90 (5.0 mmol/l)
  2. Cut basal to account for increased insulin sensitivity you will get with exercise
  3. Top up with carbs as required during your exercise.
  4. At end of exercise
    a. take carbs to replace your glycogen stores.
    b. take insulin if required to cover carbs and replace missing basal if required.

There… or I am wrong.

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Great. Very well stated.

Just modifying this one a bit, adding some guidelines to the carb part:

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Where are we gonna recruit a control group…:roll_eyes:

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I was a swimmer. We had drinks at the edge of the pool in our lane during practice. So even from the water not a big deal. Although I never tried that during a competition.
:stuck_out_tongue:

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