ASweetLife’s resident marathoner, Michael Aviad, has noticed that hours after his marathons are over, his blood sugar tends to stay on the low side. Not everyone realizes that Intense exercise can cause blood glucose levels to drop not only during and shortly after the activity, but even hours later. In fact, according to the American Diabetes Association, depending on the intensity and duration of your activity, you can burn glucose for up to 24 hours after exercise.
Checking blood glucose levels after exercise is a must, especially if you’re like Michael, who finds it difficult to eat after intense exercise. In addition to having glucose tablets in your pocket or pouch, you can carry energy gels, which will give your body a nice boost of carbs.
I after exercise it isn’t uncommon for me to have high blood sugar. That is usually ‘artificially’ high and will burn off very quickly in the hours afterwards. I lower my insulin take for meals for the rest of the day and try to make sure I eat towards the end of a long exercise even if I am a bit higher than I would like