Insulin sends a message to our cells that nutrients are available, meaning it’s time to grow and proliferate. When the levels of the hormones drop, it’s a signal to cells that its time to enter a life-extending mode of conservation. Such a system makes evolutionary sense.

Exercise is often positioned as something that always lowers blood glucose; however, high-intensity exercise, such as sprinting or weight lifting, can sometimes raise blood glucose. This stems from the adrenaline response, which tells the body to release stored glucose. Often, I find this happens when I’m exercising in the morning on an empty stomach. But this is not a reason to avoid high intensity exercise – studies show it can improve blood glucose for one to three days post-exercise! Note that in some cases high-intensity exercise can also drop blood glucose very rapidly (2-3 mg/dl per minute), especially if you have insulin on board in your pump. The best way to see how individual exercise sessions affect your blood glucose is to test prior and after activity. “The Impact of brief, high-intensity exercise on blood glucose levels” (Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes 2013)