Blood sugar levels through the floor while running

jojogoslow

Hi All,

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right section, so if it needs to be moved, sorries!

I'm 79kg/176 pounds with a goal of 68kg/150 pounds. I'm eating 1400 plus exercise cals a day, and losing slowly but steadily.

I guess my problem is hunger, or running out of food/energy. I love to run, and headed out this morning only to crash after only one kilometre (half a mile). Yes, it was a speed session so I was going hard, but still, I was shaking and almost tripping over my feet!
I'm dedicated to my morning run schedule, and am wondering if maybe munching a couple of Gu chomps or half a muesli bar would give me the energy to make the most of my runs and stop this crash happening? I can't quite handle a banana at 4am, so I need something quick, small, and palatable.

emmaleigh47

My go to snack prior to running (because I have a weak stomach in the morning) is 2 eggs nutrigrain blueberry waffles with a smidge of peanut butter. I take 2 chomps before running... as well.

I just got my body to tolerate Gu this weekend and the result was amazing! I had one of the best runs of my life. If this is how things can be when you properly carb yourself, maybe this marathon thing is possible.

(of course I can tell you more when I actually use it for a real long run!)

jojogoslow

I heart Gu, and take it every 45 minutes during long runs. I think I'll just try taking two chomps before I run...I don't normally eat much before running (plus ti's 4am then, who'd want to, urg) but I think some chompies might be a good start.

orange_you_glad

I wanted to chime in here. Last year, I was having a similar problem -- hard blood sugar crashes brought on by high intensity exercise. I recommend that you go talk to your doc -- bonking during long endurance events is pretty common, but shouldn't be happening twenty minutes into your workout. There can be serious hormonal/glandular issues that cause hypoglycemia, so it's important to check it out and make sure the only issue is that you're not eating enough.

Once you get that checked out, the next thing is to make sure you're eating in advance of your workout, and warming up slowly. During the warm up period, your blood sugar should actually rise as your body begins to metabolize your glycogen stores. If you start to bonk, pull back. GU can be useful, but if you need to use it just to get your workout off the ground, you're probably pushing yourself too hard. Over time, your body should adjust to high intensity workouts so that the crashes int happen as much.

milzu

I would recommend, if you're not already doing so, a big feed of good carbs the night before. And lots of water ( but not so much you're up all night). I love to run first thing in the morning, and it's always tougher without a carb loaded dinner.