Blood Glucose Levels

It is important to maintain blood glucose levels above 4 mmol/L (70mg/dL).

 

Glucose is the greatly preferred energy source for the brain and the required source for cells with few or no mitochondria, such as RBCs.

The body uses various means to maintain blood glucose levels. Glucose can be obtained from three sources: the diet, glycogenolysis, and gluconeogenesis.

 

Insulin is an important endocrine signal, lowering blood glucose levels after a meal primarily by increasing muscle and fat uptake and inducing the liver to store it as glycogen.

 

As blood sugar (and insulin) levels fall, the liver begins breaking down glycogen in a process called glycogenolysis to liberate glucose. Muscle glycogen lasts for about an hour of exercise, while liver glycogen stores are longer.

For extended release of stored gluose, your body goes to your fat stores. FFA and glycerol return to the liver, where they are returned to glucose through gluconeogenesis.

 

 

 

 

 

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Deregulation of the hormones controlling blood sugar leads to Type I and Type II diabetes.

 

 

 

Hypoglycemia

 

3.8 mmol/L - glucagon/adrenaline released

3.2 mmol/L - symptoms begin

2.8 mmol/L - cognitive problems

1.5 mmol/L - reduced level of consciousness, convulsions, coma

 

Hypoglycemia can be triggered by various factors:

  • exercise and food intake
  • errors in insulin dose and type
  • hypoglycemia unawareness
  • blunted symptoms during sleep

One episode of hypoglycemia makes another one in the next 24 hours more likely