Diabetic Runners

1

Sprinting to cure a hypo (Read 217 times)

    I have just read the following in Sheri Colberg's Diabetic Athlete's Handbook:

     

    "Whenever you start to feel low, sprint as hard as you can for 10 to 30 seconds to induce a greater release of glucose-raising hormones" [page 39]

     

    This has struck me as incredibly counter-intuitive and so-crazy-it-just might-work, but has anyone out there actually tried it? Up to now I have slowed down to a snail's pace and reached for the glucose tablets as my standard hypo treatment when running, but Colberg's solution sounds a lot more efficient. Can't wait to try it (!) but would like to hear others' experience of it.

     

    Ciaran

    Never been to the Americas, but how many of you guys have ever been to Derby?

     

    brrit


      Claran -

       

      I've read that in the past as well and really wondered if it would work. This past Sunday I had a pretty severe hypo and was tempted to give it a try, but just didn't want to take the risk at the time. Interested to see if others are using sprinting effectively to raise their blood sugar.

       

      Bryan

        I have now tried this but I cannot say conclusively whether it works or not.

        I can usually tell a hypo is coming on because I sweat profusely when I'm running - much more than the heat and humidity would dictate - and this comes on before I feel the more usual weak and wobbly symptoms.

        On a 5 mile run a few days ago I started sweating after only 2 miles in (bad planning on my part) and had a half-hearted go at 'sprinting' in three short bursts, except the first wasn't really a sprint - more like a brisk jog! - and the third, although a sprint, must have lasted all of 3 seconds.

        The symptoms of the hypo seemed to fade slightly, and I was a little more tired than normal from the extra exertion, but I was able to continue running.

        However, at 4.5 miles the weak and wobbly symptoms kicked in. Not too severely, but enough to make me feel like stopping and eating a few glucose tablets. But because I was so close to the finish I pushed on, and ate the tablets immediately after stopping my stopwatch. Not a bad time to say my sugar was low. (But I only currently average 9 min/mile).

        I cannot say at all whether I can thank additional glycogen for this, and I didn't experience any crashing hypo afterwards as my liver sought to replenish its stores (although I adjusted my insulin dose in anticipation of this so maybe this happened anyway).

        My self-experimentation will continue.

         

        Ciaran

        Never been to the Americas, but how many of you guys have ever been to Derby?