No you can’t. Deficiencies in insulin production and/or poor action (insulin resistance) result in problems with the body’s ability to process glucose and build muscle.

It is fair to say that a poorly controlled person with diabetes has LESS chance of building muscle. This can be counteracted by tight control, frequent strength training, adequate rest and a calorie controlled protein rich diet.

Yes. It’s just a matter of knowing what to do and being consistent. The following factors need to be respected when it comes to getting ripped with diabetes, Energy

Intake – Calorie intake via food and drink  Energy
Expenditure – Via Physical activity and set exercise

Respect others by keeping your environment clean. No one likes to see used needles or test strips lying around, including public places.

This gets people with diabetes a bad name.

Also, respect your bin man by using a sharps disposable box.

Yes, it can. Poorly controlled diabetes can reduce the quality of your sex life, and your partners.

Ensure you’re well hydrated and blood glucose levels are in acceptable range before engaging in sexual activity. Sex is a form of exercise, so do yourself a favour and have hypo prevention strategies to hand, just in case.

Low sex drive, impotence, cramping and bad breath are all signs of poorly controlled diabetes.

If using a finger prick test. Clean your hands first, test and then correct as needed. If in doubt, test again – even if this means using another meter. Technology isn’t always perfect.

If you’re using CGM, simply correct.

If you don’t ask you don’t get. Simple. Respect your health, your family and quality of life. You’ll find the majority of people you ask will want to help. At the same time, you should always be prepared for hypos.

Whether it means keeping lose change for a vending machine or carrying around glucose for rapid treatment.

If you’re using CGM, simply correct.

No type of diabetes is worse than the other. The most important thing for both types is to keep the blood glucose level in normal range.

For people with Type 1 that means the key focus is on taking all insulin and balancing it with food, exercise, and lifestyle.

For Type 2 there is a heavier focus on weight management but can also include taking medications and insulin.

Being fully educated and empowered is essential – you can do this by clicking HERE.

Not 100% correct. Hba1c is the most valid measure of long term health risk for both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. The aim is to keep HbA1c at or below 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) to ensure lowest health risk.

That being said there is growing evidence that if your glucose levels are very variable, with lots of highs and lows, this can independently increase risk of cardiovascular disease.

If you achieve an HbA1c of less than 6.5% (48mmol/mol) but at the cost of frequent hypoglycaemia, this can impact on memory and will prevent you from driving.

Being fully educated and empowered is essential – you can do this by clicking HERE.

Injecting insulin into a muscle can lower blood sugar down quicker than if injected in fat tissue. Generally, it is not advised.

However, there may be a time and place for this, especially if correcting a very high blood glucose reading or if you have extremely low levels of body fat.

– Other insulin mimetics (lowers blood sugar)

Increase Blood Glucose

– The antipsychotic medicine olanzapine (Zyprexa).

Decrease Blood Sugar

There is currently no evidence to suggest so.

Be mindful of using too many pain killers and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) as they can reduce the anabolic responses to strength training when overused

One of the main reasons resistance training increase blood glucose levels is due to the Increased production of counter-regulatory stress hormones such as cortisol and growth hormone.

These hormones serve to mobilise fuel and increase blood glucose levels. Other process like the Cori cycle and gluconeogenesis also play a large role. However, that is way beyond the scope of this short answer. I talk about them in detail in my book!

In healthy individuals, the temporary rise in blood glucose levels is compensated at the end of training by normal insulin production. This keeps blood glucose levels in range. But people with type 1 diabetes fail to produce enough insulin to bring blood glucose levels back down to normal levels, which results in hyperglycemia if insulin medication isn’t administered.

When your glucose level goes above 10mmol/l (180mg/dl) from eating whatever you want or missing insulin, your kidneys have to work hard to get rid the excess glucose, by flushing the excess out via the urine.

It is true the energy from this glucose is not available to the body; however, every time your glucose level goes high there is damage done to the small vessels in your body.

If this happens repeatedly for a prolonged period of time, you can develop serious health issues with your eyes, kidneys, feet and all other major organs.

Being fully educated and empowered is essential – you can do this by clicking HERE.

If your blood glucose is high pre-cardio, consider taking half (or less) of your usual correction dose and assess 25 minutes into training.

A full correction dose might stimulate a hypo.

Consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates to bring blood glucose back into range. Cardiovascular exercise has the tendency to lower blood glucose, thereby having the potential to amplify the hypo.

Short bouts of High Intensity Interval Cardio can increase blood glucose levels. But the nature of the cardio after may lower blood glucose back down again. Defeating the purpose.

If your blood glucose is high pre-weight training, consider taking your usual correction dose and assess 25 minutes into training.

Strength training has the potential to increase blood glucose levels. Taking less than your normal correction dose may not account for the blood glucose rise that often accompanies this form of stressful training.

Consume a liquid carbohydrate sports drink. This acts fast and won’t bloat you like a solid food meal.

The amount of carbs to consume need will largely depend on the severity of your hypo. Weight training can increase your blood glucose levels, accommodate this when eating and avoid over treating your hypo with too many carbs, which will inescapably drive you into hyperglycaemia. Or, A short bouts of High Intensity Interval Cardio can increase blood glucose levels. The strength training that follows may increase blood glucose further and get you back into safe range. 15-30 secs on with 45-60 sec active recovery. I personally use bike and row sprints. The severity of your hypo will largely be down to how much insulin is circulating in your system.

The more insulin, the more sever the hypo. Subsequently, carbohydrate may be needed.

Yes, they most certainly can.

Check out my own personal story or those who are part of Team Diabetic Muscle and Fitness

Avoid smoking or passive smoking at all costs. The research behind smoking’s detrimental impact on human health is colossal.

Be mindful nicotine patches can decrease blood glucose levels.

Smoking will also knock your appetite. Not a wise move for people with diabetes looking to build muscle and strength.

Base your bolus dose of insulin for a set meal on how your blood glucose will sit three to four hours after the meal. Your bolus insulin dose should be based on the following key factors:

1. Type of food.

If you’re a competitive diabetic bodybuilder/physique athlete and need to wear artificial tan on competition day, injecting insulin can be difficult. Avoid injecting through tan, as this is extremely unhygienic.

I apply a plaster to an unexposed area of my glutes then peel off and on, as and when needed to inject.