Riding with Diabetes.
- Thread starter Curlz12
- Start date
Curlz12
Likes Dirt
Thats fine.
yeah sweet. Pretty much what i do take away 24/7 insullin only twice a day for me.
But
Thank You for your post
Much appreciated
My Dad is a Type 1 Diabetic and rides road, main thing is to keep eating/drinking while riding. My Mother is a massive expert on it so she keeps him under wraps. He keeps his blood sugar levels at around a normal persons which gives more of a risk of hypo's but less long term damage to the body rather than running high blood sugars all the time. You can tell anyway when he starts wobbling all over the road and saying weird stuff. He takes monotard (sp?) daily as well as fast acting humilin before meals. Obviously when he's going riding he injects less or not at all. My knowledge is pretty limited but if you want to know more I'll consult my mother.
James
James
dcrofty
Eats Squid
One of the guys I ride with here is diabetic. He constantly monitors his sugar levels while riding and fills up on skittles if he needs to (he reckons they are the best)
You are in good company though, Wade Simmons is diabetic too and has in the past organised rides for diabetic kids in Vancouver to encourage them to get out and ride.
You are in good company though, Wade Simmons is diabetic too and has in the past organised rides for diabetic kids in Vancouver to encourage them to get out and ride.
Hey mate.
I have had Type 1 diabetes for 15 years and have been mountain biking for about 4 years.
First off, I believe red_dog was talking about a friend that has an insulin pump, which probably makes things a bit easier.
However, it doesn't sound like you do. I take 4 injections per day. What I do to avoid hypos is to:
* if you are training for an event and know that you are going for a ride, reduce the insulin dosage (this is easier if you are taking four injections a day and are on Lantus - a stable 24/hr long acting insulin) before you go for that ride.
*eat some energy food or drink lemonade before you go on a ride.
*if it's your thing, eat during a ride. I'm not a big fan.
*eat some low GI carbs when you get back.
Obviously all these points depend on how intense and long the exercise is. My rides only last for 1 to 2 hours, but my average heart rate usually is >70% and can average over 80%.
During 12 and 24 hour events, I often won't take insulin until the later stages of the race, only small amounts before the race, and I eat heaps. It's great, you can feel like a person with a normal pancreas!
Exercise can also affect blood sugar levels and therefore insulin doses after exercise, even the next day.
Admittedly, I do hypo sometimes after exercise. You have to find out what works for you. One point that you must stick to is - always take some high energy food (liquid is best) and some carbohydrates when riding, to guard against an unexpected hypo on the trail. It may happen and you don't want to be in the middle of nowhere and hypo and have the only option of riding out and having a low at the same time. It sucks!
When I was 16, I was basically a meat-sack full of hormones! This can screw with glucose levels quite a bit, so all I can say is, just stick with it and don't get too frustrated as things get better and there is only so much you can do.
You have probably heard this all before and my last point is, which you probably also know, there are plenty of elite athletes with type 1 diabetes. Oh yeah, you might of seen a letter in the Dec/Jan issue of AMB that a diabetic wrote.
All the best.
I have had Type 1 diabetes for 15 years and have been mountain biking for about 4 years.
First off, I believe red_dog was talking about a friend that has an insulin pump, which probably makes things a bit easier.
However, it doesn't sound like you do. I take 4 injections per day. What I do to avoid hypos is to:
* if you are training for an event and know that you are going for a ride, reduce the insulin dosage (this is easier if you are taking four injections a day and are on Lantus - a stable 24/hr long acting insulin) before you go for that ride.
*eat some energy food or drink lemonade before you go on a ride.
*if it's your thing, eat during a ride. I'm not a big fan.
*eat some low GI carbs when you get back.
Obviously all these points depend on how intense and long the exercise is. My rides only last for 1 to 2 hours, but my average heart rate usually is >70% and can average over 80%.
During 12 and 24 hour events, I often won't take insulin until the later stages of the race, only small amounts before the race, and I eat heaps. It's great, you can feel like a person with a normal pancreas!
Exercise can also affect blood sugar levels and therefore insulin doses after exercise, even the next day.
Admittedly, I do hypo sometimes after exercise. You have to find out what works for you. One point that you must stick to is - always take some high energy food (liquid is best) and some carbohydrates when riding, to guard against an unexpected hypo on the trail. It may happen and you don't want to be in the middle of nowhere and hypo and have the only option of riding out and having a low at the same time. It sucks!
When I was 16, I was basically a meat-sack full of hormones! This can screw with glucose levels quite a bit, so all I can say is, just stick with it and don't get too frustrated as things get better and there is only so much you can do.
You have probably heard this all before and my last point is, which you probably also know, there are plenty of elite athletes with type 1 diabetes. Oh yeah, you might of seen a letter in the Dec/Jan issue of AMB that a diabetic wrote.
All the best.
Last edited:
Curlz12
Likes Dirt
THANK YOU all for your posts.
Sounds like what im doing is pretty much what everyone else does
Except maybe i should start doing blood tests while im riding and stop relying on red bull
Yeah ive seen something about Wade Simmons a Vancouver and how he helps people.
Thanks again everyone
Sounds like what im doing is pretty much what everyone else does
Except maybe i should start doing blood tests while im riding and stop relying on red bull
Yeah ive seen something about Wade Simmons a Vancouver and how he helps people.
Thanks again everyone
alchemist
Manly Warringah MTB Club
Road releated, but you might like to keep and eye on these guys
http://www.teamtype1.org/bios08.html
http://www.teamtype1.org/bios08.html
Curlz12
Likes Dirt
John U
MTB Precision
I have had type 1 diabetes for 24 years. I have been mountain biking for the last 13 years. I take 4 injections a day.
I make sure I am well prepared with food for any ride as you never know what might happen.
I always take my blood testing kit with me and keep it in a fairly indestructible waterproof pelican case.
I try and do a test about every hour on longer rides. I am pretty careful as a lot of the riding i do i am on my own. I do test at the start of a ride and at the end of a ride to know exactly where i level. is. This is more important when riding in extreme conditions like when it's really hot as this my reduce the effectiveness of your estimates of levels.
I find having a water bottle with gatorade in it and taking this regularly while riding is the best way for me to keep my levels constant. i balance this with sipping water from a camelbak as you don't want to shoot levels too high. you can adjust the strength of your gatorade mix depending the day and the intensity of your workout.
it is a real balancing act as you don't want to go too high as this makes you dehydrated and you don't want to go too low as this may put you into a hypo.
as mentioned above beware of the post ride hypo.
do tests regularly.
apart from scuba diving diabetes has not really stopped me doing anything in the time i have it. keep an eye on your levels and carry enough food and you shouldn't have any dramas
I make sure I am well prepared with food for any ride as you never know what might happen.
I always take my blood testing kit with me and keep it in a fairly indestructible waterproof pelican case.
I try and do a test about every hour on longer rides. I am pretty careful as a lot of the riding i do i am on my own. I do test at the start of a ride and at the end of a ride to know exactly where i level. is. This is more important when riding in extreme conditions like when it's really hot as this my reduce the effectiveness of your estimates of levels.
I find having a water bottle with gatorade in it and taking this regularly while riding is the best way for me to keep my levels constant. i balance this with sipping water from a camelbak as you don't want to shoot levels too high. you can adjust the strength of your gatorade mix depending the day and the intensity of your workout.
it is a real balancing act as you don't want to go too high as this makes you dehydrated and you don't want to go too low as this may put you into a hypo.
as mentioned above beware of the post ride hypo.
do tests regularly.
apart from scuba diving diabetes has not really stopped me doing anything in the time i have it. keep an eye on your levels and carry enough food and you shouldn't have any dramas
Curlz12
Likes Dirt
I've had it for 13 next month and ive only really just got in to DH and mtb
So this is really helpful
Thanks John
Curlz12
Likes Dirt
Just get yourself a nice little bag and cable tie it onto your rails. Just tell your friends its a first aid kit so they dont steal your beans... i know i would!Thats a really really good idea.
Im going to do that at Mt buller this W/E now
Curlz12
Likes Dirt
Yeah i usually eat a fair bit before i ride and have a redbull as i start ridingIm a type one diabetic only had it for about 6 months and find I can go really low, Really fast and need to carry a fairly large amount of food especially in the hot weather.
