I might be way off base but I cant find an answer on the internet, and dont have an appointment with my endocrinologist for another 2 months. I’m pretty sure an A1c test measures the glucose molecules that get stuck to hemoglobin and stay there for the 3-4 month life cycle of your red blood cells. I guess my question is can high blood sugar interfere with hemoglobins ability to carry oxygen? My bg was 397 before the start of a race a couple weeks ago and my hamstrings started cramping up 300 yds into the swim…I cant think of any explanation except maybe something to do with my sugar being whacked…anybody out there know anything about these types of things?
I do not believe that it interferes with oxygen carrying capacity. But hyperglycemia does jack up electrolytes and that is more likely the cause of the cramping.
Jodi
I think it is very unlikely your cramping had anything to do with the oxygen carrying capacity. I think more likely you had some diuresis due to hyperglycemia, this diuresis depletes electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and phosphates. My suggestion would be to work in training to dial in your blood sugar level to a lower number before starting-I understand this is easier said than done.
I don’t think it affects oxygen binding capacity either. Also, just because your BG was 397 mg/dL at that snap shot in time, doesn’t mean your Hg A1C correlated (would equate to what, about 14% or so?). Why was your am BG so high? What is your normal A1C - hopefully goal range 6.5-7%
Thanks you guys…no my sugar is nowhere near that bad on a regular basis. I literally ate the exact same thing and took the same amount of insulin that i do every day that i work out. I’m not sure if it was adrenaline caused the spike or what. My bg was high for the whole week before because of taper…but nothing like that. The high bg did make me pee 5x before the race started so maybe that was it too. Thanks for your answers…just trying to figure things out.
oxygen binding capacity of the rbc is mostly based on the structure. a rbc looks like a flattened donut not out of coincidence, but rather to maximize oxygen transport.