5 Things One Runner With Diabetes Brings on Every Run

I can't claim to have figured out how to keep my blood sugars perfectly balanced before, during, and after every run in the years since. But I have managed to stay safe and healthy while training for everything from 5Ks on the road to 50Ks in the mountains.

To help me put my best foot forward, here are the most important things I bring with me when I hit the road or trail.

1. Glucose Gel

I do everything I can to set myself up for steady blood sugar during a run, but going low (experiencing hypoglycemia) is always a possibility. That's why no matter how short or how easy the run, I always carry glucose gel or another quick-acting source of sugar.

GU gel packets are my favorite for this because of their smooth and compact packaging, which makes them easy to fit in almost any pocket or hold in my hand without feeling burdened. They come in a variety of flavors and formulas and are easy to buy at specialty running stores or retailers like REI.

Another great option is UnTapped's maple syrup, which raises my blood sugar faster than anything else, including GU, but isn't as easy to find in stores.

If I'm running for less than an hour, my goal is to avoid consuming this glucose — it's with me strictly in case of emergency. On longer runs when I plan on consuming it, I also need to bring water. Amrie DeFrates, RD, a nutritional therapist with Temecula Dietitians, reminded me of this when I asked for her professional opinion on my running fuel.

"One mistake that people can make is taking a [glucose gel] without fluids," DeFrates says, because "those food items are intended to be followed up with water."

Chasing a concentrated glucose gel with water will dilute it to avoid stomach upset and help your body absorb the sugar faster.

2. Hydration Vest

For runs close to home or shorter than an hour, I generally disconnect from my insulin pump and only carry my phone and glucose gel. But if I'm heading into the mountains for a long trail run, or planning to spend more than an hour pounding pavement, I'll wear my pump and carry a few extra things. This is where a good hydration vest comes into play: I currently use the Nathan Pinnacle 12.

This vest has a 1.6-liter water bladder and a total of 13 pockets, more than enough for carrying my pump, my phone, multiple glucose gels and extra snacks (because — let's be honest — you can only consume so many gels in a day without wanting to throw up).

I also like the Salomon Pulse Belt, which you can fit a flexible water flask into, and the Ultimate Direction Women's Hydro Short, which comes with two small water bottles that fit perfectly in its back pockets. If you end up using a system with dual flasks or bottles, you can fill one with water and another with Gatorade or another sports drink for even more insurance against low blood sugars.

3. Sports Bra With Pockets

I don't like to feel weighed down when running (who does?) so I will always favor running apparel with well-built pockets over extra gear like fanny packs when it comes to carrying essentials. The Brooks 3-Pocket Sports Bra is a lifesaver in this regard. The two side pockets (under the armpits) are perfect for stashing glucose gel and/or a set of keys, while the back pocket allows you to carry a phone between your shoulder blades with zero bouncing.

I use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) by Dexcom to monitor my blood sugars, and the readings show up on the iPhone app, so it's helpful to have the phone with me to keep an eye on my sugars during each run. I also wear an Apple Watch while running, and as long as my phone is with me, my blood sugars will show up directly on the watch.

4. Whole-Food Snacks

"Pretzels are great," says DeFrates, "because you're getting carbohydrates and also salt to keep you hydrated with electrolytes. Other people enjoy dried fruit."

I'm partial to dried mango slices and Trader Joe's Many Things Snack Mix, which contains mini pretzels, Chex-like cereal pieces and honey roasted peanuts.

I'll put a few handfuls of mango slices in one small ziplock bag and a few handfuls of snack mix in another to carry in my hydration vest on long runs. That's my perfect sweet and salty combination: the dried mango raises my blood sugar quickly and the snack mix satisfies my salt cravings while also providing a little more blood sugar stabilization than the simple sugars in mango alone.

I've found I can tolerate the protein and fat in peanuts and peanut butter, but everybody is different. As DeFrates says, you have to experiment a bit to find what works for you.

5. Pre- and Post-Run Essentials

For most runs, you can get away with carrying very little as long as you've prepared properly: I'd argue that fueling and hydrating well in the hours before your workout is even more important than what you eat and drink during it, especially when it comes to managing your blood sugars.

I've found my blood sugar is more likely to go uncomfortably high during a run if I'm dehydrated, which happens all too easily in the summer. When it's super hot outside I like to add Nuun Daily Hydration tablets to the water bottle I keep on my desk during the work day.

To avoid going low during a short run, I try to start the run when I have very little insulin in my system, which means I can't have eaten very much or at all in the two hours beforehand. (Waking up early and running first thing in the morning is ideal for this approach.)

But I don't enjoy running more than a few miles on an empty stomach. If I'm running longer, I'll drink something that has a little bit of protein and not too many carbohydrates, like a whole milk latté or another Trader Joe's favorite: a banana almond butter smoothie.

That smoothie is the No. 1 thing I shop for during the peak of a training cycle, when I'm doing early morning long runs every weekend. And whenever I have to drive out of town for a race, I buy several and take them with me in a cooler.

Depending on where my blood sugar sits before a run, I will either drink half of this 30 minutes pre-run and save the other half for post-run, or just have the whole thing before running. It only raises my blood sugar slightly, even with no insulin on board, and never upsets my stomach.

The Takeaway

• Distance running and type 1 diabetes can be a healthy, sustainable combination when approached thoughtfully, even though blood sugar levels won’t always be predictable.
• Safety depends on carrying the right essentials, which includes fast-acting glucose, fluids, carb-forward snacks, and accessible storage for these items through apparel or hydration gear that contains strategic pockets.
• Hydrating is crucial from before you go on a run past the time you get back home. It’s also important to pay attention to the timing of insulin and food, as well as developing individualized fueling strategies to reduce the risk of blood sugar highs and lows.