Game day, and tricks worth trying

Competition brings its own pattern: a high before the start that has nothing to do with food or insulin. This page explains where that high comes from and what to do about it, then looks at three popular tricks for holding glucose steady — with the strength of the evidence behind each one.

The pre-game high is nerves, not a mistake

Young athletes routinely run high before a match, even when the same activity in training sends them low. Adrenaline tells the liver to release glucose and makes insulin work less well — and standing on the sideline waiting is exactly when adrenaline peaks.

It usually settles on its own once play starts.

Correcting it aggressively is what produces the crash later. The nerves wear off; the insulin doesn't.

Mild highs do not measurably hurt performance. A low very much does. That is why the guidance leans toward patience before the whistle.

What helps instead

• Arrive early, so there is time to see it coming.
• Check earlier than you think you need to.
• Don't over-fuel before the start.
• A gentle warm-up jog helps burn off the hormone response.
• On a pump, a small temporary basal increase can help — returned to normal before kickoff.

Tricks worth trying, honestly graded

Diabetes Canada grades its recommendations by the strength of the evidence. We show the grades here because a low-grade recommendation is worth trying but not worth trusting. Seeing the grade openly tends to build trust rather than undermine it.

Weights before cardio

Doing the resistance work first blunts the fall in blood sugar during the aerobic part that follows.

Weak evidence. Diabetes Canada grades this at its lowest level — it rests on essentially one small study. Free to try, not a rule.

A ten-second sprint

An all-out sprint for ten seconds at the start, during, or at the end of a session may help hold glucose up.

Weak evidence, at the same lowest grade. And after exercise that was already intense, it may push you higher instead.

If you try any of these, note what you did and what happened afterwards. A few sessions of your own data will tell you more than any general rule, and it gives your diabetes team something concrete to work with.