What monitoring is recommended around exercise?

• A. Monitor blood glucose before exercise only.
• B. Monitor blood glucose after exercise only.
• C. Monitor blood glucose before and periodically after exercise, especially when new to exercise.
• D. No monitoring is necessary.

Answer: (C)

Monitoring blood glucose around exercise is essential because physical activity changes how the body uses glucose and how sensitive it is to insulin. During activity, muscles consume more glucose, and insulin sensitivity stays elevated for hours afterward. This combination can cause blood glucose to drop unexpectedly, especially after you stop exercising.

Checking before exercise helps ensure you start in a safe range and lets you decide if you need a snack or a quick adjustment in any medications. Checking periodically after exercise, particularly when you’re new to exercising, catches any delayed drops that can occur once the body finishes the activity and continues to use glucose at a higher rate.

So the best approach is to monitor before and then check periodically after exercise, with more vigilance when you’re just starting a new exercise routine. Monitoring only before misses potential lows during activity, while monitoring only after can miss lows that happen during the workout. No monitoring is not advisable because glucose can change rapidly with exercise.