As a type 1 diabetic, I have to check my blood sugar levels as regularly as I can. Before meal times. Before sleep. At least 2 hours before I drive anywhere. And especially if I train. 

The reason being is because if my blood sugars aren’t at the level they’re supposed to be it can be really dangerous. 

For example, if before a training session my blood sugars are too low it can make me experience dizziness, headaches, feelings of tiredness, anxiety and have a fast or pounding heartbeat. So if I were to do anything that was going to be cardio based this would make them lower and increase the risk of the effects.

On the contrary, if I were to do any heavy strength training, this would raise my blood sugar levels slightly which isn’t too bad as long as my levels were at the ideal level before I started training. If the were already high and I was starting an activity which could raise them slightly this could make me experience severe fatigue, increased thirst and headaches. Long term this can also affect some of your main organs such as your heart and kidney as having high blood sugars damages the vessels that supply blood to vital organs. Another long term effect is vision problems. 

So all in all it’s incredible important I keep on top of checking my blood sugars especially when train to ensure that I don’t develop any long term problems. 

If you experience any of the symptoms above when training, it might be worth just visiting your doctor.