It is important to point out that certain precautions are required for a person that practices bodybuilding with diabetes:
- Please check your blood sugar before and after the activity: Too high or too low of a blood sugar prior to exercise may warrant you waiting until it normalizes a bit. Wait until your blood sugar is between 100 and 120 mg/dl.
- Avoid exercising under extreme temperatures: A temperature between 70-75 degrees Farenheit is best to execute exercise. Temperature plays a role on how the body handles blood sugar so a moderate temperature works best for the diabetic bodybuilder.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water before, during and after the activity to control your body's temperature from rising too high which in turn prevents large blood sugar fluctuations.
- Keep a snack handy: Something as simple as 3 glucose tablets followed by a protein bar can be essential for you if you start feeling hypoglycemic (low in blood sugar). Symptoms of hypoglycemia are manifested by feelings of hunger, being shaky, lightheaded, confused, irritable and sweaty. If you experience this during exercise, stop and have some simple sugars (like the 3 glucose tabs) and a protein bar 10 minutes after in order to attempt to stabilize the blood sugar. Then rest for 15 minutes or so and re-test your blood glucose levels. If below 100 mg/dl, do not resume exercise.
- Have a post workout meal consisting of complex carbs and protein: All bodybuilders who know what they are doing know the importance of post workout nutrition. Right after the workout the body needs to replenish its glycogen stores and amino acid pools in order to begin the recovery, repair and growth processes. For the diabetic bodybuilder, another reason to have the post workout meal is to avoid a post workout blood sugar low caused by the increased uptake of glucose by the muscles that will come right after the workout is finished as the body is scrambling to replenish glycogen.
I hope that if you are not bodybuilding and suffer from diabetes, after reading this article you decide to get started on the bodybuilding lifestyle. If you are already a bodybuilder, then make sure that you tell anyone who suffers from this terrible disease that bodybuilding can be a powerful ally in dealing with their illness.
References
- Eve Van Cauter, Kenneth S. Polonsky, and André J. Scheen
Roles of Circadian Rhythmicity and Sleep in Human Glucose Regulation
Endocr. Rev., Oct 1997; 18: 716 - 738.
- Van Cauter, Eve, Spiegel, Karine
Sleep as a Mediator of the Relationship between Socioeconomic Status and Health: A Hypothesis
Ann NY Acad Sci 1999 896: 254-261
Hugo Rivera, About.com's Bodybuilding Guide and ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer, is a nationally-known best-selling author of over 8 books on bodybuilding, weight loss and fitness, including "The Body Sculpting Bible for Men", "The Body Sculpting Bible for Women", "The Hardgainer's Bodybuilding Handbook", and his successful, self published e-book, "Body Re-Engineering". Hugo is also a national level NPC natural bodybuilding champion. Learn more about Hugo Rivera.
