According to diabetes experts, muscles are responsible for about
90 percent of the body’s use of glucose as fuel. Exercise also
affects various hormones which have a direct impact on blood
sugar levels. It’s not surprising, then, that non-diabetic
hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is common in frequent
exercisers and athletes. If you’ve ever worked out on an empty
stomach, you’ve probably experienced the dizziness, muscle
weakness and exhaustion of a blood-sugar crash. Understanding
how your blood-sugar levels are controlled, and what you can do
to prevent these crashes, can help you avoid these symptoms. How
Blood Sugar Works The sugar called glucose, which is stored in
the muscles and liver, is the primary fuel your muscles use
during strenuous activities. As part of a careful balancing act,
two hormones are released to try to maintain healthy levels of
glucose in the blood, where it can be used readily. Insulin is
released into the blood by the pancreas when blood sugar levels
are too high, where it bonds