Skratch FAQ: Diabetes
Disclaimer
The information provided on this blog about Skratch Labs products and diabetes is intended for general informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.
Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog. The content herein should not be used to self-diagnose or self-treat any health, medical, or physical condition. Skratch Labs products should be used in consultation with a healthcare provider, especially for individuals with diabetes or other health concerns.
By reading this blog, you acknowledge that you understand this disclaimer and agree that the authors, contributors, and publisher of this blog are not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise routine, or health regimen.
Is Skratch safe for athletes who have diabetes?
Yes, Skratch is safe for athletes who have diabetes or pre-diabetes. Consumption of sugar and blood sugar levels vary from athlete to athlete and need to be monitored with the consumption of any foods and guidance of your doctor or other qualified medical professional.
Can I use Skratch if I have diabetes/pre-diabetes?
Yes, Skratch contains real food ingredients. Timing and volume of consumption are important to monitor if you are an athlete with diabetes. Knowing your range of blood glucose levels, as well as your individual symptoms of low/high blood sugar will be helpful in determining how much Skratch is appropriate for you! Our products contain real fruit powders, real sugar, and other real, whole ingredients. Therefore, their response to your blood sugar will vary based on your personal reaction to those ingredients and the timing around your exercise. If you have access to glucose monitoring, it may be helpful to monitor your blood glucose during a workout and adjust your timing and volume of consumption based on those numbers.
How much Skratch can I have during exercise?
This varies from person to person. There is no one right answer to this question. It truly depends on what you are training for, how your blood sugar responds to carbohydrates/sugars, and how you feel based on your blood sugar. In general, carbohydrates during exercise should be consumed when the length of training exceeds one hour, or during competitive sport events. For most athletes, we aim for 30-60g of carbs per hour of exercise if it's over 60 minutes. Because diabetics are at higher risk for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), consider spreading these carbohydrates out every 15-20 minutes. Working with a performance dietitian can be helpful in determining your individual carbohydrate needs based on your medical history. Your body’s insulin response will determine where you fall within that range.
Which products would work best for me?
Athletes with or without diabetes have found a variety of our products work for different applications. As nutrition is not one-size-fits-all, at Skratch, we encourage experimenting with products you have to best determine your fueling plan. Type of exercise and tolerance to sugar will determine what and how much you may need. It is best to learn what kinds of foods you can tolerate prior to a sporting event ahead of time. Some products will work better for some athletes than others, and the timing of product use will vary from product to product. For example, you probably would not want to consume Skratch Energy Chews in the middle of the afternoon as a snack while you are sitting at your desk, but right before a long or hard workout, the chews would be a great product to try out. Skratch Energy Bars would be a better option to use as a midday snack or during a low-intensity exercise such as hiking or skiing. Outside of exercise for diabetics, we recommend pairing protein, healthy fats, and fiber with carbohydrates to prevent large spikes in blood sugar. A general rule of thumb for snacks - have at least 1/2 the amount of carbs in grams of protein with that snack. If your snack has 20g of carbs, try to pair 10g of protein with it.
During and right before exercise, it is okay to use a more simple carbohydrate such as Skratch Sport Hydration Drink Mix or energy chews because your body will use it for fuel. Skratch Super High-Carb Drink Mix during exercise will likely provide a more steady blood sugar compared to the chews since it is slightly slower digesting. If you are exercising less than 60-90 minutes and your blood sugars are within a normal range recommended by your doctor, you can use our Everyday Hydration Drink Mix, which has 1 gram of carbohydrate per serving, to stay well-hydrated and replace the sodium lost in sweat. Again, we wish we could tell you exactly what works - but the beauty of being a human, as well as an athlete, is that every person is different!
How will using Skratch affect my A1C or overall blood glucose levels?
Great question - during exercise, the carbohydrates will be better utilized, and your blood sugar should not spike tremendously due to the physical activity recruiting insulin.
For someone managing Type II diabetes, the biggest goal is to get those cells responsive to sugar again. Usually, athletes with T2DM make insulin (until the disease progresses to no longer producing insulin cells or being non-responsive to blood glucose spikes), so there are fewer concerns about hypoglycemia/insulin intake during exercise. With T2DM, you need to be aware of your intake, particularly to manage high-sugar spikes. The best way to do this is to minimize high glycemic index (GI) foods, especially during times of non-exercise. High GI foods are ones that raise blood sugar quickly, making it more difficult for diabetics to reduce their concentration. The glycemic index is a number with no units but it gives you some sense of how different foods relate to each other. For instance, looking at the sugars we use: dextrose has a GI of 100. That’s because it’s a form of glucose, and glucose (also 100), is the standard from which we start. Table sugar (sucrose) has a GI of 65 – this is a medium GI food. This means sucrose has a slower blood sugar response compared to glucose. Our milk sugar (lactose) has a GI of 45 – this is a low-GI food. GI doesn’t indicate anything about healthy or not healthy nor good versus bad. It’s just a physiological effect to consider if you have, or are at risk for, impaired glucose management.
As we mentioned above, avoid consuming foods or beverages with simple sugars outside of exercise. If you are sipping on Skratch Sport Hydration Drink Mix or other sugary beverages throughout the day, this will result in your blood sugar remaining elevated throughout the day, thus increasing your A1C. Instead, try our Everyday Hydration Drink Mix if you need to replace electrolytes during the day outside of exercise.
Can I use Super High Carb Drink Mix?
This product is made with Cluster Dextrin technology - A single Cluster Dextrin molecule contains 60 to 70 glucose sugars. After digestion, this product is 90% glucose and 10% fructose. By comparison, a single molecule of maltodextrin, the most common carbohydrate used in gels and high-calorie drinks, contains only 3 to 20 glucose sugars.
Essentially, a bigger molecule with more glucose sugars is like a bigger car with more passengers. This allows us to deliver more passengers or calories with less congestion. The gradual and sustained release of energy will let you work out for longer time periods before you experience fatigue. While other forms of carbohydrates provide energy, because of their unique molecular structure, Super High-Carb is different and releases energy gradually into your bloodstream, which aids in keeping the levels of blood sugar and insulin under control. Our favorite and intended development of this product was specifically to help athletes continue to fuel when it’s not possible to eat solid food potentially due to temperature, distance, or GI distress. If you are familiar with your body’s response to glucose this may be effective for you or it may require some experimenting with monitoring your glucose levels to see if this product is right for you.
How much carbohydrate is there in Skratch Products?
For a quick overview, here are the total carbs in each product (including natural + added sugars). Note that all carbohydrates break down into the most simple form of sugar - glucose. Some carbohydrates do this quicker than others, and what you pair with your carbs will affect the rate of absorption, as we mentioned above.
Hydration
- Sport Hydration: 19g per serving
- Everyday Hydration: 1g per serving
- Super High-Carb: 100g per 7 scoop serving (15g per scoop)
Chews
- All Flavors: 19g per serving (5 pieces) or 36g per packet (10 pieces)
Energy Bars
Our energy bars are a mixed macronutrient bar, meaning they contain carbs + protein + fat, which provides a stable blood sugar rather than large spikes.
- Raspberry + Lemon: 33g per bar
- Chocolate and Peanut Butter: 30g per bar
- Cherry + Pistachio: 30g per bar
Recovery Mix
After exercise, if you are using recovery mix as a diabetic, consider adding a scoop of protein powder to help slow down the rise in your blood sugar, or pairing a source of higher protein food with it.
- Chocolate: 35g per serving
- Horchata: 34g per serving
- Strawberry: 35g per serving
- Vegan Chocolate: 40g per serving
How does consuming sugar during exercise affect my blood sugar?
First things first, you need to know that just like eating food, exercise impacts your blood sugar. As an athlete with diabetes, you will need to make sure your blood glucose levels aren’t too high when you start exercising, but also not so low that they’ll plummet during your workout. Eating a balanced meal 1-2 hours before exercise will help moderate your uptake of carbohydrates throughout your day. Consuming sugar during exercise will affect each person differently, and should be monitored individually, so you can learn how your body responds to carbohydrates. Though everybody responds differently and diabetes is not a cut-and-dry condition. Having T1 vs T2 as well as your progression into T2/your insulin response in T2 may be determining factors in your sugar consumption during exercise.
In addition to the effect of exercise on your blood sugar during activity, post-exercise can see changes in your blood sugar as well. It’s recommended to check your blood sugar as soon as you finish exercising, and again several times during the following few hours. Exercise draws on reserve sugar stored in your muscles and liver, as your body rebuilds these stores, it takes sugar from your blood. The more strenuous your workout, the longer your blood sugar will be affected. Low blood sugar is possible even four to eight hours after exercise.
Which of your products can help me when my blood sugar drops (even when not in exercise i.e. middle of the night)?
If your blood sugar drops outside of exercise, the American Diabetes Association recommends using the 15-15 rule. Consume 15g of quick-digesting carbohydrates such as 4-5 Skratch Energy Chews, 4 oz of juice, or a glucose tab, wait 15 minutes, and recheck your blood sugar. If it is not up to an appropriate level recommended by your physician, take another 15g of quick digesting carbs and wait 15 minutes to re-check. Once your blood sugar is corrected, consume a snack that is balanced in both carbohydrates + protein/fats such as a Skratch Energy Bar.
Further reading can be found here.
To reiterate, this information not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.
