Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics are forced to live with the constant barrage of having blood sugar levels drop suddenly and dramatically, sometimes at the most inopportune time. But sometimes this event, called hypoglycemia, occurs when an individual is working out. That's why exercise induced hypoglycemia is something that has to be monitored.
Simply put, hypoglycemia is when there isn't enough sugar in the blood. While this can be a rather annoying occurrence for some, for a diabetic it can be serious. It is important for diabetics who want to work out to know what they should be on the lookout for and how to respond so that it doesn't become an even bigger, and more serious, issue.
There are telltale signs during exercise that signal a change is beginning to take place. The first apparent symptom is usually a feeling of shakiness. This could be mild or the individual may mistake it as overworking their muscles. Since working out tires the muscles and sometimes gives a temporary feeling of being shaky if overexerted, it might not immediately register with a diabetic.
The way to tell if it is your muscles that are responding to the workout or if it is actually hypoglycemia, is that in exercise, only the specific workout muscles will shake: hypoglycemia will normally affect the entire body.
Another symptom is extreme and unusually sudden fatigue. This is your blood sugar crashing and your body responding by going into emergency management of its vital energy. It could be almost instantaneous and typically takes the person by surprise.
The exerciser will also normally experience a sudden and profound headache. This is your brain telling you the same thing that your muscles are saying: "I need sugar". Depending on how depleted your blood sugar is will determine the severity of your headache, as it could be dull to almost migraine intensity.
Anytime hypoglycemia occurs, it needs to be addressed quickly. The best way to handle this is to administer something sweet such as a fruit juice or normal soda. In a pinch, candy will work, too. Whatever you have on hand to immediately bring the blood sugar levels back up as fast as possible to stave off a worsening of the symptoms, will do.
In severe cases, exercise induced hypoglycemia can cause a diabetic to lapse into a seizure. In this instance, blood sugar has crashed dramatically to the point that the brain temporarily shuts down consciousness. At this stage it would be necessary for someone to contact emergency personnel so that the diabetic can be monitored by healthcare professionals. This is the time to mention the benefit of wearing a medical identification bracelet, sportsband or necklace identifying you as being a Type 2 diabetic - they can be a godsend in an emergency such as a severe hypoglycemic episode.
Simply put, hypoglycemia is when there isn't enough sugar in the blood. While this can be a rather annoying occurrence for some, for a diabetic it can be serious. It is important for diabetics who want to work out to know what they should be on the lookout for and how to respond so that it doesn't become an even bigger, and more serious, issue.
There are telltale signs during exercise that signal a change is beginning to take place. The first apparent symptom is usually a feeling of shakiness. This could be mild or the individual may mistake it as overworking their muscles. Since working out tires the muscles and sometimes gives a temporary feeling of being shaky if overexerted, it might not immediately register with a diabetic.
The way to tell if it is your muscles that are responding to the workout or if it is actually hypoglycemia, is that in exercise, only the specific workout muscles will shake: hypoglycemia will normally affect the entire body.
Another symptom is extreme and unusually sudden fatigue. This is your blood sugar crashing and your body responding by going into emergency management of its vital energy. It could be almost instantaneous and typically takes the person by surprise.
The exerciser will also normally experience a sudden and profound headache. This is your brain telling you the same thing that your muscles are saying: "I need sugar". Depending on how depleted your blood sugar is will determine the severity of your headache, as it could be dull to almost migraine intensity.
Anytime hypoglycemia occurs, it needs to be addressed quickly. The best way to handle this is to administer something sweet such as a fruit juice or normal soda. In a pinch, candy will work, too. Whatever you have on hand to immediately bring the blood sugar levels back up as fast as possible to stave off a worsening of the symptoms, will do.
In severe cases, exercise induced hypoglycemia can cause a diabetic to lapse into a seizure. In this instance, blood sugar has crashed dramatically to the point that the brain temporarily shuts down consciousness. At this stage it would be necessary for someone to contact emergency personnel so that the diabetic can be monitored by healthcare professionals. This is the time to mention the benefit of wearing a medical identification bracelet, sportsband or necklace identifying you as being a Type 2 diabetic - they can be a godsend in an emergency such as a severe hypoglycemic episode.
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