Foods to Eat Before and After Exercise

by Grace Rivers, RDN, CDCES

You can shield your heart, bones, and muscles by exercising. With diabetes, exercising can catch you off guard if you are not familiar with how you react to the extra movement. Being aware of hypoglycemia and its prevention can allow you to have a valuable workout and experience the benefits of routine activity.

Benefits of exercising

  • Improves the use of insulin in lowering your blood sugar
  • Helps in treating blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight
  • Provides a feeling of well-being and improves self-esteem
  • Protects your heart, bones, and muscles

Know this before you engage in an activity

Get your doctor’s approval before you begin an exercise program.  Make sure to be well hydrated before, during, and after exercise.

Decide on your activity and how long you will engage in it. For instance, do you plan to walk moderately or stroll the neighborhood for 15 or 30 minutes? Are you well-conditioned or just starting out? If just beginning, start slowly. This will help you to see how your body responds to movement.

The longer you exercise, the more likely it is for your blood sugar to go too low.

If your blood sugar is 250mg/dL or above, wait until it is in a safe range before exercising.

If you take insulin, changes to reduce your dosage are recommended, but do so with the help of your healthcare team.

Check your blood sugar before you exercise and make sure that it is 100mg/dL or above to help prevent hypoglycemia during your workout. If lower, be sure to eat a snack.

If you do not take insulin or a medication that boosts insulin production, you probably do not need a snack unless your blood sugar is less than 100mg/dL.

Eating before exercising

You are aiming for 15–20 grams of carbohydrates with protein. Eat your snack about 30-60 minutes before you begin your activity so that your food has time to digest and enter your bloodstream. Eating too close to your workout may keep digestion from occurring, and your blood sugar may go too high after you have finished exercising.

If exercising first thing in the morning, you may like one of the snacks mentioned below or an 8-ounce glass of low-fat dairy or plant-based milk with carbs and protein. Be sure to check the label.

Snacks with carbs and protein:

  • A slice of bread and one tablespoon of peanut butter
  • 6-8 crackers with one ounce of cheese
  • Dates (1 Medjool or 3 Deglet). Check your container for carbs. Pair these up with almonds.

Eating during exercise

If you perform your activity for an hour or longer, a snack during exercise can help prevent low blood sugar. Fifteen grams worth of glucose tabs (3 or 4) or dried fruit such as raisins can help raise your sugar level quickly, and you may need to do so every 30 minutes, depending on the intensity and duration.

Why do you eat after exercising?

Activity lowers your blood sugar while moving and can impact it for 24 hours or longer after your workout. Staying alert to your blood sugars can help guide you. Hypoglycemia is more likely to happen after a strenuous or prolonged bout of activity.

Eating after your workout also helps to replenish your glycogen (stored glucose) and protein lost from your muscles.

Foods to eat after exercise

You may or may not feel hungry. Check your blood sugar, so you are aware of the level. If you are eating a meal within the hour, a 15-gram carb snack should keep your glucose stable. This could be a small serving of fruit or six crackers.

If it is longer than this, aim for carbs, fat, and protein to help stabilize blood sugars such as:

  • 8 ounces of chocolate dairy or plant-based milk with 15-30 grams of carbs, 4 grams of total fat, and 6 plus grams of protein
  • An apple and 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter
  • A whole-wheat flour tortilla with a 1/2 cup of beans

Over time, you will learn how exercise affects your blood sugar so you will feel confident and continue to benefit from the power of exercising.

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