[Newsletter] The Smartest Coach in the Room

Should continuous glucose monitors go mainstream? Every Saturday, The Smartest Coach in the Room delivers helpful takeaways on the hottest nutrition and health topics and the world’s most effective coaching techniques. (Did some amazing friend forward this to you? [Subscribe here]( Should You Use a CGM? Do you track your step count? What about your heart rate? Sleep quality? Add to the list of biometrics you can now track continuously (at home): blood sugar. CGMs, or continuous glucose monitors, are devices that measure and report glucose fluctuations in your blood. They typically attach to the upper arm via skin-piercing filaments, and are kept in place with an adhesive that makes them look like a nicotine patch. Originally developed for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, these devices can help identify blood sugar swings before they cause problems. For those who depend on insulin, the CGM device can help their doctor modify the dose. And they’re trending… for people WITHOUT diabetes. [Michael Scott from "The Office" saying "Why don't you explain this to me like I am an eight-year-old."] Why are people without diabetes interested? Health and fitness enthusiasts have claimed CGMs as a “biohacking” tool—a way to gather and use data that might help them gain another incremental edge in the quest for optimal wellness. For example, they might use CGMs to: 🍭 Avoid the extreme glucose spikes that research has linked to a higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers 🍭 Maintain steady fuel levels during endurance athletic events 🍭 Avoid food that would interfere with ketosis, if they were on an extremely low-carb diet Question is: Are CGMs actually worth it (for people without diabetes)? Here’s a lightning round of the pros and cons. ✅ PRO #1: Could work as a screening tool According to estimations from the American Diabetes Association, about 50 percent of U.S. adults either have prediabetes or diabetes. Moreover, the people who have high blood sugar aren’t always the ones you’d predict: In one small study of non-elite endurance athletes, according to CGM readings, four of the 10 participants had prediabetic blood sugar levels. 🤯 ✅ PRO #2: More accurate than conventional tests To assess blood sugar regulation, doctors typically measure fasting glucose or HbA1c, which shows average blood sugar levels over the past three months. But neither shows how high your blood sugar rises after a meal. Big blood sugar spikes after you eat are linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, so getting this data completes the picture. ✅ PRO #3: Tells you how you respond to specific foods Blood sugar spikes in response to certain foods are highly variable from person to person. It can be useful to find out how you respond to your commonly eaten foods. You may find out, for example, that your blood sugar spikes after eating lentils, but not apples. ✅ PRO #4: Can improve adherence and motivation Like all health and fitness trackers, CGMs can reinforce positive behaviors while increasing awareness of less favorable choices. For example, it’s motivating to see your blood sugar hold steady after that salmon-topped salad, just as it’s helpful to know that your blood sugar skyrockets after eating a stack of rice cakes. But—like all health and fitness trackers—people tend to “habituate” to their CGM data. After a few months, the novelty (and the motivating effect) wears off for most. ❌ CON #1: Blood sugar fluctuations are normal ​​​​​​​There’s no evidence that blood sugar spikes and dips are dangerous. Even among healthy people, blood glucose can fall outside “normal” levels for short periods. If you’re constantly monitoring blood sugar, you may unnecessarily worry over these changes, causing you more stress than it’s worth. ❌ CON #2: Might perpetuate carb fear-mongering ​​​​​​​Carbs will produce a larger increase in blood sugar than fats, contributing to the narrative that carbs are “bad” and fats are better. Taken to extremes, someone might conclude that a piece of bacon is better for you than a piece of fruit. (And… can we give bananas a break already??) ❌ CON #3: Your expectations can skew results ​​​​​​​In a 2020 study from Harvard, participants who had type 2 diabetes were given a beverage that was labeled as either low sugar (zero grams) or high sugar (30 grams). Those who thought they got the high-sugar drink had a much larger glucose response than the ones who thought their drink had no sugar at all. Except everybody got the exact same drink, which had 15 grams of sugar. 🤯🤯 If the simple act of monitoring can interfere with how your body processes food, it kind of ruins the whole “provides objective data” argument. ❌ CON #4: Can trigger obsessive thoughts and behaviors ​​​​​​​Health and fitness trackers can provide useful data, but for some, this data becomes too tangled up with anxiety, and conflated with self-worth. (This is especially true for people with a history of disordered eating.) That said, there are people who swear by their health and fitness trackers: Their step counter encourages them to walk more, year after year. Or tracking calories finally helped them break through a plateau. In the end, it’s up to you to weigh the benefits and drawbacks, consider your expectations, goals, and personal history, and make an educated choice. (For a more thorough discussion of the merits and pitfalls of CGMs, [check out the full article]( If you can’t tell, we’re nutrition coaching nerds. You won’t find any other company that loves this stuff more than we do. If that sounds like “your people,” consider our [Level 1 Nutrition Coaching Certification](. It combines the science of nutrition along with the art of coaching—so you can geek-out on your passion and help others too. [Become a Certified Nutrition Coach - Join the presale list for the #1 rated PN Level 1 Nutrition Certification]( Take care, Alex :) --------------------------------------------------------------- Alex Picot-Annand, PN2, Holistic Nutritionist Editorial Director Precision Nutrition Home of the world’s top nutrition coaches --------------------------------------------------------------- What did you think of this email? 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