Exercise and Hypoglycemic Reactions

Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar can be a common reaction during exercise. It's more common for diabetics, elderly or beginner exercisers, but it can also happen for someone who had eaten too little.

Read on for causes and precautions:

What Causes Hypoglycemia
The most common cause of hypoglycemia is not following your meal plan. It is easy to get very busy and let a meal time pass by. The amount of food is also important. There should be an attempt to eat the same amount of food at the same time every day. Too much exercise can also cause low blood sugar. It is a good idea to eat a small amount of carbohydrate before and after exercise. It is a good idea to keep a source of sugar close while you exercise. A

Alcohol and other drugs have strong and unpredictable effects on insulin up take. Alcohol lowers blood glucose in small amounts, but in larger amounts it can cause the blood sugar to skyrocket. Stress makes insulin uptake unpredictable as well. Stress can cause one's blood sugar to either rise or fall.

What are Insulin Reaction Symptoms?
sweatiness
shakiness
irritability
old, clammy skin
nervousness
weakness
rapid heart beat
nausea
blurred vision
numb lips and tongue
passing out - fainting
confusion
personality change


Hypoglycemia Can be Broken Down into Three Categories
Mild Hypoglycemia
Blood glucose levels of 60 to 80. Mild hypoglycemia is usually only a nuisance. Cognitive deficits usually do not accompany mild reactions, and patients are capable of self treatment. The symptoms of mild hypoglycemia are mostly due to epinephrine release form the adrenal gland (adrenergic symptoms). Frequent mild hypoglycemia can lead to over eating and obesity.

Mild hypoglycemic reactions usually consist of:

tremors
palpitations
sweating
excessive hunger
These mild symptoms usually respond within 10 to 15 minutes after eating a simple carbohydrate



Moderate Hypoglycemia
Blood glucose levels of 40 to 60. Moderate hypoglycemia affects the central nervous system. Therefore, some of the symptoms listed below are often referred to as neuroglycopenic:

headache
mood changes
irritability
decreased attentiveness
drowsiness
Patients with these symptoms may require assistance in treating themselves. Since moderate hypoglycemia produces longer-lasting and somewhat more severe symptoms, patients often need to repeat ingestion of a simple carbohydrate.



Severe Hypoglycemia
Characterized by:
unconsciousness
possible convulsions