A Thread for people with Type I Diabetes (Insulin-dependent) Only

[RipStone]

anything new going on with u guys? Havent been to this thread in a long time

Hey, hey. Good bump.

Still pounding away at the gym, eating well, trying to get bigger, stronger, leaner. You know.... the good stuff.

[tylerdurden7]

what about thermogenics? My GF is a type 1 and she is wondering if using thermogenics (hydroxycut, xenedrine etc) is acceptable?

[mightymouse37]

what about thermogenics? My GF is a type 1 and she is wondering if using thermogenics (hydroxycut, xenedrine etc) is acceptable?

Well I don't know what exactly is in the formulas they're using these days, but I used a few back in 02 and 03, one w/ephedra and at least one more w/7 keto, and they both worked pretty well for me, with no adverse side effects that I know of.

[Georgieboi]

Hey everyone, I am so glad i finally found some were to talk to other diabetics about lifting, this is great. to answer the question about a fat burner, the only thing i noticed is that it did lower my sugar a little bit sometimes after taking it so tell your gf to just keep an eye out for her sugars.

I had a question concerning any supplement, more so for creatine. does anybody else notice that it just passes through theres system and into there urine ? ive tried all the different techniques on taking it by timing my insulin and all that but nothing seems to work. And how do high blood sugars affect supplements and protein synthesis in our bodies, doesnt being high just make our bodies filter out whatever is in the blood stream out into our urine with the glucose ?

ive been diabetic (type 1) for 10 years now, im 19 years old and have been in the gym the last 2 years, eat very, very well and have an a1c of usually around 5. i despise having high blood sugars because it feels like my body isnt able to build itself up when my readings go above 7. Anyways thanks everyone

[magicmalik19]

using thermo's is ok.. however some have carb blockers which can lead to an increase in blood sugar for a little while. When this happens, she's prob gonna wanna take some insulin but doing so kinda counters the purpose of a carb blocker. With any supp, just moniter the blood sugar. If it elevates a little bit, its ok but just make sure she's not living on them taking some every few hours. If it goes up alot, then stick to just cardio and diet. I personally dont think any of the new thermos work without ephedra.. never tried them but i know ephedra was the main ingredient and since it's ban OTC thermo's lack alot. Just my opinion, others may love them.

[magicmalik19]

Hey everyone, I am so glad i finally found some were to talk to other diabetics about lifting, this is great. to answer the question about a fat burner, the only thing i noticed is that it did lower my sugar a little bit sometimes after taking it so tell your gf to just keep an eye out for her sugars.

The lower of sugar can happen too.. if a thermo doesnt have a carb blocker then its strictly a thermo. It most likely has some caffeine or theophylline which can increase metabolism and hr and can low sugar in some. The thing about diabetes is that everyone is affected in at different levels when it comes to supplements and some foods. If heard of some people that had no raise in sugar even with a carb blocker and some said that the blockers did raise their sugar.

Georgieboi- most people respond well with timing creatine and insulin and some form of simple carbs. I would take the creatine on an empty stomach with some form of fruit juice, that way the creatine is absorbed faster. Also, what creatine are you taking. Some people dont respond to certain forms regardles of being diabetic or not. Having high blood sugar for an extended period of time will lower the blood flow in your body to muscles so getting supplements, protein, nutrients to them is going to be hindered. Poor diabetic control also leads to ketoacidosis which is catabolic and poor control also leads to muscle protein wasting. Timing insulin with protein is another way to try to make sure the protein is used in a diabetic.. without insulin, protein does pretty much nothing in our bodies as far as muscle building.

[RipStone]

ive been diabetic (type 1) for 10 years now, im 19 years old and have been in the gym the last 2 years, eat very, very well and have an a1c of usually around 5. i despise having high blood sugars because it feels like my body isnt able to build itself up when my readings go above 7. Anyways thanks everyone

I am the same way regarding a1c levels and being in good control. But latley my sugars have been kinda out of whack, so I keep on trying adjusting basal rates (I am on a pump) with some sucess, but it is very frusturating because I thought I had it all figured out...

Great work Georgieboi being in good control. BTW, is your user name a "Sienfeld" refernce??

[Georgieboi]

no its not a sienfeld reference, my names george and some people call me georgie boy. i am also on the pump, my basal rates really vary from 12am to 8am in the morning, i have some bad lows during the night.

[RipStone]

i am also on the pump, my basal rates really vary from 12am to 8am in the morning, i have some bad lows during the night.

ME TOO! Just curious, if you don't mind sharing, what is your total basals for the day and what are your basals at night?

My total basal is 18.75u and at night it's like this...

-12-3am; 1.2
-3-9am; 0.6

The wierd thing is I sometimes get high around 2-3am, but I always wake up on the low side.

[Georgieboi]

Alrighty well im about 5'11 180 pounds+- (pretty lean) and my basal rate for the day is 25.75. I have major troubles during the night, it is impossible for me too find a sweet spot for over night. I just cant for the life of me get a good night in. from 12 to 3am for some reason i get really really low. so here on my basal rates for the day.

12-3am 0.8 or sometimes lower
3-7am 0.9
7 until 12 at night 1.2

During the day i am excellent but its at night were ill wake up low at around 3 or 4, drink some juice and then wake up with a sugar of about 9 to 11 which i get so pissed off about. I have to start getting consistent with my bedtime routine. Im home from work at 1130 and im usually starving so i eat like 80 carbs of food and give only 2 units and i still go low.

[Georgieboi]

Why dont you try and bump your basal rate a little higher from 12am - 1am and then tone it down from 2-3am then a little more for the remainder of the night ? just a suggestion.
I think im gonna have to go really low for my 12-3am basal rate, but when i do that it seems like i loose sensitivity throughout the rest of the day because scar tissue builds up around the tube inside my body when not enough insulin is being pushed through.

hope this helps

[RipStone]

I have to start getting consistent with my bedtime routine. Im home from work at 1130 and im usually starving so i eat like 80 carbs of food and give only 2 units and i still go low.

Yes. Consistency is the key to controlled blood sugars. During the summer, when I had basiclly nothing to do, my sugars were a-fricking-mazing. But, for some reason this semester I just can't get in dialed in like I would prefer to.

I may gave your suggestion a try. Thanks Doc

[Georgieboi]

Ripstone i was just wondering about your sugars, what are your sugars usually like during an average 24hour training day ? what are your highs and lows ? what do you consider a high reading ?

And do you know at what number your body starts to filter out sugar from youe bloodstream ? or is it strictly when keytones are present ? because when my sugars hit 8 or above i feel like my nutrients are being wasted and filtered out into my urine along with the sugar in my bloodtsream. Or is it just all i n mu head ?

Thanks in advance

[RipStone]

Ripstone i was just wondering about your sugars, what are your sugars usually like during an average 24hour training day ? what are your highs and lows ? what do you consider a high reading ?

And do you know at what number your body starts to filter out sugar from youe bloodstream ? or is it strictly when keytones are present ? because when my sugars hit 8 or above i feel like my nutrients are being wasted and filtered out into my urine along with the sugar in my bloodtsream. Or is it just all i n mu head ?

Thanks in advance

I'll write a detailed post about your first question in a little bit. About your second question, I am really not sure to be honest. Sorry

[aqua-beowulf]

Ripstone i was just wondering about your sugars, what are your sugars usually like during an average 24hour training day ? what are your highs and lows ? what do you consider a high reading ?

And do you know at what number your body starts to filter out sugar from youe bloodstream ? or is it strictly when keytones are present ? because when my sugars hit 8 or above i feel like my nutrients are being wasted and filtered out into my urine along with the sugar in my bloodtsream. Or is it just all i n mu head ?

Thanks in advance

As for your second question, as far as I know, only during ketoacidosis (the presence of ketones) does sugar spill over into your urine.

And Ripstone, that's the thing that frustrated me about the pump. Since you use Novolog as both your basal and boluses, it just doesn't seem to work as well as Lantus once a day, and novolog injections with meals.

BTW, I'm not a diabetic, but my eight-year-old is Type 1, since she was 4. We tried the Mini-med Paradigm 512 with her, and finally went back to injections. We had to use a million different basals when using Novolog for a basal, but with the Lantus, she gets a set amount (13 units currently), and she stays a lot more regulated.

Anyway, my hat's off to all you guys who deal with this on a daily basis. Although I'm not diabetic myself, it breaks my heart that my daughter is, so I kind of know what you're dealing with. Best of luck.

[RipStone]

Ripstone i was just wondering about your sugars, what are your sugars usually like during an average 24hour training day ? what are your highs and lows ? what do you consider a high reading ?

I'll write a detailed post about your first question in a little bit.

Here's a break down of my typical work out days. Hope this helps...

-6-7am; wake-up, eat a high carb breakfast as my pre-wo meal, do a square-wave- bolus around 3-3.5 units, usually wake-up on the low side (50-60)

-8-9:30am: train, take off my pump while I train, when I am done lifting I bolus 1 unit, sugars are usually around 120 here

-10:30-11am; get home, shower, etc eat a high carb post-workout meal, do a square-wave-bolus of 3.5 units

-1:30pm; get back from class, sometimes my sugar is high here (above 180) and some times it's low... the heck if I know why there is a disparity.... eat a low carb meal, bolus 0.5 units

-4:30-5pm: low carb meal, square wave bolus of around 1u, sugar is usually good this time of day (around 80-100), but sometimes I get low

-8am: eat a low carb pre-bed meal, again, sugar is usually good here, square wave bolus of 1.0-1.5 units depending on what sugar is

-3am: I have been waking up high here, but now the last few nights I have been low! So I need to make some sort of adjustment.

[Georgieboi]

Thanks Rip, i cant believe your sugars go that high, thats weird. But it does help and remind me that we cant be perfect. Also i was reading some pages in your work out journal and there was a section with your videos on it. But when i went to watch them they didnt work. I am curious to see your dead lefts and squats, do you still have the videos ? my strongest body part is my legs, but i am currently nursing a torn abductor and pulled hamstring from training at a track for 100 meters. So i have been off the legs for 5 weeks now and barely any signs of it healing up, which is really starting to worry me. Thanks in advance

[RipStone]

Thanks Rip, i cant believe your sugars go that high, thats weird. But it does help and remind me that we cant be perfect.

I noticed you said in one of your posts that your blood sugar was "8". And I said my blood sugars were 50-60 and that was low. I think we are using different scales. When you say 8 you, you are using mm/ol and when I say 50-60 I am using md/dl. The mm/ol to md/dl conversion is mm/ol x 18. So take yours and multiply x 18. So 8 x 18= 144.

I am using Also i was reading some pages in your work out journal and there was a section with your videos on it. But when i went to watch them they didnt work. I am curious to see your dead lefts and squats, do you still have the videos ? my strongest body part is my legs, but i am currently nursing a torn abductor and pulled hamstring from training at a track for 100 meters. So i have been off the legs for 5 weeks now and barely any signs of it healing up, which is really starting to worry me. Thanks in advance

Hope that injury gets better soon so you can start training legs again. I train primarly as a power-lifter, so squats and deads are my bread and butter movements. Here's a link to a few of my vids. Nothing impressive though...

http://youtube.com/my_videos

And Ripstone, that's the thing that frustrated me about the pump. Since you use Novolog as both your basal and boluses, it just doesn't seem to work as well as Lantus once a day, and novolog injections with meals.

BTW, I'm not a diabetic, but my eight-year-old is Type 1, since she was 4. We tried the Mini-med Paradigm 512 with her, and finally went back to injections. We had to use a million different basals when using Novolog for a basal, but with the Lantus, she gets a set amount (13 units currently), and she stays a lot more regulated.

Anyway, my hat's off to all you guys who deal with this on a daily basis. Although I'm not diabetic myself, it breaks my heart that my daughter is, so I kind of know what you're dealing with. Best of luck.

Hey aqua-beowolf, I actaully use the Mini-med Paridgm 512. I like it! Instead of novalog I use humalog, which is basiclly the same--both are fast acting insulin.

One of the great features of the 512 is the square wave and dual ware bolus options. Using these, a diabetic can mimic a longer acting insulin without the down-side of the insulin peaking after X hours (like lantus). However, having an 8 year old complicates things of course because I am sure it's hard to do all the carb conversions, know how she feels, etc, etc

BTW, I got diabetes when I was 2 years old! I can only imagine how my parents dealt with that.... wow. So my hat off to you as well for being such a supportive father.

[Georgieboi]

hey that link doesnt send me to the video for some reason it takes me to "my videos" which i have none because i just created an account thinking i would be able to see your video after. whats your youtube name so i can search for it ? and thanks for clearing the conversion up, i had a mental block when i was reading it i guess.

[Georgieboi]

i found it, i tried searching for ripstone at first but it wasnt workin, but now that have an account it worked. squats look good. before the injury i was doing 235 for sets. I hope i can get back to it within a month and start rehab on my leg.

[NovaScotiaMuscl]

Hey guys

Haven't been doing too great in the gym

Trying to finish up school. Luck if I get one workout per week.

The end is in sight though, so, I do what I can.

Good that this thread is still going though.

[bigshotbob]

Hey bros,

Let me just say that I really appreciate this thread, I'm a newbie on these forums.

I got diagnosed with Type-1 just under two years ago, I'm now 25. I've always been very athletic...coming back from this has been slow but steady, I started lifting with Max-OT Jan 2006 and I've just recently returned to basketball. I now lift 4x week and play bball 4x a week, without missing a step.

Since the time that I was diagnosed to today, my insulin needs have dropped by 50% or more. The doctors refer to "honeymoon period", but I think it has a lot to do with the exercise that I'm doing. I feel good, a1c has been around 5,5% and I take Lantus 6-7 units.

Currently I'm trying to add some muscle, as I clearly haven't eaten enough in the past. I'm 6'7 and around 215-220 right now, 16% bf. Shootin' for that LeBron James body, bro. ;-) I'm trying to do the same everyone else here is doing: eat clean and a lot of food, train hard and rest well. I see no difference with diabetics, except the doctors are always yapping about the amount of protein (they recommend less than 100g per day).

I'm currently struggling with eating enough as I'm pretty active all day and I'm a tall dude. I'm sure I'll figure it out with the help of these forums.

If anyone has any feedback/questions regarding diabetes or whatever, I'm happy to answer here and I hope we can keep this thread going. I might even start my own training log here...

Have a good one.

ps. There was also some site dedicated to diabetic athletes that had some ok info in it, just can't recall the url right now...

[Georgieboi]

hey bigshotbob, good to hear from you. If you have any questions ide gladly answer them.

I have a question for the diabetics out there. I bought anatorP70. And i know on some or most work out supplements with sugar they advise that diabetics do not take the product. On the anator i am wondering if it will be ok for me to take as long as i compensate for the sugar spike it will cause. I ask because the warning label for some reason scares me more than others. Will this product not work because im diabetic ? im pretty lean and do have defenite defenition. I just havent been able to really get that bulk and muscle size on. I dont know if taking this is stupid or what. Anyone got any advice, for or against anatorP70

Thanks in advance

[bigshotbob]

Thanks Georgiboi.

I've not used MuscleTech AnatorP70, but I do use whey protein and also mass gainer, plus some other stuff. P70 seems to have creatine and stuff in it which the doctors always advice against, but hey...my doctors even advice against extra protein even though I exercise like a madman.

Does it say something in particular for diabetics in the label? My Twinlab Mass Gainer has chromium picolinate which I think increases insulin sensitivity or lowers blood sugar and thus it's not recommended for diabetics. I think the main thing is to handle the spikes, although in my case it's not really a spike if I take these supplements post-workout. I think a lot of these warnings could be just manufacturers protecting their own asses and also doctors not wanting people to take extra risks. I guess no one knows in the end.

Hope that helps at least a little.

ps. I'm in the same quest as you, I'm pretty lean and tall. Wanting to pack on that muscle without damaging myself in the process.

[RipStone]

Hey bigshotbob,

It's great to hear that you have not let diabetes stop you one bit! Also, really good work keeping your a1c so low (5.5 is excellent) and not letting the docs get you down(they can do that sometimes). Congrats on all the great work.

Regarding gaining some weight, it's pretty simple actually- if you aren't gaining weight then you need to consume more cals! Where it gets trickt (especially for us diabetics) is what kind of cals to have and when to have them. In my experience, stacking a lot of starchy carbs (ie; oats, yams, whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc) pre and post workout has worked very well as far as not running into high blood sugars and keeping body fat low while gaining weight.

Anyhow, just my 2c.

[brian0845]

I am a type 1 diabetic, currently taking 23 units of Lantus before bed, and 1 unit of NovoLog per 9 grams of carbohydrates. I am getting back into bb after a long break and am curious about how i should go about my carb intake. I have too much bf, about 20%, and want to lean out while adding some mass. I guess I am curious about what you guys think I should do about a protein/carb/fat ratio and and many grams of each I should be taking in. I weigh 145 lbs and am 5ft 7in. Thanks

[bigshotbob]

Hey bigshotbob,

It's great to hear that you have not let diabetes stop you one bit! Also, really good work keeping your a1c so low (5.5 is excellent) and not letting the docs get you down(they can do that sometimes). Congrats on all the great work.

Regarding gaining some weight, it's pretty simple actually- if you aren't gaining weight then you need to consume more cals! Where it gets trickt (especially for us diabetics) is what kind of cals to have and when to have them. In my experience, stacking a lot of starchy carbs (ie; oats, yams, whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc) pre and post workout has worked very well as far as not running into high blood sugars and keeping body fat low while gaining weight.

Anyhow, just my 2c.

Hey Rip, thanks for the feedback.

I know, I know. Add more calories, it's on my to-do list. ;-) But man, I'm guessing I really have to shoot for 5000 or something, 3000 just doesn't seem to be enough. I'm eating too little, yet my bf% stays around 15-16, is this because my body is not getting enough calories and keeps this fat as a "buffer" or is it something else? Anyways, I'm willing to experiment with the calories, to find out what works for me. I guess the main thing is consistency, you have to put in the work everyday, just like with practice. I shall try your recommended starchy carbs pre and post.

Also some people have recommended eating quick carbs after the workout and injecting insulin then. I find that I can't inject any fast-acting insulin after a workout unless I eat like 100+ carbs, otherwise I go too low. Is it a hindrance to my growth not really being able to inject a lot of the fast-acting insulin? This is a part that I'm still kind of in the dark with. I sometimes go a whole day with just Lantus, unless I eat a lot of carbs. Any thoughts on this?

[RipStone]

I am a type 1 diabetic, currently taking 23 units of Lantus before bed, and 1 unit of NovoLog per 9 grams of carbohydrates. I am getting back into bb after a long break and am curious about how i should go about my carb intake. I have too much bf, about 20%, and want to lean out while adding some mass. I guess I am curious about what you guys think I should do about a protein/carb/fat ratio and and many grams of each I should be taking in. I weigh 145 lbs and am 5ft 7in. Thanks

Hey Brain, I guess my question to you is that at 5' 7'', 145lbs why would you wanna cut??!! With those stats you probabaly don't have all that much muscle mass to begin with, so cutting--losing more muscle-- is that last thing I would think you would wanna do. Instead, I recommend a lean bulk diet approach.

Also, since you're getting back into the game after a long break, most likely you're gonna experience some of those covered "newbie gains". Take advantage of this limited time frame and eat to gain weight. New lifters (or people coming back) can actually lose body fat and gain muscle mass at the same time with out too much trouble (this is usually hard to do for most), granted if their traning is half-way decent and there are enough calories to support gains (ie; excess calories above maintence requirements).

I know, I know. Add more calories, it's on my to-do list. ;-) But man, I'm guessing I really have to shoot for 5000 or something, 3000 just doesn't seem to be enough. I'm eating too little, yet my bf% stays around 15-16, is this because my body is not getting enough calories and keeps this fat as a "buffer" or is it something else? Anyways, I'm willing to experiment with the calories, to find out what works for me. I guess the main thing is consistency, you have to put in the work everyday, just like with practice. I shall try your recommended starchy carbs pre and post.

The difference between 3000 cals a day and 5000 cals a day is A LOT. If you're eating 3000 cals right now and not gaining weight, then bump it up to 3500 and see how that effects your body. If you're not gaining at 3500, then try 3750, etc, etc until you start gaining about 1/2-1lb a week.

Regarding your body fat %, it's possible that your body is holding onto that fat for the reason you stated. But IMO I wouldn't put so much thought into body fat % right now. Instead, you have to think about long term goals and for you it sounds like being a superior athlete, not looking good on stage, is your #1 goal.

Also some people have recommended eating quick carbs after the workout and injecting insulin then. I find that I can't inject any fast-acting insulin after a workout unless I eat like 100+ carbs, otherwise I go too low. Is it a hindrance to my growth not really being able to inject a lot of the fast-acting insulin? This is a part that I'm still kind of in the dark with. I sometimes go a whole day with just Lantus, unless I eat a lot of carbs. Any thoughts on this?

Been down that road and it didn't work well for me. But, that doesn't mean it won't work well for you.

I used to take about 80g of fast acting carbs (either dextrose or gatorade powder) with 30g of whey post-workout in the form of a shake. I would then bolus right away to cover for those carbs ( I use an insulin pump , so it's fast acting humalog insulin I was bolusing). However, doing this not only led to less than desirable body compisistion gains, it also made me feel like crap about an hour later-- all those fast acting carbs (sugar) baisclly made me crash and it sucked!!

So now what I do is use slower acting starchy carbs for my post-workout meal. Instead of 80g of dextrose, I'll have 80g of oats. These carbs digest slower, thus not a huge insulin spike is needed, so I will do a square wave bolus over 90-120mins. For you with shots, you could take an insulin that peaks at around 2 hours (maybe Regular) to mimick the square wave bolus.

I feel a ton better eating this way and my gains have been great. Also, oats are a lot more nutritious than slamming down all that sugar.

[bluescorpion]

Great thread! I'm also a type 1 (25 years this April).

[brian0845]

Hey Brain, I guess my question to you is that at 5' 7'', 145lbs why would you wanna cut??!! With those stats you probabaly don't have all that much muscle mass to begin with, so cutting--losing more muscle-- is that last thing I would think you would wanna do. Instead, I recommend a lean bulk diet approach.

Also, since you're getting back into the game after a long break, most likely you're gonna experience some of those covered "newbie gains". Take advantage of this limited time frame and eat to gain weight. New lifters (or people coming back) can actually lose body fat and gain muscle mass at the same time with out too much trouble (this is usually hard to do for most), granted if their traning is half-way decent and there are enough calories to support gains (ie; excess calories above maintence requirements).

Yea the only reason I say that I want to reduce my bf% is that I don't have the greatest genetics for bb, including naturally loose skin. I am about at 17%bf but feels like more bc of the nature of my skin. Also, I have a thin bone structure and have been told that I look to be more like 160 or 165 lbs instead of 145 just bc of how my muscle dominates my bone structure. For example, I have very thin wrists and forearms, which drives me crazy sometimes, got any tips for wrist and forearm development by the way? What exactly do you mean by a lean bulk diet approach and eating to gain weight? More specifically, how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat should I be taking in daily?