Bizarre Exercise Question for Type 1 Diabetics....

crazywheaten

I began doing kickboxing about a month ago and I absolutely love it. I had been avoiding vigorous exercise because I was afraid of having my levels drop. Since being on MFP I've decided that I will just have to find a way to make it work and stop with the excuses. So now I'm hooked but there's one thing that's really been bothering me. I sweat in this class. And when I say sweat, it's not like normal sweat. I am drenched--almost like when your blood sugar drops low in the middle of the night and you wake up in a pool of sweat. YUCK. But multiply that by oh... a million. It's gross and when I have to partner-up with someone I'm mortified if they have to touch any part of me, such as my legs. My question is this: does this happen to any other Type 1 diabetics here? Is this a "diabetic thing"? I look around the class and I am literally the one and only person sweating in this manner. It's a hard-core class where I do expect to sweat, and while others are definitely sweating, I am at a whole different level. My husband is convinced it has to do with my diabetes but I can't seem to find any info online supporting this.

trapitt

I don't now the answer but my daughter is type one and I have never heard of this. I am just bumping to see what answers come back.

She is nine and I have tried to keep her in sports that are more moderate - she dives 5 hours a week and dances twice a week.

Tracey

SyreetaJayne1

That's a good question, I'd be interested in other's feedback, as I also sweat profusely, much more than most normal people do when I work out...but I had never considered that diabetes might have anything to do with it...interesting...

RunHardBeStrong

My husband is type 1, I'll have to ask him but on a side note I do extreme kickboxing am not diabetic and I sweat like crazy! So much so even my butt crack is soaked to the point you can see it thru my pants...so it could just be the way you sweat?

Justkeepswimmin

My husband is type 1 but not the 'normal' type 1 in that he didn't get it when he was young, his is due to a chemical exposure in the AF that damaged his pancreas, he was 30 when it happened. He does get extreme lows at night, and wakes up sweaing, and when we exercize it's the same HOWEVER, I remembe doing Martial Arts with my ex-bf and he was not diabetic and had just as much sweat. Some people sweat more and it may not be associated with the diabetes, for instance my aunt sweats so much she has perscription antipersperant so she can go out and wear 'shirts' and not have stains...some people just sweat more than others', and sometimes that's a LOT more. (Just mke sure you're not getting a low in class)

Consider yourself lucky your body is cooling itself down

laughingdani

I am not diabetic but I do have an aunt and niece who are type 1 and a sister who was type 1 and unfortunately lost her life to the disease. So, I am VERY familiar with type 1 diabetes.....

That being said...if you are always low when you are sweating like this then I would contribute it to the diabetes. But it could be just the fact that you are getting healthier. When I was out of shape I would sweat but not nearly as much as I do now. It's like a faucet when I workout now. A lot of sweating is usually a sign of a healthy metabolism. I also attend kickboxing and it's definitely one of the more intense workouts that I do. I wouldn't worry about what other people think about your sweating. I don't mind touching or interacting with others that are sweating. I admire it actually because it means they are working hard. : )

Listen to your body. If something doesn't feel right, get it checked out.

pumpkinmoccasin

I don't know if this is diabetes exclusive--my dad sweats absolutely excessively when he's doing relatively light physical stuff, and I mean he is totally drenched, could wring his shirt out if he wanted to, etc. Maybe you have overactive sweat glands! I know he has to drink a LOT of water while he's working (he installs insulation in attics and does home repairs so he constantly has water on him)... I've never seen him sweat in a normal situation, like if the house is hot or we're out camping, it's only when he's physically exerting himself.

Benji49

My hubby is Type 2 and he sweats like that. He thinks its normal for him.

brattyworm

I began doing kickboxing about a month ago and I absolutely love it. I had been avoiding vigorous exercise because I was afraid of having my levels drop. Since being on MFP I've decided that I will just have to find a way to make it work and stop with the excuses. So now I'm hooked but there's one thing that's really been bothering me. I sweat in this class. And when I say sweat, it's not like normal sweat. I am drenched--almost like when your blood sugar drops low in the middle of the night and you wake up in a pool of sweat. YUCK. But multiply that by oh... a million. It's gross and when I have to partner-up with someone I'm mortified if they have to touch any part of me, such as my legs. My question is this: does this happen to any other Type 1 diabetics here? Is this a "diabetic thing"? I look around the class and I am literally the one and only person sweating in this manner. It's a hard-core class where I do expect to sweat, and while others are definitely sweating, I am at a whole different level. My husband is convinced it has to do with my diabetes but I can't seem to find any info online supporting this.

Ok so here's my thoughts. I'm not a diabetic. However, one of my work out partners is Type 1. Your first statement about being afraid to drop low during exercise is a valid fear, but have you thought of taking a gatorade with you in case you start to feel your levels drop. And have you thought of bringing a friend who knows who to call and what to do if you get too low.

I know when her and I were hitting it hard the exercise actually helped with the amount of insulin she is required to take. She'll always have to take it but her body utilized it more efficiently and she felt better. I also think her lows started not being as bad (but I may be wrong on that). As in she didn't have them as often as she had been.

Now the sweating thing, I whole heartedly believe that its partially due to the diabetes. Humidity and intensity contribute too, but I've seen the same friend sweat buckets when we're doing stuff, normal or exercise related and she generally is hotter then the rest of us. So in that sense I do believe you are nomral. And you shouldn't stress over it, you're there to get fit, not to look pretty and bring some one home.

amccrazgrl

First I was wondering if you got your BS straightened out with working out now. In case you didn't know if your low say 5pm then you work backwards 4-6 hours to your lunch and bolus less. Also if your I suggest doing strength than cardio. The weights raise your BS and then the cardio drops it back down.

Today I was 92 at 10:30am ate 30 carbs and didn't take any insulin. Then I was at the gym for 45mins (11:45am) and came back home for lunch and was only 117 at 1:30.

Depending on what exercises I do depends on how I sweat. I tend to sweat a lot on my top of hands when doing cardio, hairline, chest/back.

TiniTurtle

i asked my nutritionist/nurse educator about this & she told me that as a type 1 we are more susceptible to dehydration & though she wasn't sure why we sweat more, it may just be a part of being diabetic. i deff seem to sweat more than others while working out too. drink lots ♥