Any T2 diabetics or others with physiology knowledge?

I’ve posted on here before about having developed Type 2 diabetes following COVID 2 1/2 years ago, and i know there are others on here with similar story.

I am lucky and always been un-medicated, as i wanted to try purely diet and exercise first and managed to get into remission after a few months and every hba1c score since has been 36- 38.

My fasting scores in the morning have usually been 5-6 nmol/l until this month

But, here is the question…

I have been doing a daft challenge for Cancer Research UK, of 100 press ups a day, as donations came in initially, i upped the ante, so 4000 press ups for the month to try and get more donations and am often doing around 150 a day now in groups of 30-40 spread through day (its a good cause and my mum and sister both have/ had cancer in last few years)

I have noticed though, that this seems to have brought my baseline blood glucose readings up, not hugely, but fasting scores are now 6.5-8 first thing this month which if long-term would give me an hba1c over 40 which i don’t want.

In addition, when i am exercising now, such as turbo trainer or weight training, outside of the press-ups it doesn’t seem to be bringing my levels down as easily as it used to and even low carb/ high protein/ high fibre/ high good fats meals that have been my staple, i don’t seem to reacting to as well as before.

Is this because:

– I am not fuelling well enough so muscles are pulling glycogen from muscles/ liver to fuel the effort?

– Because the Libre sensor i am trying is reading interstitial fluid and is on tricep, a muscle i am using a lot more does make any difference?

– Because i exercise usually for 10-15 hours a week, am i am now overdoing it, causing a stress to the body and release of cortisol or similar raising BG?

– None / all of the above and my insulin sensitivity it just getting worse… ?

I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous, but normally exercise for me is my “leveller” if my readings are high, i disappear to garage for turbo or weight bench, or walk it off.

6.5-8 would be a normal reading first thing as your sugars rise to help wake you up, although I’m sure you’re aware of this. When first diagnosed mine would be 18-20 first thing in the morning and rise up to 30 and beyond during the day, they’re now in the range you describe, although with considerable intervention, personally I wouldn’t worry enormously as long as you’re figures are decent throughout the rest of your day.

Intense exercise can increase blood sugar – I guess smashing out some pressups might count as that ?

Endurancey type exercise tends to bring it down (activates/promotes insulin-independent cellular uptake I believe)

https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/fitness/why-does-exercise-sometimes-raise-blood-sugar

6.5-8 would be a normal reading first thing as your sugars rise to help wake you up,

The issue for me is that i didn’t get “dawn phenomenon” as had really good insulin sensitivity until recently, plus instead of sitting at 4-6 during the day, often i am sitting just those few points higher and seeing 6-8 often, despite reacting to this with further restrictions in diet.

Intense exercise can increase blood sugar – I guess smashing out some pressups might count as that ?

My understanding, which is just based on a lot of reading really, was that whilst it may raise during exercise, that in the hours after, you should return to a normal, often better level as the muscles then uptake blood glucose to recover and replenish stores, which is what i used to find, my issue at the moment is that often they’ll raise from exercise, but then don’t seem to be coming back down..

It’s not a huge concern as i am mostly in the 7-8 nmol/l range, but it has tipped my expected hba1c from non-diabetic levels on Libre app (managed to score a few free sensors given out a diabetes event) back into the 42-43 hba1c range which is pre-diabetic again?

whilst it may raise during exercise, that in the hours after, you should return to a normal

my belief too – just wondered if you were doing your first pressups first thing