Cycling for diabetics

I am new to cycling. I am type 2 diabetic. I am doing this to help me keep it under control, and achieve optimum health. The dilemma I see in this is...I have to watch my carb intake...However, to have energy to ride...you need carbs.

How do you balance this out?

How do I manage my diet to manage carbs, but still take in enough to ride as I should?

 

Hello,

I am not a diabetic but have friends that are. I also support the Tour De’Cure.

I would image you have already talked to your doctor, right. I see my friends test before and after exercise. Maybe that is the key. You have to know where your blood sugar is at first, right.

The beauty about cycling is it can be very leisurely or a all out VO2 max ball buster. What is your cycling level and intensity?

This may not really help you, but for me I do not take on a lot of carbs. I mean I do eat a lot of pasta or potatoes. I eat lean protein like eggs white’s, poached or grilled fish and chicken, or grilled beef. I eat at least a salad every day of good greens and not iceberg lettuce. I eat whole oats every day and whole wheat bread when I eat bread. I eat lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. When I take dairy I go with organic 2% milk and very little cheese. I also drink Soya milk. Whole live foods are the key in my opinion.

 

Not a medical expert by any standard but as far as i know carbs are only bad for diabetics when taken in excess because the energy is converted to and stored to some degree as glucose. Carbs should be fine as longs as you are not excessively over eating, and try a low GI option as it will not send the blood glucose at extreme peaks. Trick is probably of course like u saidfinding a balance where u are buring the glucose at a rate where the carbohydrate does not add excess energy levels to ur system. Only way i could advise to work out how many kj u burn during exercise, as a total and as a progressive score eg how many kj are burned per min, then eat carbs according to meet that level. Maybe eating regulary on a ride may be a good option as you burn the food as you eat it?