Last week I posted all-knowingly on my InstaStories about how my blood sugar alllllways spikes when I start running. Well looky looky here! 24 years into chronic illness and still getting caught out.
So what’s changed? I’m no scientist, but my *ahem* extensive investigations have detected that hefty coffee intake was to blame. Simple. Caffeine, that which some studies show to INCREASE insulin sensitivity, clearly does the opposite for me when I start moving if I’ve got a lot lingering in my system. Stressful situations before Christmas were offering minimal sleep, and as such I was glugging at least three cups while trying to get my work brain in gear of a morning, alongside caring for a friend in need.
As such, when I did step out for a lunchtime run after being stuck to the desk with my gallons of coffee, the cortisol kick (fight or flight stuff, again #notascientist) was REAL. Which was great when I remembered to dose a little insulin beforehand, not so much when I forgot… as illustrated by that hefty spike on the Freestyle Libre graph below.
Since January I’ve been switching out most of my coffees for matcha. Not all, but enough that the build in my bod has dramatically lessened, and clearly the caffeine in matcha does not respond in the same way because BAM those cardio hypos are coming on through – as we can see on this little graph…
Of course, each day with type 1 diabetes is a surprise, such is the nature of the beast, so there will be other factors at play. Understandably a lot of people are tentative about exercising with type 1, but for me who relies on exercise for my mind (particularly in the shitstorm we’re globally facing at the moment), the trick is just to be prepared. I had a glucose stash in my pocket but pounding the streets of London means there’s always a shop with a shelf full of juice nearby. And as annoying as it was to stop, once my blood sugars started to rise I carried on with my run and it ended up being one of the best I’ve had in months. Go figure.
This particular running hypo adventure was aided gratefully by my Dexcom (gifted) which kept me in the know, and also this swanky new M&S running gilet (defo not gifted) that I am obsessed with not just because it keeps my organs from freezing, but it has enough pockets for my insulin pump, phone, glucose, keys and facemask. WINNING.
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