Cycling or running long-distance may not be your thing, perhaps you’ve thought about dabbling with it. My entry into this landscape goes back 18 years: I was pregnant, on a 6-week stint of bed rest, and had an upcoming 30th birthday. I yearned to move so much that I signed up for my first marathon when I was 8 months pregnant – and literally glued to the couch. (Now you know anything is possible and that I’m a little weird.)
It seemed like it was meant to be. My baby would be 7 months old and the marathon was on my birthday, November 12th. I had to squeeze in the miles, getting most of them before my household was awake and alert. I completed that marathon, with T1D, breastfeeding and all.
Since then, I’ve covered countless miles on foot and bike. My management has morphed over the years too – from injections to pump, from glucometer to a Dexcom CGM, finally landing on the Medtronic 670G.
If you’re entertaining cycling of any distance, I suggest that you look into the JDRF Ride to Cure program. With your commitment to fundraise a certain dollar amount, you receive coaching, transportation, lodging/meals, education, bike support, day of event support, and meet an entirely cool community of welcoming people. This will be my fifth,100-mile ride and the first year that my husband will be joining me. Check out our story on this YouTube video:
What do you Eat?
I often hear people with T1D talking about the struggles they have with managing their blood sugars while they’re exercising. People can easily become frustrated with lows that seem to “cancel out” the benefits of exercise, calorie-wise. It’s never fun to need a picnic mid-workout because of T1D.
I eat on the move. It’s a necessary skill to have when living with T1D and moving for 4-plus hours at a pop.
My goal is about 300 calories an hour. Most long-distance athletes will agree with that calculation. You can’t absorb much more per hour. Otherwise, it will sit in your gut, and – ugh. When you’re done exercising, the blood that has been shunted to your muscles returns to your gut. With T1D, this may create high blood sugars. Digesting what’s been in your tummy, for who knows how long, can create post-exercise havoc.
I personally don’t need to bolus for any food I eat while I’m cycling. This is the only time I don’t tell my 670G when I’m eating and it works like a charm.
I bring what fits in my jersey and my bike pouch. The goal is to never run out.
- Energy chews (Clif Shot Bloks, Honey Stingers)
- Energy Bars (So many to choose from, I always opt for high-calorie)
- Nut Butters (RX, F-Bomb)
- Oven roasted baby potatoes with kosher salt
- Trader Joe’s Nothing but Fruit and Nuts bars
- Banana and Honey Almond butter (Justin’s)
- Fruit Leathers (Stretch Island)
- Other fast-acting carbs to mix things up, if needed
My Approach
I have a handful of things that always help over the long-haul with diabetes management. Some hold true for shorter trips to the gym. Granted, my Medtronic 670G has definitely helped to decrease the amount of lows I experience, but there is still a lot of human intervention.
The whole carb-loading idea does make sense – you want to have full glycogen stores before you exercise. I’ve found that eating big the day prior and having a higher-carb dinner the night before has great pay-offs the next day. I have higher energy levels and my blood sugars are always more cooperative.
I don’t eat a huge breakfast before I ride. I do my typical morning routine: An americano and a piece of gluten-free bread with peanut butter about an hour or so before I ride. About 15 minutes before, I eat a Siggi’s Triple Cream Yogurt. It’s a small container, but it packs a big punch: it has 9% milkfat, 170 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 9 grams of protein. It stabilizes my blood sugar for the first hour of my ride – it’s basically yogurt magic.
I focus on 4 areas for blood sugar maintenance: Calories, Protein, Fat, and Carbs
Ignoring the basics of nutrition and fuel will always result in a fail, especially with T1D. Muscles use glucose for fuel/ energy. Our body stores glucose in the form of glycogen and we break it down into its usable form (glucose) when our muscles need it. Unlike other athletes, we don’t simply eat for fuel. We’re also balancing our blood sugars along the way.
On average, our muscles can sustain our needs for about 90 minutes – the rest comes from foods we eat while exercising. Why carbs? Because they can be broken down easily for quick use. While it may be tempting to go large on fats (as they have almost twice the amount of calories), both fats and proteins are really hard to break down to utilize for energy. In fact, you burn carbs to break down fats, that’s very counter-intuitive. Both fat and protein also slow down digestion making it more difficult to absorb the carbs you’re eating.
Don’t wait for hunger or thirst cues – eat and drink the entire time. Graze all day, or at least every 30 minutes. Practice and find what sits best in your tummy.
I keep my water, electrolytes, and carbs separate. Who wants 2 water bottles full of sugary electrolyte drinks when you get surprised by a high blood sugar? Not me. I’d rather chug water and take a Hammer electrolyte tab instead. If you’re smart about it, you can fix high blood sugars on the fly.
When I’m done, or if I’m having issues sustaining my blood sugars, I personally find that adding real foods like potatoes, energy bars, or fat calories helps me in the blood sugar department – regardless of the fact that they may slow carb digestion. Find what works for YOU and your diabetes.
When you’re through with your adventure, be sure to refill your tank. Long-distance athletes burn a ton of calories and this can create low blood sugars overnight.
Sheri Colberg is my favorite T1D exercise expert. Give her website and research a browse, she’s brilliant. Her research on 10-second sprints effectively raising/stabilizing blood sugars is super informative and it works!
Other She-Sugar Exercise Articles
Crossing the Finish Line With Type 1 Diabetes
The Best Prescription for Diabetes: Exercise
Diabetes and Exercise, Your Arsenal for Safety
Type 1 Diabetes Management by an Exercise Freak
The post Cycling and T1D: Fueling for 100 miles appeared first on She Sugar.
