Low-Carb Diets and Cycling

[Triskeliongirl]

I think what Omnity is getting at, is that impaired glucose tolerance is not likely to explain why most obese people strugle with their weight, or why most people experience reactive hypoglycemia following a sugary treat. But, I bet it explains why 10% of them do. When I first realized that I had impaired glucose tolerance, I assumed it was why many people I knew couldn't lose weight, but many of them did check their blood sugars, and find out their response was fine. But one friend checked, and found out it wasn't, and took his results to his doctor for follow up, and indeed he also has impaired glucose tolerance. So, I still think its fine for folks to self monitor, but of course the intention is to share the results with their doctor. My friend said his doc had missed this, since his fasting glucose levels were fine, but his response to carbs wasn't. I am like that too, my fasting levels are either fine or only slightly elevated, its what happens when I eat carbs thats off. But, often this can be missed in routine screening. What made him check was when I started talking about falling asleep after eating a high carb meal. If reading this thread makes a light bulb go off in someones's head, then I think that is great. But indeed, impaired glucose tolerance is only going to apply to a small sub set of people.

I think its great that Sara has achieved such a good level of control. I am curious, how tight is her control? The reason I ask is that I have seen first hand what even apparently well controlled diabetes can do to someone. My dad died of type I diabetes in his 50s (or rather the complications) even though he took his insulin and monitored his sugar and ketones (urine tests in those days, more crude I know) and did everything he was supposed to. A good riding bud of mine did the same, and is now on his second kidney transplant, first pancreas transplant. He also didn't believe I could bike without eating more carbs, and accompanied me on the metric century I did on protein and veggies, as he was so worried I'd end up bonked out in a ditch somewhere. Now, he is getting his brother with type I to read Dr. Bernstein's book. This is why I am resistant to taking insulin, at least for now. Of course, if it progresses and I can't do it with diet alone I will have no choice, but I feel really good about what I am doing.

I can generally stay between 70 and 120, although I do go up to 130 during exercise. Yes, my glucose tolerance is better with exercise. When I was doing pre-exercise carbo loading, I had the best luck eating a sweet potato together with some protein and fat (say a chicken breast or turkey sausage). If I didn't exercise, my post-prandial blood sugar might go up to 180 and stay high for 4 hours. But, if I hopped on my bike for 30 minutes I could get it down very quickly. But, that proved inconsistent. Sometimes, if I would eat a pre-ride sweet potato as part of my breakfast, it would lead to my blood sugar going too high (say 180), and then crashing too fast making me sympomatically hypolycemic even at normal values (say 110). My doctor thinks this was from my blood sugar falling at too fast a rate, which is why we decided to use the protein gluconeogenesis and veggie route to fuel my exercise. I feel best on the bike in the 100-130 range. Anything higher and I get nautious, sleepy, etc. And if it gets too high and then falls too quickly, I get confused to a point where it can be dangerous. I do ride in the 70-80% max HR range this way, but it has taken time to both learn how to do it and train my body. And its not consistent, so I always have to carry figs and eat one if I get that I am out of ATP in my muscles feeling (I know cuz my pace suddenly slows and I just can't turn the pedals over anymore). I will add that I am not a 'competitive' athlete. I can keep up with a group, but I am not racing. But, I can move at a decent clip, and have great endurance.

Diabetes is not a single disease, it is a collection of diseases, in the sense that there can be multiple reasons why someone ends up even just a type I diabetic. Yes, in most cases it is autoimmune, but different antigens can be attacked, or there can be other reasons that cells are lost, or in some cases there can be a problem with the insulin secretion and synthesis machinery that are not due to cell loss. I think the type I and type 2 designation make sense, but not in the old juvenile vs adult onset terminology, but because type I is a disease characterized by hypoinsulinemia while type 2 is characterized by hyperinsulinemia. In that regard, type 1.5 or whatever you want to call what I have is more similar to type I than type 2.

FYI, I may have said this, but I do have confirmed thyroid peroxidase antibodies. Still waiting to get re-tested for the diabetes antigens.

To answer your question further on the glycemic index of foods, I have to say its not consistent. The foods I am least sensitive to are sweet potatoes and canteloupe, eaten together with protein, BUT I am very sensitive to strawberries with are also low on the glycemic scale. BUT, I am always less sensitive if I follow it with exercise. In fact, that is what keeped me from being diagnosed. I'd have a slightly high fasting glucose measurement. they'd want to repeat it, and I'd ride my bike to the appointment, bringing down my blood sugar levels. What I have read is that exercise increases the number of glucose transporters on the cell membrane, so more glucose goes in for a given amount of insulin. SO, even with a low insulin levels, with exercise I can clear a light glucose load. But the inconsistency of it all is why I just gave up on eating these foods and went with the Bernstein diet (although I do eat tomtoes and carrots, I base my food choices on what they do to my blood sugar vs blanket recommendations).