Cycling UK Forum

If you have experiance of riding with Diabetes/tales to tell/would like advice, etc, please post in the thread or PM me!
This is an encouraging (Flash Harry) type thread! You do not have to post in the thread if you do not want to but vote if you can so we can see how many guys and gals we have.
Ben

I have Type 2 (diagnosed as such about 8 years ago) and riding actually keeps my sugar levels down. I take no medication at all.

When I was younger and racing, I used to be able to eat anything I wanted, as I'd just burn it off. I gave up racing in 1992 and still used to eat whatever I wanted, so probably it's this that caused it. Taking up cycling again a few years ago probably did it more good than any medication. I still tend to eat whatever I want.

I currently have no know side effects from it, even though my mmol level is a bit high (about 7.6%).

I have type 2, diagnosed 19 years ago.

Clearly, riding keeps my blood sugar levels down. I used to not take my medication on hard days - 50 miles with camping gear - and
arrive at say say 5.5 mmol/l, but later I found this stopped working, and it was better to take the tablets.

Ok I am playing devil's advocate here.....
So SK you take no medication, eat what you like and have a higher than preferred blood sugar level, and currently have no known side effects/problems.
I take it then you are not worried about the side effects rearing their ugly heads?

Thanks for the replys!
I am a type II diagnosed in Fedruary 2010 but on reflextion I have had a mild form of diabetes/sugar intolerance since a teenager.
I have not been supplied with a blood kit as yet so I cannot give you my mmol/l after getting some miles in but cycling seems to alliviate the worst effects.
80k seems to be my limit at the moment after that I tend to get cramps in my back and neck.
Lets hope this thread can help and encourage others to post their experiances, hints and tips on getting the best out of their rides.
Ben

I have had type 2 diabetes for 10 years now ( I am now aged 77). For the first 8 I managed to control my blood levels with my cycling. This year, however I went onto 1 tablet a day and this with my cycling seems to do the trick. I have just had my review and my hbaic level was 6.7. Nurse and doctor both very happy with the result which had fallen from 7.6, 3 months ago. At present my wife is recovering from an operation so I am a little housebound but with her help I am getting about 75/85 miles per week. The nurse made the comment that exercise was the the key to control, so just keep riding. Good luck to all fellow Types 1 & 2s.

emil wrote:I have had type 2 diabetes for 10 years now ( I am now aged 77). For the first 8 I managed to control my blood levels with my cycling. This year, however I went onto 1 tablet a day and this with my cycling seems to do the trick. I have just had my review and my hbaic level was 6.7. Nurse and doctor both very happy with the result which had fallen from 7.6, 3 months ago. At present my wife is recovering from an operation so I am a little housebound but with her help I am getting about 75/85 miles per week. The nurse made the comment that exercise was the the key to control, so just keep riding. Good luck to all fellow Types 1 & 2s.

I take my hat off to you! I sincerely hope I will be cycling that much when I am 77.

dougie wrote:

emil wrote:I have had type 2 diabetes for 10 years now ( I am now aged 77). For the first 8 I managed to control my blood levels with my cycling. This year, however I went onto 1 tablet a day and this with my cycling seems to do the trick. I have just had my review and my hbaic level was 6.7. Nurse and doctor both very happy with the result which had fallen from 7.6, 3 months ago. At present my wife is recovering from an operation so I am a little housebound but with her help I am getting about 75/85 miles per week. The nurse made the comment that exercise was the the key to control, so just keep riding. Good luck to all fellow Types 1 & 2s.

I take my hat off to you! I sincerely hope I will be cycling that much when I am 77.

Hmm reminds me of a touring tale. Damp drizzly Feb Sunday, 2 friends were emerging from a lunchtime session in a pub about 16 miles out of Cov when local champion Fred Dale rode past (club's champion at 70), the younger said to the older would want to be like Fred when I get to that age, as older one said you're not like him now so how can you expect to be like him at 70! Fred would not have got to 11's then retired to the pub across the road he would have done 70+ miles that day!

I took up cycling again after a 50 year gap when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.4 weeks after starting I did a 250 mile tour of the inner Hebrides and over the next three months lost 20 lbs. On my next visit to the quack he recoiled in amazement as my sugar and cholesterol levels had plumeted to normal. Now, 5 years later I struggle with my weight, its so miserable dieting all the time. My readings vary and I take just one slow release metaformin a day whick the quack reckons really helps to stave off progression of the disease.
Looking back, I have had diabetes for many many years, the only symptoms I had were irritability at delayed meals, and in latter years constant tiredness. I think mine is hereditary because my grandad had gangrene and had both legs amputated - there was no real diabetes care in those days.
Diabetes got me into cycle touring. Without cycling I would be on a lot more medication. Touring is the reason I ride. Every other ride is to enjoy the countryside whilst maintaining my fitness to be able to tour. Audaxes, sportives, sponsored rides and such hold no attraction to me, its just to be able to experience places at bicycle speeds with the freedom a bike affords. I hope to be able to do it for another decade at least.

Al

Thanks for the comment, Dougie. I have to keep up with the the cycling! Apart from helping with the diabetes, I have just got a new bike, Specialized Allez Elite so have got to justify it! I thing it will see me out. Regarding the diabetes, I try and follow a senisble diet, avoiding anthing with sugar, cakes etc. I was given some good advice early on, check the labels on foodstuffs, and don't get anything with more than 5% sugar. So far it seems to have worked. My doctor is also very supportive and encourges my cycling and lets me vary my medication as needed. She will also do some consultations by phone which is a big help. My wife is nearly recovered from her operation so soon it will Hi Ho for the open road! Mainly by myself but at weekends with my son (54) and son-in-law(60),when we all enjoy our ride to our favourite cafe. (Shop on the Farm, Swaton, Lincs.)

al_yrpal, re-reading your post, last year my doctor put me onto slow release mataformin, I too struggled with tiredness and food problems. Plus I did not want to exercise including not riding my bike.
In December I discussed this with my doctor and she ageed that I should come off the medication for three months to see what happenened. Well the tiredness disappeared and I was able to get riding again. A blood test in April this year showed that my levels had risen slightly. She then prescribed a different taplet, GLICLAZIDE at 1/2 a 80mg tablet a day. This medication had no effect on my riding, I was back to my normal mileage, and when tested in June as I say above my hba1c level had dropped. Over the three months I was on Glicazide I was allowed to change the dosage and I found that increasing it to1 80mg tablet a day had no effect on my exercise regime and brought my blood sugars down. My doctor then agreed to the new dosage an prescribed accordingly. Hope this may be of some help.

I voted no but in honesty I don't know if I've got it or not, never having been tested for it. After reading this thread though I've decided to ask for a test up at the Doc's.

It's very heartening to read how you're all managing to control your diabetes doing something that you enjoy. Happy cycling.

dougie wrote:

emil wrote:I have had type 2 diabetes for 10 years now ( I am now aged 77). For the first 8 I managed to control my blood levels with my cycling. This year, however I went onto 1 tablet a day and this with my cycling seems to do the trick. I have just had my review and my hbaic level was 6.7. Nurse and doctor both very happy with the result which had fallen from 7.6, 3 months ago. At present my wife is recovering from an operation so I am a little housebound but with her help I am getting about 75/85 miles per week. The nurse made the comment that exercise was the the key to control, so just keep riding. Good luck to all fellow Types 1 & 2s.

I take my hat off to you! I sincerely hope I will be cycling that much when I am 77.

I second that!
Ben

Hi all
I am going to bump this thread as there may be new guys and gals to the Forum who like me are Diabetic!
If so please feel free to ask advice or post any comments here!
I look forward to hearing from you.
Ben

eileithyia wrote:Ok I am playing devil's advocate here.....
So SK you take no medication, eat what you like and have a higher than preferred blood sugar level, and currently have no known side effects/problems.
I take it then you are not worried about the side effects rearing their ugly heads?

Correct. If worrying about it were to make it better, I would. However, if I were to ever feel any of the side effects, I'd take medication for it. I'm 62 now and know full well that it will prolly catch up with me in a while, but until then .....

Steve Kish wrote:

eileithyia wrote:Ok I am playing devil's advocate here.....
So SK you take no medication, eat what you like and have a higher than preferred blood sugar level, and currently have no known side effects/problems.
I take it then you are not worried about the side effects rearing their ugly heads?

Correct. If worrying about it were to make it better, I would. However, if I were to ever feel any of the side effects, I'd take medication for it. I'm 62 now and know full well that it will prolly catch up with me in a while, but until then .....

Well this is it, if its going to happen its going to happen! Its Genetic with me as I had done all the right things since a boy eg. exercied, ate plenty of fruit and greens, etc.
To date I have never felt better since I was in my early thirties, I am now fifty-nine so the medication is doing me a power of good. I feel a lot better when I have gotton a few miles in, which is usually in the Summer so cycling has to be beneficial for me.
As for giving up Metformin...not a chance! It really agrees with me.
Ben