Jul 11
Heat safety is something I am acutely aware of on a personal level. As a diabetic athlete, it is of even greater necessity because I can use my senses to identify low and high BGs. However, when high heat temps, and high humidity hit my BG sensitivity is thrown out the window. This is because I am constantly thirsty, always a little tired and may or may not have a heat headache.
I found this guide made by Gatorade for the NFL (and football players in general):
Beat the Heat – Gatorade
It’s a pretty good guide and very informative using football references to make their points on heat safety. The points are quite clear — prevent, prepare, hydrate, and plan. I have to admit, my plan for heat stroke would obviously not to hit that point, and to be aware enough before that point to seek professional help, since I usually train alone. But for preventing, knowing the symptoms are key. One thing I did not realize is that it can take 10-14 days to acclimate to warmer conditions. However, the biggest point is to hydrate regularly and properly. Replacing electrolytes and sodium (and sometimes carbs too) seem like a no-brainer these days, but it was not too long ago when that was not as common knowledge.
Personal Story
As a kid, I once had the unfortunate experience of an ambulance ride and ER visit. During the summer months of June, July and August from a young age, we learned how to race sailboats. All day, every day; with a break at noon on land for lunch. One day I passed out during lunch. An ambulance was called, and the people around me knowing I was a Type 1 Diabetic, the EMTs instantly administered Glucose via gel under my tongue. However, by this point I was already coming to (since I was being fed Coke from the fountain). Upon being admitted to the ER, I learned that I was both dehydrated AND had low sodium. A disastrous combination – with a slightly low, and at that point in the ER I was trying to lower my BG after way too much soda and Glucose gel while they got fluids into me by IV.
Learning Experience
Stay hydrated, watch the color of your urine. And make sure you urinate regularly. And test frequently (like I really needed to say that).
Jun 29
http://blogs.fasterskier.com/krisfreeman/2009/12/02/nerves-of-sugar/
As a diabetic I have to balance the “fight or flight response” on my own. I get nervous before a race and release sugar just like everyone else. Unfortunately my regulatory system is broken and I have to give myself the appropriate amount of insulin. This is where things get tricky. How nervous I am affects how much sugar I release into my body: more Nerves equals more glucose . The difficult part is there is no real way to monitor how nervous I am.
-Kris Freeman, 12/2/2009
This post by Olympian Kris Freeman really gets me thinking. How to monitor your nerves to find out how much the natural release of sugar into your body? It’s not just elite athletes like Kris that have this happening, this happens to me all the time on the bike, on boats, or even heading into a big meeting. Your body has a physical response to a mental stimulus.
I personally have found some correlation in the length of time I spend “nervous” – basically preparing and how long/how high the BG can go. In sailing, there is a half hour-to-fifteen minute period to the start where I will spike. When cycling or running, it really depends how long I am waiting around to start. The more time spent standing around, the higher I will go (the more time I have spent thinking rather than doing).
It would be interesting to see if any breathing or relaxation exercises have any effect.
Apr 04
Yesterday I went for a little 50 mile bike ride. However, for the past few days I have been running BGs from 60-95 or so. When I woke up in the morning I was at 70, and after eating a small breakfast, still under 100 a few hours later. Suiting up for my ride, my numbers continued lower to around 60 — so I started consuming: 26g via soda, 30g glass of chocolate milk, 20g candy, 40g bread and cheese. I did not bolus for any of that food. During a few mile warm up I remained in the 60s, so continued drinking Gatorade and downed 1 GU (20g). So I’ve consumed well over 100g of carbs — and finally start getting my BG to 100. And that’s where it stayed for the entire ride (where I added a bag of chips, 20g and a sandwich, 35g). I bolused nothing, zilch from 10am till 6pm when I got home and feared having a huge amount of Carbs-on-Board (COB) and took a few units of Novolog since I was at 180.
Why did this happen and work in my favor? I’m taking too much Lantus — and this is partly my purpose. I am doing something known as feeding the basal. I only slightly reduced my Lantus dose for riding, not nearly enough to require adding fast-acting insulin to the mix.
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