How I Use BBT to Predict Insulin Sensitivity Shifts

*Disclaimer: All content and information in this blog is for informational and educational purposes only. Always consult your health care provider before making any adjustments to your exercise routine or diabetes management.

As a young adult woman diagnosed with type one diabetes, the only advice I received around my menstrual cycle and blood sugars was “you may see more resistance around your period”, but it wasn’t until coming off hormonal birth control about ten months ago that I really started to dive in deeper to the hormonal cycle and how it impacted my management.

It made me question why we’re told that “diabetes thrives off of routine” when in reality, our blood sugars respond very differently based on where we are in our month-long cycle.

One of the biggest tools I’ve been able to use to track my cycle and navigate these trends is Basal Body Temperature (BBT).

What is BBT?

Basal Body Temperature is your temperature when your body is fully at rest and can be used along with other physical changes like cervical mucus to indicate shifts in our menstrual cycle. Tracking BBT is commonly used as a natural family planning or prevention tool because it can help predict and confirm ovulation.

However, for people who menstruate while living with diabetes, BBT can also be a tool to help predict insulin sensitivity shifts. Our bodies don’t always respond to insulin the same way, and being able to get ahead allows us to change our strategies and gain more predictability in the long run.

How do you measure BBT?

The most common way of measuring BBT is by taking your temperature first thing every single morning and looking for temperature shifts. However, this method can bring along user error because it needs to be done at the same time every single morning before you eat, drink, or even get out of bed.

An alternative to taking morning temperatures is wearing an arm band like the Temp Drop which is worn throughout the night and synced to your phone in the morning. This device continuously takes your resting temperature while you’re sleeping and populates a single temperature from the data points using its advanced algorithms.

What BBT can tell us:

Within our menstrual cycle, we have four phases: menstrual, follicular, ovulation and luteal. The first half our cycle, typically indicated by lower basal body temperature, are when we are estrogen dominant. This is typically correlated with increased insulin sensitivity.

After ovulation, we see progesterone increase and become dominant. Since progesterone is a heating hormone, we see temperatures rise and insulin resistance increase.

Tying it all together:

Tracking your cycle using a sympto-thermal method not only tells us more about our fertility and energy levels, but it is a great tool for predicting when we may face shifts in our insulin resistance and therefore, changes in our management strategies.

Taking a phase-based approach to blood sugar management can help you feel more proactive and in control over your blood sugars. Our six week group coaching program, Mastering Your Hormones & Blood Sugars Bootcamp teaches you how to take a cyclical approach to your T1D management. Learn more about the program here.