Swimming when you have diabetes  

It’s understandable that some people worry that swimming will make their diabetes harder to manage, or be too tiring. And if you’re someone who gets hypos, you might be worried about getting more. But activity doesn’t always make your blood sugar levels go down – it can make them go up too. We’ve made a guide to blood sugar levels and exercise to help you. Go to our website and search ‘diabetes and exercise’ for more info.

Our website has lots of info to make sure you know all the important benefits of exercising, including swimming, when you have diabetes.

Nutrition – It’s important to ensure your body is fuelled and replenished. Figure out what works for you and get support from your diabetes healthcare team. Before swimming – try to have your last meal three to four hours before swimming to give yourself time to digest larger amounts of food. You may also want a smaller snack one to two hours before. Some people with diabetes may need to have a snack 30 minutes before to help manage lower blood sugar levels (from being too low).

During swimming – if you plan to swim for over an hour, think about how you could incorporate a snack, sports drink or gel for useful carbohydrates. You might take a mid-session break for example. Remember, if you normally test blood sugars at home, it can be useful to do this during a swim especially if you are taking on additional carbohydrates or trying new snacks or drinks.

After swimming – try to have carbohydrates and protein as soon as possible after a swim. Nutrition is an important investment, if you don’t take it seriously your next swim could suffer. We’ll be sending you additional information throughout Swim22, so keep an eye out for our emails.

To find out more about swimming and diabetes please go to our website www.diabetes.org.uk/living-with-diabetes/exercise/swimming-diabetes