When BioHacking Goes Too Far: The Truth About CGM’s
As a trainer and student I spend a lot of time on my feet, whether it’s walking to class, training clients, attempting to move while doing homework or squeezing in a workout between classes a good majority of my time revolves around moving and fueling my body well. In trying to keep up with the trends I found myself bombarded with videos, articles, and ads selling Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM’s) to healthy, active people. The more I dug, the more detailed the claims got! “Optimize your metabolic health, manage your weight loss journey easier, and improve your athletic performance” were all just a few bold claims that CGM companies, and influencers paid by them, were claiming.
So, let’s dive deep into how your body handles sugar, what you’re being told online, how a CGM works, why people are scared of glucose spikes, a pros and cons analysis of the science behind tracking glucose, and finally some actionable tips to help you manage your blood sugar response, without spending ~500 dollars a month on another fancy tool.
Why This Conversation Is Blowing Up Your Phone
More than 40 million Americans have diabetes (about 1 in 8), and about 90% to 95% of them have type 2 diabetes. Society has framed it as a preventable disease solved by willpower and dedication to healthy lifestyle. This claim may have some merit, but definitely doesn’t paint the whole picture.
The CDC website lists a variety of risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes including:
Being age 45 or older
Having a parent, brother or sister with type 2 diabetes
Being physically active less than 3 times per week
Having obesity/overweight
Are an African American, Hispanic, American Indian, or Asian American
As disease rates rise, people become more and more aware of what diabetes can do to your life, and how it affects every aspect of it. Naturally, that list may cause some fear! I know it certainly does for me. Most people fit into at least one of those categories if not more.
Enter CGM’s and the genius that is capitalizing on fear to make some cash. Sharing data out of context, and claiming "benefits" that occur from a healthy lifestyle can spread quickly, wreak havoc on the mental health, and potentially limit access to vital medical devices for people who rely on them for disease management.
What Is Blood Sugar and How Does Your Body Respond To It?
Blood sugar spikes, lows, and anywhere in between are all part of a normal, functioning body that eats. When you eat carbohydrates (bread, rice, oatmeal, sugar, fruit, etc.), your body breaks them down during digestion into glucose (aka sugar), which gets absorbed into your bloodstream. As blood sugar rises, your pancreas releases insulin which is a hormone that acts like a key, helping move glucose out of your blood and into your cells where it can be used for energy.
So, a rise in glucose after a meal isn’t a bad thing! It’s a sign that digestion and absorption are happening. In a healthy body, insulin responds efficiently, cells listen, and blood sugar comes back down smoothly. That “spike”? It’s often just your metabolism doing exactly what it’s designed to do.
Do Blood Sugar Spikes Increase Health Risk?
Studies show that in a healthy adult population isolated occasional blood sugar spikes are a normal physiological function and are not linked with chronic disease or disease risk. There is some evidence to show that long-term frequent spikes could play a role in development of some chronic disease, however it is limited and needs more research before making bold claims regarding the cause of disease linked to blood glucose spikes.
In one study the researchers state that current literature is claiming glucose spikes may lead to risks like cancer, mental health issues, and impacts on energy, mood, and sleep. However, they conclude that further research is needed to understand if the claims that the general population are making have any real evidence and warn that claiming these effects before more research is done could have a very negative effect as misinformation can spread quickly and dangerously.
So, as much as I would love to give you a perfect cut and dry answer, there is no strong evidence that blood sugar spikes cause any sort of risk in a healthy population.
What CGM’s Measure and What They Don’t
CGM’s measure real time glucose levels in the interstitial fluid just under your skin, which is the fluid floating between all of your cells 24/7.
The data is often shown on an app or smart watch. Due to the CGM measuring interstitial fluid glucose levels and not blood levels there may be a slight lag between your blood sugar changing and the sensor telling you it has changed. This is why a finger stick is a more accurate reading.
CGM’s won’t be able to tell you how to “fix your metabolism” or “optimize your athletic performance”, it is simply a way to track how much glucose is in your bloodstream/interstitial fluid at any point during the day.
This information can be extremely useful for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and even some patients with obesity, pre-diabetes, hypo/hyperglycemia or other health conditions that affect your insulin regulation.
However, for someone who doesn’t have one of these chronic diseases, the constant tracking without a skilled professional or medical team helping to interpret this information is just that. Information. And nothing else.
Pros and Cons of Using a CGM as a Healthy Person
Let’s discuss some pros and cons of CGM use in healthy adults.
Pros:
Research & Collection Data: In a research setting using CGM data from healthy individuals can help inform researchers what a healthy baseline, curve, and response to glucose may look like.
Early Identification: Through medical professional supervision datacould help patients learn if they have dysglycemia (abnormal, unstable, or out-of-range blood sugar levels that acts as a precursor to diabetes or metabolic syndrome)
Increased Health Awareness: More knowledge about your health may seem like a pro, and could be for some! A new way to stay informed and prevent long-term disease, however research is lacking that CGM use is helpful so proceed with caution.
Behavior Motivation:One study done on people with overweight/obesity showed that wearing a CGM for ten days and seeing the results motivated participants to exercise more, and take better control of their overall health.
Cons:
Cost and Accessibility: CGM’s are extremely expensive and are not covered by insurance for non-diabetic users. Using them for wellness purposes could cause supply strain for patients with diabetes who actually need them to manage their disease.
Psychological Impact: Constant, real time data can lead to unnecessary anxiety, and potential triggers for disordered eating patterns by labeling normal food responses as “bad” or “good”
Information overload: The constant stream of data can lead to “alarm fatigue” causing you to have unnecessary anxiety, or on the flip side start ignoring the alarms all together.
Inaccuracy or false alarms: CGM’s are not 100% accurate and without proper training on how to use one, false low, or high readings can lead to potentially unnecessary eating changes.
Practical Tips To Support Your Bodies Natural Regulation
I know we’ve spent some time highlighting unnecessary worry and the damages it can cause to your mental health, and why CGM’s may not be necessary for the healthy population. However, most people aren’t intending for CGM use to go that direction.
Being diligent about your health is a good thing! Wanting to avoid chronic disease, age gracefully, and live a long happy life are the goals of many people and I don’t want to discount that through this conversation.
Managing your blood sugar responses can be done without the use of a CGM by supporting your body's natural functions, then sit back and let your digestive system do the rest.
Here are 5 easy tips to take care of your digestive system and manage blood sugar responses without breaking the bank.
Avoid “naked” carbs: Try not to eat carbohydrates all alone, add a protein, fiber or fat source to help slow glucose absorption.
Smart Swaps: Choose whole fruit over fruit juice and complex carbohydrates like quinoa or brown rice instead of refined carbs like white bread or rice.
Post Meal Movement: Take a 10 minute walk immediately after eating a meal to help your muscles “wake up” and absorb glucose faster.
Hydration: Drink plenty of water to support your kidneys in filtering any excess sugar.
Don’t Skip Meals: Eating at regular intervals can prevent extreme hunger, which could lead to overeating and potentially cause sharp blood sugar spikes.
The Bottom Line
Overall, more research is needed to assess if CGM use is beneficial for healthy adult populations. Our bodies are amazing at regulation and have several systems in place in order to keep us happy and healthy even if we eat a whole pan of brownies in one sitting.
That being said, concern for your health and the rising rates of obesity is a real fear and a totally valid place to be.
Using small tips and lifestyle changes, like taking a short walk after a meal, can really benefit your body’s already amazing systems to do their job in a more effective way.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12569367/ (review)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7296129/ (primary)
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-blood-sugar-monitoring-without-diabetes-worthwhile-202106112473?utm_source=chatgpt.com (similar blog post on why CGMs are not the next fitness trend)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32066620/ (primary, about motivating people to exercise by monitoring glucose in overweight/obese populations, cited by lay article above)
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/about/about-type-2-diabetes.html (used for diabetes trends numbers)
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/continuous-glucose-monitoring-cgm (used to research how exactly a CGM works)
https://www.abbott.com/en-us/corpnewsroom/nutrition-health-and-wellness/how-to-avoid-a-glucose-blood-sugar-spike#:~:text=Pairing%20a%20carb%20with%20a,to%20help%20improve%20blood%20glucose. (how to avoid glucose spikes)
