What are exercise considerations for short-acting insulin?

What are exercise considerations for short-acting insulin?

• A. Increase insulin dose before exercise.
• B. Hydration is not important.
• C. Monitor for hypoglycaemia during and after exercise, adjust carbohydrate intake and timing relative to insulin and activity.
• D. Only long-acting insulin is affected by exercise.

Answer: (C)

During exercise, muscles use more glucose and the body's cells become more sensitive to insulin. This means that rapid-acting insulin given around meals can lower blood glucose more than usual, increasing the risk of hypoglycemia during the activity and in the hours afterward. The best approach is to actively monitor blood glucose during and after exercise and adjust carbohydrate intake and the timing of rapid-acting insulin in relation to the activity. If glucose is low, you’d use quick-acting carbohydrates to raise it, and you may need to modify the meal-time rapid-acting dose or its timing depending on how intense and long the exercise is. Hydration matters as well, but the core practice is staying aware of glucose levels and balancing carbs with insulin and activity so you don’t go too low. The other options don’t fit because increasing insulin doses before exercise raises hypoglycemia risk, hydration is important (the statement that it isn’t is incorrect), and exercise can affect the action of both rapid-acting and long-acting insulin, not just one type.

During exercise, muscles use more glucose and the body's cells become more sensitive to insulin. This means that rapid-acting insulin given around meals can lower blood glucose more than usual, increasing the risk of hypoglycemia during the activity and in the hours afterward. The best approach is to actively monitor blood glucose during and after exercise and adjust carbohydrate intake and the timing of rapid-acting insulin in relation to the activity. If glucose is low, you’d use quick-acting carbohydrates to raise it, and you may need to modify the meal-time rapid-acting dose or its timing depending on how intense and long the exercise is. Hydration matters as well, but the core practice is staying aware of glucose levels and balancing carbs with insulin and activity so you don’t go too low. The other options don’t fit because increasing insulin doses before exercise raises hypoglycemia risk, hydration is important (the statement that it isn’t is incorrect), and exercise can affect the action of both rapid-acting and long-acting insulin, not just one type.