CGM - The ultimate guide to glucose sensors
What is a CGM Device:
CGMs are sensors that are worn on the back of your arm that measure glucose levels in the interstitial fluid (ISF) - the fluid that surrounds the cells.
Sensors typically measure glucose levels every 5 minutes (Freestyle libre is a great example). Even though CGM sensors are not yet approved for use in elite sports, they are widely used by many athletes today.
This is because they provide highly accurate estimates of insulin function - Which, when optimised in athletes, can lead to huge performance improvements.
Notable athletes that use CGM sensors today include Tour de France winner Chris Froome and Olympic Gold medalist Mo Farah.
Some manufacturers are Abbott, Medtronic and Dexcom whilst companies like Levels and Ultrahuman have built consumer facing apps and demonstrated the great need for such sensors on the consumer side.
Carbohydrate basics:
Carbohydrates contained within foods are broken down into high glycemic and low glycemic. High GL foods are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and leads to a rapid rise in blood sugar levels, whereas low GL foods are absorbed more slowly and lead to a more gradual and prolonged increase in blood sugar levels.
Some examples of low glycemic foods are: Honey, whole grain oats, plain yoghurt and wholemeal bread.
Some examples of high glycemic foods are: White bread, white rice, cakes, sweets and soft drinks.
Insulin basics:
When food is consumed, the carbohydrates within the food are broken down into glucose and the glucose is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. The amount of glucose in the blood is controlled by insulin and glucagon, two hormones produced by the pancreas. Insulin lowers blood glucose levels by causing cells to absorb glucose from the blood and store it as glycogen. Without insulin, excess amounts of glucose remain in the blood resulting in an increased risk for complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, blindness and nerve damage.
Why measuring glucose matters:
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in the body, and glucose is the main energy source for our muscles. If we don't have enough glucose, our muscles won't be able to work at full capacity (unless under ketosis). On the other hand, high glucose levels in the blood stream can lead to multiple diseases. Monitoring glucose levels and adapting our eating habits according to what our body responds well to can help us to perform at the highest level and allow us to avoid diseases such as diabetes.
Glucose levels are highly individualised
As CGM sensors demonstrate, the glucose baseline and the insulin responses are very different between one person to another. People often wonder "What should my glucose levels be?" and "How do my glucose levels compare to others?"
Younger people tend to have lower glucose levels than older people, and the rate of change of glucose levels is what matters most. Also, endurance athletes tend to use more glucose and hence the difference is greater.
Better questions to ask are "What is the best glucose level for me?" and "how can I improve it?".
Ways to improve your glucose levels:
Nutrition: Strategically align the timing of your intake of carbohydrates to optimise your health and performance - "earn them". Research indicates that it is essential to consume high glycemic carbohydrates immediately after intense activity and to spread your consumption of low glycemic carbohydrates throughout the day.
Intelligent training: Incorporate both HIIT and endurance training into your weekly routine to maximise overall health and performance benefits
Quality sleep: Go to bed at similar times each day, reduce the exposure to blue light before bed, and consistently hit at least 7 hours of sleep per night.
Terra: The ultimate API to connect your app to CGMs
Terra allows your app to connect to all wearables, and CGM sensors, through a single source. This enables you to provide glucose recommendations to your customers, and so much more.
We already support Freestyle libre, and Dexcom is coming soon. It's super easy to connect as well- assuming you already have a connection with Terra API, then you already have access to all integrations including Freestyle.
An example of a response looks like this:
