Endurance training and blood sugar levels (non-diabetic)

DrifterBear
DrifterBear Posts: 265 Member
edited July 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
I was out for a short run this morning and suffered through 4 miles. I ran 5 Saturday and biked 45 on Sunday after a 2 week vacation. Those workouts were great, but today was awful. I felt shaky and lethargic. I don't understand why. I ate well yesterday, hydrated well this morning and had a snack during my long drive before my workout, the only think I can think was a very deep tissue massage last night.

But the shaky feeling sounds like low blood sugar, which got me thinking. Would monitoring glucose levels help with endurance training? I've run 8 marathons and am currently training for a 150 mile ride. I'm familiar with the occasional bonk for no reason at all. Amazon sells monitors for $20, has anyone experimented with tracking levels and comparing to performance to better understand how food affects blood sugar and performance?

EDIT - Just wanted to add that I don't have diabetes or any health concerns. Maybe the weak feeling today has nothing to do with blood sugar. I guess the question that I'd hope to answer with a monitor is whether it was blood sugar or something else that caused be to feel this way.

Replies

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
    You ran 4 miles Saturday and rode 45 miles Sunday straight from a 2 week vacation? Have you done any resting at all? Next could it just be that you had an episode of hypoglycemic symptoms? Sometimes I just get the gitteries and if I eat something that goes away. i get this from time to time - rarely 1 or 2 a month. Could you just be having an OFF day? Is the summer time weather conditions the same?

    I have tested my glucose not for training but because I thought I was having some sort of issues in the middle of the night. Turns out I was actually over training.. or in short I was over reaching and had to chill out a bit. I ruled out all of this after 4 days. The meter is now in the closet collecting dust.
  • DrifterBear
    DrifterBear Posts: 265 Member
    Thanks Roxie, I kind of think it's something else and mine would end up in the same place. I jumped back into my normal routine, but nothing has been normal for the past 2 weeks. I generally border on over training, but at the moment am well rested. However I'm coming back from a beach vacation with one 6 mile run to my normal program. Plus, last night I had a very deep tissue massage. I've felt this way before, I'll have to pay more attention in the future when there aren't so many variables at play.

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