Low blood sugar - only when bulking

[Tall_Paul]

Trying to get my head around why I'm getting low blood sugar levels in the evenings (normally around 9pm) but only when bulking?

My routine today was:

6:45am - wake up - 210g powdered oats + 2 scoops whey protein powder - 585 kcals
7:45am - gym for an hour - SL 5x5 (squats, bench, rows).
9:15am - post workout shake - 2x whey protien scoops + dextrose - 517kcals
11am - mid morning snack - grapes, banana, etc - 200 kcals
1pm - lunch - pasta and ham/gammon left overs (normally tuna) and a banana - 747 kcals
6pm - dinner - mince beef, new potatoes, green beans, carrots - approx 500 kcals
9:30pm - banana (see below) + evening snack (peanut butter sarnie/ceral with milk etc) - 300kcals

Non-gym days I miss the post workout shake and get the extra calories from elsewhere.

Now, at about 8:30pm I start feeling anxious, irritable, loss of concentration etc. This happens every week day (I only train mon/wed/fri) and if I try to sleep like this I can't as my mind is 'racing' and I can't relax. Just eaten a banana and pretty much instantly I'm feeling more 'normal', able to concentrate, not anxious etc.

I'm recording my calories via the myfitnesspal app and I'm hitting 3200kcals, monday for e.g. was 184g of protein, 411g of carbs (127g of which sugars, mainly in the dextrose post W/O shake (80g)) and 89g of fat (18g saturated).

I don't get the low blood sugar feelings when not training (was away last week so was eating normally and not going to the gym), only when going to the gym/eating 3000-3200 kcals a day. 3200 is on the high side for bulking kcals for me (174lbs/79kg 35 year old male, 6ft 3, sedentary office job) and yet I can hit 3200 kcals by 9pm and still have low blood sugar and feel damn hungry at 10pm and need something else to eat! I did start to experience low blood sugar today around 5pm, yet I'd eaten about 150 grams of pasta 3-4 hours previously at 1:30pm.

Anyone care to explain what's happening? I never used to get low blood sugar like this, only since I've started bulking. Is my diet causing this (too many simple carbs?) or is it that training is causing my body to crave the extra calories and I need more to keep my body fueled?

Edited by Tall_Paul on Thursday 21st April 15:35

[meddyg]

How do you know it's low blood sugar, have you tested it? Or are you guessing? Because, I'd be surprised if this turns out to be low blood sugar, because unless you're taking hypoglycaemic medication or have an undelying medical condition there would be no reason for you to have low blood sugar.

[Tall_Paul]

It's not been tested, the symptoms match low blood sugar levels (feeling hungry, fast pulse, irritability, difficulty concentrating) and they disappear as soon as I eat something.

Maybe it's just that I need to eat more, but I'm already eating at a 500-600 calorie surplus and don't really want to start putting on too much fat. Normally when I get hungry I just feel hungry, none of the above symptoms - only when I've been bulking/training have they occurred.

[planetsurfer]

aspartame in the Whey?

[944fan]

Tall_Paul said:

It's not been tested, the symptoms match low blood sugar levels (feeling hungry, fast pulse, irritability, difficulty concentrating) and they disappear as soon as I eat something.

Also match a lot of other things. With the amount you are eating I doubt its low blood sugar.

When was the last time you took a break from training for more than one day?

[VolvoT5]

Can't really help with your question but what are instant oats and how do they vary from normal oats? 585 calories doesn't seem like a lot for 200g (dry weight?) plus protein powder.

The symptoms of 'low blood sugar' (unless you are a diabetic on medication going properly hypo) are so vague it could be practically anything. It is hard to see why you would have a low blood sugar eating a reasonable diet with regular meals like that.

[Tall_Paul]

944fan said:

Also match a lot of other things. With the amount you are eating I doubt its low blood sugar.

When was the last time you took a break from training for more than one day?

Last week - I started training again on Monday, last time in the gym previous to this was on Friday 8th, so just over a weeks break. In that time I was eating a 'normal' diet too, not in a calorie surplus.

[hajaba123]

Mid 30s, not fat yet from your previous posts you appear to be not progressing at relatively low weights on a beginners programme as well as eating a diet that is heavily broscience based and probably more suitable for someone whose training is much more advanced. You are not bulking.

Something doesn't add up here and I'm hoping its not your health

Are you properly hydrated and sleeping well?

1. Speak with a proper, well regarded PT or;
2 Get to the doctors and find out what is really going on.

[Tall_Paul]

hajaba123 said:

Mid 30s, not fat yet from your previous posts you appear to be not progressing at relatively low weights on a beginners programme as well as eating a diet that is heavily broscience based and probably more suitable for someone whose training is much more advanced. You are not bulking.

Something doesn't add up here and I'm hoping its not your health

Are you properly hydrated and sleeping well?

1. Speak with a proper, well regarded PT or;
2 Get to the doctors and find out what is really going on.

Not sure how some whey protien powder, powdered oats and some simple carbs equals a broscience diet, but hey ho.

I'm definitely not fat, skinny actually (always have been). Weights and strength have been increasing over the 8-10 weeks I've been going to the gym, I've put on roughly 4-5lbs in that time. Weights are low because, well, I'm skinny. 60kg squat, 45kg bench, 100kg DL, 30kg OHP, 45kg row.

I drink plenty of water (3-5 pints per day) and get 7-8 hours sleep most nights on average.

Edited by Tall_Paul on Thursday 21st April 15:40

[Tall_Paul]

VolvoT5 said:

Can't really help with your question but what are instant oats and how do they vary from normal oats? 585 calories doesn't seem like a lot for 200g (dry weight?) plus protein powder.

The symptoms of 'low blood sugar' (unless you are a diabetic on medication going properly hypo) are so vague it could be practically anything. It is hard to see why you would have a low blood sugar eating a reasonable diet with regular meals like that.

Just powdered oats, means they can be mixed in a shaker http://www.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/instant-... 100g is 380kcals, plus about 200 for the protein powder.

Edit - have edited my OP, it was 100g not 200g

[VolvoT5]

Tall_Paul said:

Just powdered oats, means they can be mixed in a shaker http://www.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/instant-... 100g is 380kcals, plus about 200 for the protein powder.

Edit - have edited my OP, it was 100g not 200g

Ah ok, very similar to Ready Brek then, minus the added sugar and crap they put into the processed versions.

[MURRAY007]

Tall_Paul said:

I drink plenty of water (3-5 pints per day) and get 7-8 hours sleep most nights on average.

Edited by Tall_Paul on Thursday 21st April 15:40

Uhm 3-5 PINTS per day, surely you mean 3-5 liters, please tell me you mean liters.
cause that would seriously cause your health problems if you only drank 3-5 Pints. ?????

[VolvoT5]

MURRAY007 said:

Tall_Paul said:

I drink plenty of water (3-5 pints per day) and get 7-8 hours sleep most nights on average.

Edited by Tall_Paul on Thursday 21st April 15:40

Uhm 3-5 PINTS per day, surely you mean 3-5 liters, please tell me you mean liters.
cause that would seriously cause your health problems if you only drank 3-5 Pints. ?????

That is what, 1.5 to 2.5 litres? Doesn't sound that bad to me, but I guess it is not a lot for a large guy who is presumably sweating a lot from heavy work outs.

[Tall_Paul]

I don't sweat that much when working out

I drink 2 or 3 850ml bottles of water at work, plus probably another litre or so at home, plus an 850ml bottle at the gym, so yeah it is actually more like 4-5l a day on gym days, 3-4l on non gym days. Hydration ain't a problem

Tonight, I had some powdered oats in a shake about an hour ago and haven't felt the 'normal' hunger symptoms - so at the moment I'm putting it down to needing to eat more. Like I said, when I get the restless/anxious feeling, I eat something (I'm always ravenous) and I'm back to normal. So maybe I just need to have some more complex carbs to provide a steady release of energy throughout the evening.

[didelydoo]

MURRAY007 said:

Uhm 3-5 PINTS per day, surely you mean 3-5 liters, please tell me you mean liters.
cause that would seriously cause your health problems if you only drank 3-5 Pints. ?????

Serious health problems form 3-5 pints of water a day!? Like what?

[stargazer30]

Op how heavy are you?

I ask as I do SL 5x5 and I only eat 2300 to 2500 cal a day. I'm 13 stone.

[Bezerk]

I wouldn't be surprised if those symptoms were the result of your vast daily sugar intake. Not low sugar.

Buy a copy of men's health etc. and base a diet on that.

The broscience comment is correct.
You are eating a ton of food, not all is good and full of sugar. Try eating an egg every now and then instead of sugar loaded protein powder. 3 bananas a day..Christ that has to be diabetes territory.

[didelydoo]

Bezerk said:

I wouldn't be surprised if those symptoms were the result of your vast daily sugar intake. Not low sugar.

Buy a copy of men's health etc. and base a diet on that.

The broscience comment is correct.
You are eating a ton of food, not all is good and full of sugar. Try eating an egg every now and then instead of sugar loaded protein powder. 3 bananas a day..Christ that has to be diabetes territory.

Protein powder isn't sugar loaded..... tends to be protein loaded. Std whey is 6% carb, that's very low.

3 bananas a day isn't going to do you any harm either.

[didelydoo]

OP- diet looks fine to me, cals look high for someone of your weight, but provided you're not getting fat, then all's good. Coffee (or lack of) or dehydration may be causing your head aches. If carbs cure it, then just have some. A pre-workout may also be contributing, if you use one.

I also get headaches occasionally from too little, or too many carbs- usually tied in with dehydration however- the high the carb intake, the higher the water needs to be.

You're not going to get diabetes or die form dehydration

Hope this is of help

[mcelliott]

MURRAY007 said:

Tall_Paul said:

I drink plenty of water (3-5 pints per day) and get 7-8 hours sleep most nights on average.

Edited by Tall_Paul on Thursday 21st April 15:40

Uhm 3-5 PINTS per day, surely you mean 3-5 liters, please tell me you mean liters.
cause that would seriously cause your health problems if you only drank 3-5 Pints. ?????

Don"t be silly.