Need help with details for performing a glucose tolerance test at home

[bornSkinny]

I’m interested in performing a basic blood glucose tolerance test at home and I’m having a little difficulty finding exact details online, of how to perform the test myself and interpret the results.

If anyone could point me in the right direction with a link or explain the details it would be greatly appreciated.

My current understanding is I need to reach a fasted state by ingesting nothing but water for about ten hours, then measure my BS, then ingest 75 grams of sugar, then remeasure my BS after one hour, two hours, etc.

However, because I can’t find anything online giving specifics, I’m unsure if this is going to be precisely how to proceed in a useful way, and I’d prefer to not starve myself and drink sugar purposelessly.

Also any personal experience or insight you may have regarding this test would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Mac11wildcat]

Is there a reason for pursuing a clinical version of this type of thing? Don’t see much use for the clinical test regimen when you can’t get the results as exact as a real blood test would nor are you ever eating pure sugar alone in your daily diet…

Unless you have a real serious concern and as such should see your doctor, the MOST you should need for general assessment of sensitivity is:
- Take fasted glucose on a meter with 3 strips for an average
- Eat a set meal (protein, fat, carbs measured)
- Take glucose every 30m for 2.5 hours and record
- Repeat a few times over a week or two if necessary

If numbers are normal range you’re good. If issues, then seek medical help.

 

[bornSkinny]

Is there a reason for pursuing a clinical version of this type of thing? Don’t see much use for the clinical test regimen when you can’t get the results as exact as a real blood test would nor are you ever eating pure sugar alone in your daily diet…

Unless you have a real serious concern and as such should see your doctor, the MOST you should need for general assessment of sensitivity is:
- Take fasted glucose on a meter with 3 strips for an average
- Eat a set meal (protein, fat, carbs measured)
- Take glucose every 30m for 2.5 hours and record
- Repeat a few times over a week or two if necessary

If numbers are normal range you’re good. If issues, then seek medical help.

THREE STRIPS!!!

We’re not all wearing monocles and driving Rollls-Royce’s Wildcat. I can’t just pop my head out of the study and have the butler make a strip run every five minutes.

Seriously I was curious for the data point as I’ve been playing with my BS. I don’t have a general concern. I’ve been gathering data on how my body responds to altering BS levels as I as preparing to start running GH for the first time in the near future.

I recently went through brief cycles of berberine, and various doses of Metformin to see how they would affect my BS levels. Just looking for another data point so I am as well informed as possible.

 

[Mac11wildcat]

For that use I think a fasted and post prandial measurment scheme now and maybe 1x a month will serve the purpose. However, bloodwork for fasted glucose, a1c, and insulin isn’t all that expensive and done a couple times a year should cover it as well. Completely characterizing insulin sensitivity requires more than just blood glucose measurements.

 

[Rido]

I am more of a fan of a1c and fasting glucose.

@Jin23 is a fan of this test.

 

[Jin23]

THREE STRIPS!!!

We’re not all wearing monocles and driving Rollls-Royce’s Wildcat. I can’t just pop my head out of the study and have the butler make a strip run every five minutes.

Seriously I was curious for the data point as I’ve been playing with my BS. I don’t have a general concern. I’ve been gathering data on how my body responds to altering BS levels as I as preparing to start running GH for the first time in the near future.

I recently went through brief cycles of berberine, and various doses of Metformin to see how they would affect my BS levels. Just looking for another data point so I am as well informed as possible.

As @Mac11wildcat said, you'd want a mixed meal test and you'd want to measure your insulin too. There is a time period where A1c and BG are still within range, but that's only due to a higher insulin response. As this state of hightened insulin secretion continues, you develop insulin resistance. Which maybe doesn't sound to scary if all your thinking is peripheral insulin resistance ...

But in any case, just doing an oral glucose tolerance test is better then nothing. Just don't use plain sugar as that is 50/50 glucose fructose and they both use a different transporter so you get a faster BG spike then only from glucose.

 

[eery]

I recently went through brief cycles of berberine, and various doses of Metformin to see how they would affect my BS levels. Just looking for another data point so I am as well informed as possible.

I agree with mac and Jin above.

How did your experiments with metformin and berberine look, what did you learn?

 

[JesterBOB]

I’m interested in performing a basic blood glucose tolerance test at home and I’m having a little difficulty finding exact details online, of how to perform the test myself and interpret the results.

If anyone could point me in the right direction with a link or explain the details it would be greatly appreciated.

My current understanding is I need to reach a fasted state by ingesting nothing but water for about ten hours, then measure my BS, then ingest 75 grams of sugar, then remeasure my BS after one hour, two hours, etc.

However, because I can’t find anything online giving specifics, I’m unsure if this is going to be precisely how to proceed in a useful way, and I’d prefer to not starve myself and drink sugar purposelessly.

Also any personal experience or insight you may have regarding this test would be appreciated. Thanks.

What is the reason for such interest, health problems, then it is better to consult a doctor. Or is it just the study of the characteristics of the body.

 

[Jin23]

What is the reason for such interest, health problems, then it is better to consult a doctor. Or is it just the study of the characteristics of the body.

I’ve been gathering data on how my body responds to altering BS levels as I as preparing to start running GH for the first time in the near future.

 

[Demondosage]

1. Prick your finger in the morning in a fasted state to see if your glucose is actually high to begin with

2. Order a home A1C test kit and see what your A1C is. If it’s between 5.9 and 6.5 then you’re prediabetic range, at that point it’s a wise idea to use berberine or metformin as a staple daily

3. For home glucose tolerance test it’s simple. Consume 100 grams of dextrose sugar through a drink

Measure your blood sugar at 1 hour thereafter and 3x more an hour apart from each one. If your glucose is not dropping into normal range within that time frame you have issues. I didn’t finish the test, I shot up over 500 and got 10 units of insulin and sent home. Yep, full blown insulin dependent diabetic here.

 

[Type-IIx]

Determining merely your glucose tolerance (by the OGTT) will not predict your response to rhGH. Acromegalics, as part of diagnosis, have both their GH levels and blood glucose responses measured at regular intervals (not something that you can do at home), and, importantly, statistical methods are used to plot their AUC (index of glucose excursion) factoring in GH's effects.

 

[bornSkinny]

I agree with mac and Jin above.

How did your experiments with metformin and berberine look, what did you learn?

I started measuring my waking BS every morning Tues-Sat. I say waking and not necessarily perfectly fasted bc it’s really close to exactly eight hours between when I drink my nighttime shake and when I’m eating again in the morning. But my diet is very consistent during the week so I can notice changes.

I took berberine for a month starting with 500mg twice a day for the first two weeks then three times for the remainder. Twice did literally nothing except give me heartburn. Three times gave me heartburn and lowered my average BS about one point.

The Metformin I took was slow release. I always split the dose into twice a day. I started with 500mg (250x2) and did that for three weeks. Then proceeded to 1000,then, 1500, finally 2000.

By 2000 per day I had lowered my average waking BS but by less than two points. But based on other things happening I believe it may have been doing more when I was eating throughout the day.

At all doses of Met I had upset stomach and loose stools. On 500, and 1000 I started to lose body fat even though I’m already pretty lean. At 1500 I started to dislike what I was seeing as I looked what bodybuilders would call “flat”. 2000 made me feel weak in the gym and gas easy, I was just ready to stop.

I know how to manipulate carbs. I couldn’t carb up on this stuff. When I stopped I was the lightest I’ve been in years. Not terrible as it’s all lean, but I’m not really trying to diet right now… or anytime soon.

So I learned there’s some gi issues, and I wasn’t super impressed with the numbers I got but that might not mean much if I go on Gh. Still it does make me think if I’m looking for size, learning how to use insulin might be more productive. Met seems like it’s useful for dieting.

 

[bornSkinny]

1. Prick your finger in the morning in a fasted state to see if your glucose is actually high to begin with

2. Order a home A1C test kit and see what your A1C is. If it’s between 5.9 and 6.5 then you’re prediabetic range, at that point it’s a wise idea to use berberine or metformin as a staple daily

3. For home glucose tolerance test it’s simple. Consume 100 grams of dextrose sugar through a drink

Measure your blood sugar at 1 hour thereafter and 3x more an hour apart from each one. If your glucose is not dropping into normal range within that time frame you have issues. I didn’t finish the test, I shot up over 500 and got 10 units of insulin and sent home. Yep, full blown insulin dependent diabetic here.

My last two a1c were 5.4 in May and 5.2 in August.
However I do have relatively high waking blood sugars often high 90’s.

 

[bornSkinny]

Determining merely your glucose tolerance (by the OGTT) will not predict your response to rhGH. Acromegalics, as part of diagnosis, have both their GH levels and blood glucose responses measured at regular intervals (not something that you can do at home), and, importantly, statistical methods are used to plot their AUC (index of glucose excursion) factoring in GH's effects.

So is there anything I should be taking a look at regarding my blood sugar levels prior to starting GH? It sounds like you’re saying I won’t know too much until I actually begin use and measure. I’m assuming due to genetics, diet, training, etc.

 

[Rido]

I would say grab an A1C prior to starting

 

[Type-IIx]

So is there anything I should be taking a look at regarding my blood sugar levels prior to starting GH? It sounds like you’re saying I won’t know too much until I actually begin use and measure. I’m assuming due to genetics, diet, training, etc.

A1C just to rule out prediabetes. At the A1c values you reported, you're healthy. That's correct, you don't know too much due mostly to the interactions between genetics, diet & training.