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Stick it to Your Blood Sugar
Continuous glucose monitors can help you improve your health, even if you don’t have diabetes
The 37 million people with diabetes in the United States must constantly monitor the glucose levels in their blood. The number of people who do so might be increasing.
Glucose values provide a snapshot of your energy levels, with dysregulations having been linked to illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome, adrenal fatigue, Hashimoto’s disease, and irritable bowel syndrome.
“Metabolic health isn’t just an indicator of overall health,” says Cindy Leigh, an endocrinologist and member of Wisconsin Masters Aquatic Club. “It is health.”
This has led to more people than just diabetics to pay attention to their blood sugar levels, and thanks to new advances in medical technology, monitoring is becoming easier than ever.
For years, measuring glucose levels required a blood test. Hemoglobin A1C tests, administered in a doctor’s office, assessed average blood sugar levels over time. Diabetics, meanwhile, had to draw blood from a finger prick many times each day.
The recent development of continuous glucose monitors, or CGMs, has allowed patients and their doctors to see a more complete picture of how blood sugar levels respond to food, exercise, and other stimuli. A small, non-invasive device attaches to the skin with a strong adhesive, providing a continuous data loop of information to a smart device or smartphone. The adhesives are so good, in fact, they can be worn by swimmers in the water, and they stay on for one to two weeks. “The CGM has been the most significant advance in the treatment of diabetes in my career,” Leigh says.
These monitors can also help the 96 million American adults, more than 1 in 3, who are considered prediabetic, which means their blood sugar levels are already dangerously high. Chronically elevated blood sugar can increase your risk for a range of conditions that include stroke, heart and liver disease, and kidney damage.
Kara Collier, co-founder and vice president of health at the wellness-tech start-up Nutrisense, says more elite athletes are turning to continuous glucose monitors to gain nuanced insights regarding their training and performance.
“Data from a CGM allows wearers to better dial into what foods optimize performance and recovery,” Collier says. “The data also helps encourage better decision-making regarding workout routines and sleep.”
For example, people doing steady-state cardio—think distance swimming—should see their glucose values hold steady with gradual declines over time. Sprinters, on the other hand, should see blood sugar levels spike and then fall sharply.
“One of our most important outcomes has to do with fueling strategy, both before and during training and competition,” Collier says. “Endurance athletes often find they eat too little, too late, and not enough protein. Women, especially, tend to undereat protein.”
Obtaining one of these monitors requires a prescription in the United States, but that doesn’t mean you have to be diabetic to get one. Nutrisense users complete a detailed questionnaire, allowing a provider contracted with the company to write a prescription. Collier notes that the United States is one of the few countries where a prescription is needed for one of these monitors. They’re available over the counter in Canada and throughout Europe. And the device doesn’t deliver medication; it’s just a monitor.
A subscription to Nutrisense ranges from $199 to $350 per month, including the monitors and ongoing support from professional dietitians and nutritionists.
Leigh agrees that working with a registered dietitian is key to finding a meal plan that helps keep your glucose in check. She also recommends keeping a food journal and adding 10 minutes of moderate exercise after each meal, which studies have shown can help bring blood sugar levels back down.
Understanding which foods in your fridge and cupboards are glucose heavy will also help you make better decisions. Plenty of nonjunk foods, such as energy bars and trail mixes, contain a lot of sugar. Swap them out for healthier alternatives such as apples and peanut butter or carrots dipped in hummus.
“Every year you delay the onset of diabetes, you lower your risk for other complications,” Leigh says.
