This process lowers the amount of sugar in the blood. Not to mention, a fairly steady blood sugar level is beneficial in maintaining balanced, sustained energy levels from morning to night.

For individuals with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes , insulin resistance can alter the body's response to blood sugar; cells stop responding to the insulin, and glucose will stay outside of cells.

As a result, blood sugar remains high. A new study published November 1, , in the journal Diabetologia adds a fascinating piece of evidence to that exercise aspect we mentioned earlier. Apparently, the "what" exercise makes a difference, as does the "when.

Read on for more about this new health study, and to discover other ways to balance your blood sugar. The Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study is a database of adults aged between 45 and 65 with a body mass index of 27 or greater.

Before we go any further, take note that BMI's validity and relevance as an indicator of health is being called into question, but since they used to determine eligibility for this study, we wanted to mention it. For this research, scientists invited all participants with a body size that was representative of their area in the Netherlands to be part of a control group; this ended up resulting in 6, participants.

All of these individuals had a physical exam, which involved blood sugar samples that tabulated blood glucose and insulin levels while fasting and after eating. They also completed questionnaires about lifestyle factors, and some had their liver fat content measured via an MRI.

From this group, the researchers randomly selected people to wear an accelerometer and heart rate monitor for four days and nights to track activity levels and overall movement patterns. To categorize exercise timing, the scientists separated the day into six-hour blocks:.

Based on the activity trackers, the scientists sorted each participant into one of those blocks based on when they racked up the most moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. At the end of the data-gathering, participants were included in the analysis. Activity spread throughout the day or activity only performed in the morning appeared to have no impact on liver fat content and insulin resistance, while afternoon and evening physical activity did.

In addition to the impact of insulin on blood sugar control, the other way glucose can enter cells is through exercise. Muscles require energy when we move and challenge them. To power us enough to complete the tasks we're asking them to do, our bodies allow glucose to slip into muscle cells.

The scientists admit that it's too early in the information-gathering process to explain exactly why afternoon and evening exercise showed better results than exercise in the morning.

They also have yet to prove if shifting exercise timing from morning to afternoon or evening will improve activity, or if there is something else about those who have that P. habit that might be moving the needle.

This new study found that afternoon and evening exercise might provide the biggest benefits to blood sugar control. While this is interesting to keep in mind, it's vital to note that this is just one study, and a fairly small one, at that. Larger, more diverse research is required to validate these findings.

Plus, the most important moral of the story is that activity ANY time of day is beneficial. But you need to take this safety measure until you know how your blood sugar responds to changes in your exercise habits.

Eat or drink something with about 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrate to raise your blood sugar level, such as:.

Check your blood sugar again 15 minutes later. If it's still too low, have another gram carbohydrate serving. Then test again in 15 minutes. If you haven't finished your workout, you can continue once your blood sugar returns to a safe level.

You may need to have more snacks or a meal to raise it to that safe range. Check your blood sugar as soon as you finish exercising. Check it again throughout the next few hours. Exercise draws on reserve sugar stored in your muscles and liver.

As your body rebuilds these stores, it takes sugar from your blood. The tougher your workout, the longer it will affect your blood sugar. Low blood sugar can happen even 4 to 8 hours after exercise.

Having a snack with slower-acting carbohydrates after your workout can help prevent a drop in your blood sugar.

These types of snacks include a granola bar, trail mix and dried fruit. If you do have low blood sugar after exercise, eat a small snack that has carbohydrates.

For example, you could have fruit, crackers or glucose tablets. Exercise is great for your health in many ways. But if you have diabetes, testing your blood sugar before, after and sometimes during exercise may be just as important.

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Show references American Diabetes Association. Facilitating positive health behaviors and well-being to improve health outcomes: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes — Diabetes Care.

Riddell MC. Exercise guidance in adults with diabetes mellitus. Accessed Aug. Diabetes diet, eating and physical activity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

Department of Health and Human Services. Hypoglycemia Low blood glucose. American Diabetes Association. Colberg SR, et al. Palermi S, et al. The complex relationship between physical activity and diabetes: An overview.

Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology. Scott SN, et al. Clinical considerations and practical advice for people living with type 2 diabetes who undertake regular exercise or aim to exercise competitively.

Diabetes Spectrum. Zaharieva DP, et al. Practical aspects and exercise safety benefits of automated insulin delivery systems in type 1 diabetes. Aerobic, muscle- and bone-strengthening: What counts for school-aged children and adolescents?

Consult your medical provider team for specific questions regarding your activity. In another example, competitive activities will often raise the blood sugar. Someone about to run a race gets an epinephrine adrenaline surge that is part of the competitive drive, which may result in an elevated blood sugar during the race.

In contrast, the blood sugar can drop during practice. Note: While it is important to understand why the same activity may give opposite blood glucose responses, the effect of stress on the blood glucose is not predictable, and we usually do not recommend increasing the dose of insulin in anticipation of stressful situations.

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Adrenaline raises blood glucose levels by stimulating your liver to release glucose. The food you eat before or during a workout may also contribute to a glucose rise.

Eat too many carbs before exercising, and your sweat session may not be enough to keep your blood glucose within your goal range.

Now that you know what causes a blood glucose rise after or during exercise, you may expect and accept it during your next workout session because you know the benefits of exercise outweigh the rise in glucose. Physical activity is important for everyone with diabetes.

Managing glucose levels with any form of exercise is possible once you understand your personal patterns doing regular blood glucose checks and keeping a workout log can help and making adjustments that make sense to you and your lifestyle.

Breadcrumb Home You Can Manage and Thrive with Diabetes Fitness Why Does Exercise Sometimes Raise Blood Glucose? Adrenaline Can Raise Blood Glucose Levels Using your muscles helps burn glucose and improves the way insulin works. Aerobic exercise is continuous exercise such as walking, bicycling or jogging that elevates breathing and heart rate.

If you decide to begin resistance exercise, you should first get some instruction from a qualified exercise specialist, a diabetes educator or exercise resource such as a video or brochure and start slowly.

Interval training involves short periods of vigorous exercise such as running or cycling, alternating with 30 second to 3 minute recovery periods at low-to-moderate intensity or, rest.

Your goal should be to complete at least minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise each week, e. You may have to start slowly, with as little as 5 to 10 minutes of exercise per day, gradually building up to your goal.

The good news, though, is that multiple, shorter exercise sessions of at least 10 minutes, adding up to minutes per week, can have some benefits for people with diabetes. High-intensity exercise has many benefits, despite the confusing blood sugar results.

This type of workout can be very hard, so be realistic about your fitness level before you start. Remember, there will still be fitness gains without all-out effort. According to Diabetes Canada, people with diabetes who are 40 years of age or older who wish to undertake very vigorous exercise, such as high-intensity interval training, should first be assessed by their healthcare team.

Christie Hamilton is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with more than 20 years of experience. Christie is a co-author of two diabetes self-learning manuals for the Canadian Diabetes Association, including a chapter about endurance training and type 1 diabetes.

She has worked at several fitness centres as a personal trainer and fitness instructor, providing support and encouragement for participants.

Christie has a passion for food and exercise and loves to share strategies to help others incorporate these into a healthy lifestyle. Burnout Can Be Defeated.

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