Hypoglycemia?

Have you been to an endocrinologist? Have you been tested for diabetes? How old are you? When we eat any carbohydrate our body turns this into fuel in the form of blood sugar. We use what we need, and store the rest as fat. When we eat, our body releases the hormone insulin which makes this fuel or blood sugar enter the cells of all our muscles and organs. When we run out of avaliable food supply, our body will then turn to fat and muscle for fuel. Carbohydrates are found in: all grains, cereals (flour, rice, oats, pasta etc), all fruits, some vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, corn, peas etc) milk and dairy products as well as sugar. Cutting out sugar is only one of these areas. Not all carbohydrates are created equally. For example all carbohydrates/food have number of grams of carbohydrate. There is 15gms per slice of bread, a bagel has 60 gms. Secondly all food has been tested for the glycemic index. A low glycemic index means that this food is released slowly into the blood stream. A high Glycemic index food is released very quickly, eg white bread. When a high glycemic index food is consumed eg a donut, the blood sugar will spike quickly. Insulin will be released, and then the blood sugar will drop again, in some cases as a rebound low. When a person has hypoglycemia (which is a level of 60 (or in Canadian levels 3.3) the liver will kick in. It will dump glycogen which will then cause the blood sugar levels to rise back up. Thirdly, what do you eat before you swim? It is best to choose a low glycemic index food with a good caloric content. What do you drink during workouts? There are also low GI drink mixes, and gels, avaliable. I would think that you may well need more to eat rather than cutting out 'sugar'. Eating a low GI will keep your levels more stable. You may also need to eat/sip a low GI, or a higher GI like gatorade during a workout every 20-30 mins to keep your levels stable. Remember that this will depend on the energy system being trained. If you are doing high end sprints your blood sugar levels will actually rise. Aerobic and anaerobic mid zone will require consuming of food during workout. Do you have a glucometer? You should look into getting one and monitor your levels. (The one touch ultra is great and only takes 5 secs) Put it in a ziplock bag and bring a small face cloth to dry your hands with. Hypoglycemia can be dangerous if you are lower than 54 (3.0) At this level, you will be very weak, the pool will feel like a million miles long and you will be sweaty and shaky. And you will most probably have fallen off the pace clock. It is not advisable to let your levels reach this level ever, let alone when exercising. Make sure you are being followed by an endocrinologist. If you have any more questions, I will try and answer them. I am sure there are lots of very knowledgable people on this board. Good luck. Happy training. "to motivate, add water" "Fear is a reaction, courage is a decision"

I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia as a teenager. What works for me is to make sure I balance any carbs I eat with a protein. The protein helps my blood sugar stay steadier because it does not cause the spike like a simple carbohydrate (sugar, white bread, bagels etc). My favorite pre practice or pre race snack is peanut butter on whole wheat toast! I have found that if I don't eat protein before a workout I get a bad case of "the shakes" and feel awful. Try it. I hope it works for you!

Whole wheat toast and protein is an excellent pre training/race food. A bowl of porridge is even better, also low GI. (unless you add sugar to it The whole wheat toast is low GI, and peanut butter is a good source of protein. (caution for those on insulin as this protein, if the natural, ie no sugar added, is slowly absorbed, you may need to either adjust your insulin or eat 7-15gms extra of carbs to counter this. If it has added sugar, test after warmup to see how your levels are.) As athletes we need both carbohydrate and protein for fuel. The shakes is when you are getting too low. And this is definitely not recommended. So you need to find out how long you can train well before getting to this point. A glucometer (a simple device that measures your blood sugar level) should accompany you to every workout. test, test, test. Before you begin, during and after. then you will know how you feel, how each workout affects you and how to avoid the lows. In order to reach our goals we must be intune with our bodies. Learn how your body responds, and you will reach your goals. Good luck and happy training.

as I also have major symptoms of hypoglycemia...depending on what I eat. coffee and sugar can ruin my whole day, as will drinking alcohol the night before. all moring, and maybe all day I'll be in a dizzy fuz--you know the feeling. if I don't eat timely, I get it. hypo. is very hard to diagnosis, but the reality is that most people have symptoms regularlly. the bottom line is that if I neglect my diet, I've got the problems. and for me, toast of any kind sends me off the deep end. eggs and veggies are much better. I wish I never had to eat and could just run on water!

what exactly is hypoglycemia?

Originally posted by sparx35 what exactly is hypoglycemia? Kind of opposite from diabetis. In simplistic terms: Instead of too little insulin, your body tends to overproduce insulin, and you end up with really low blood sugar. www.bddiabetes.com/.../react_recognizing_hypo.asp

Sparx35, Hypoglycemia is when your blood sugar level is below normal. So what is normal? It has been defined as having a blood sugar level of between (US)72-120 (Canadian 4.0- 6.9). A low would fall in the range of 65 (Canadian 3.4) and below. People with normal functioning pancreases will fall into this range (ie the normal range 4-6(Canadian) or 72- 120(US); even after eating a high carbohydrate meal. How is a 'normal range' tested? A simple blood test either fasting or random. Hypoglycemic symptoms will include hunger ( I need to eat NOW), shakiness, sweating in the head and neck, some upper body sweats, confusion, and possibly not making much sense. In extreme cases a coma. If someone has hypoglycemia, administer sugar loaded drinks eg gatorade, or honey, candy. However only small amounts (15 gms every 15 mins). BUt, HOW DO YOU KNOW? A glucometer will give this answer. Jerrycat. Coffee is a stimulant and has been documented to increase your metabolic rate. Caffeine can increase heartrate, make you feel edgy and therefore 'hungry', irritable. Sugar added to your coffee could enhance this. An increase in your metabolic rate will mean that the amount of insulin you produce to enable the carbohydrates you ate to be used for fuel, will exceed the number of carbohydrates. In other words the amount of energy needed has exceed your intake. High GI food will require a bigger amount of insulin to be released, and once this quickly digested /absorbed food is done, the insulin is still circulating resulting in a low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. Don't forget, exercise compounds the effect of insulin and carbohydrates. Alcohol is filtered by your liver. In moderation your body will handle this. (Low carb drinks: hard alcohol no mix, dry wine... the mix and sweet alcohol is high GI, and high sugar/carbs). Alcohol will lower your blood sugar level hence why people eat when drinking. If you get severe hypoglycemia and your liver is already handling alcohol, then it is a bit busy, so releasing glycogen to compensate for your low is difficult. Not a good idea if you have been diagnosed with hypoglycemia. "Most people have symptoms" I agree, especially when they neglect their diet as was also stated. A balanced diet will prevent these variations in blood sugar levels. re Toast and the deep end: What sort of toast are you eating? White bread will certainly do that. But sourdough bread will not as it is Low GI. High grain/ fibre bread is low GI. Check out The Glycemic Index of Foods re Eggs and Veggies: Eggs are protein, veges have carbohydrates. Possibly you may be eating low GI veges or veges with no carbs. Protein gives a feeling of not hungry. Remember that your body needs fuel and the most convienient source is from carbohydrates. A small amount of carbs will suffice and then the body can convert to fat for other sources. That is why carbs plus protein are recommended. It is also important to replace our cells with protein and carbs within 30-45 mins of a workout so we can repair and refuel for the next workout. Even 'regular healthy athletes' have these problems. If you think you do, please get checked out thoroughly. Just another thought, do you know what hyperglycemia is??? What the signs and symptoms of this could be?? "to motivate, add water" "fear is a reaction, courage is a decision"

Conniekat8, Yes it could be the 'opposite' of diabetes. In that 'diabetes' is the inability to use carbohydrates efficiently. In Type 1 diabetics(10% of the diabetic population) no insulin is produced. During the beginning phase of this autoimmune attacking disease, there is a honeymoon period where symptoms are not as severe.( Both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia will present) Type 1 diabetics are mostly children, however adults can also develop this. Type 1 diabetics tend to have a 'normal' body build and can be active. In type 2, they have insulin resistance. They tend to be overweight (Waist circumference exceeds the 'normal recommended ratio') So what does this mean? All our cells require fuel. It comes primarily from carbohydrates. Each cell requires insulin in order that the fuel may pass into each cell. Think of a cell like a locked door. Type 1 have no keys, so the fuel has difficulty getting into the cells. Type 2 have lots of keys, only the keys are like putty and won't open the lock. Hypoglycemia is a symptom of Diabetes. Diabetes is a major health concern. It is on the Rise. Thousands of people have Diabetes and don't know this. It is treatable and you can still live a perfectly normal life with this disease. Be thankfull if you have the diagnosis of hypoglycemia. But first get checked out so you know that is what it is. "To motivate, add water" "fear is a reaction, courage is a decision"

Hypoglycemia is a symptom of Diabetes. I just want to clarify that there is a major difference between low blood sugar, the symptom (as a result of improper diet and or diabetes) and chronic hyperinsulinism. As Conniekat8 said, some people produce too much insulin when they consume carbohydrates, causing their blood sugar to drop quickly and drastically. Not eating often enough will also leave me feeling shaky, nervous and irritable (I usually eat every three hours.) Have you been to an endocrinologist? Have you been tested for diabetes? How old are you? Yes, I have been to an endocrinologist. However, the Naturopathic Dr. was much more helpful. She advised me to take supplements that help with hypoglycemia. I've only been on them a week, and I can already tell the difference! It's amazing what good nutrition can do for the body. As far as testing goes, I took the GTT (glucose tolerance test) and it was confirmed that I am hypoglycemic. However I always knew that I had a problem with carbohydrates, and I had changed my eating habits accordingly even before I tested. I am 16. Thirdly, what do you eat before you swim? All my meals consist of protein and a complex carbohydrate, such as vegetables, brown rice, or a small piece of fruit. I'm not very far along in my training, so what I've always eaten works out fine. I think I would react to gatorade. Do you have a glucometer? Yes, I do, but I haven't been using it lately. I need to get some more strips!

Originally posted by Gab I just want to clarify that there is a major difference between low blood sugar, the symptom (as a result of improper diet and or diabetes) and chronic hyperinsulinism. As Conniekat8 said, some people produce too much insulin when they consume carbohydrates, causing their blood sugar to drop quickly and drastically. Not eating often enough will also leave me feeling shaky, nervous and irritable (I usually eat every three hours.) Which is exactly what happens to me. My liver produces too much insulin when I eat too many carbs. I also have to eat a little bit every few hours, and it has to be a mix of carbs an protein, can't be just one or just the other. The only time I can get away with pure carbs is before or during exercise, when they get used up very quickly. If I eat a lot of carbs in the evening, and go to sleep, I am sure to wake up with a major case of hypo. I've always had it (since I was a little kid), and used to mistake it for hunger, and get into over-eating... But since then, I learned how to regulate what I eat, and noe it doesn't happen very often. In some cases Hypoglychemia is a precursor to diabetis, in others it is not.