Diabetes Basics
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Tip of the Day
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Question
Can exercise cause my blood glucose to drop hours later?
Answer
Yes.
Depending on the intensity and duration of your activity, you can burn glucose for up to 24 hours after exercise. With long or hard exercise, you use glucose stored in your liver for fuel. After the exercise is over, your body wants to replenish those glucose levels as soon as possible. If there is no food available, the glucose is pulled from your blood stream, which can cause hypoglycemia.
To help prevent low blood glucose, check your blood glucose about every 45 minutes after a hard workout and gauge whether your blood glucose is going down, going up, or leveling off. If it is going down, eat a few carbs and keep checking until you level off.
Today's tip was taken from the 101 Tips Series from ADA.
The 101 Tips Series is a great reference tool to cover your diabetes care from head to toe. Whether you're looking for tips on nutrition or footcare, the easy-to-read, Q&A format appeals to all types of readers. View our titles in the series!
