Whether you want to prevent diabetes or enhance your workout routine, this device could be key to staying in top shape.

5 Benefits of Wearing a Continuous Glucose Monitor if You Don’t Have Diabetes, According to Expert Dietitians


What is a continuous glucose monitor (CGM)?
Essentially, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) “sits under your skin,” where it checks glucose in the fluid between your cells (interstitial fluid), not your blood, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, CSSD, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified sports dietetics specialist.
Most monitors are worn on the back of the upper arm. The device has an applicator that allows users to easily insert the adhesive sensor with a small needle into the skin, says Kelly Jones MS, RD, CSSD, a board-certified sports dietitian.
The CGM then tracks “your glucose trends like spikes, dips, and everything in between, without finger pricks,” Blatner adds. Data can accessed on a smartphone app or computer, where it’s typically updated about every one to five minutes. However, CGM glucose data may lag up to 15 minutes behind actual glucose data, cautions Jones.

What are the different types of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs)?
There are two main types of CGMs, notes the American Diabetes Association: intermittently scanned CGMs (isCGMs or flash CGMs) and real-time CGMs (rtCGMs).
Intermittently scanned CGMs “require a quick scan to see glucose,” says Blatner. Waving a mobile device over the CGM transmits the readings.
Real-time CGMs, on the other hand, “give continuous, automatic glucose updates” to a mobile device, explains Blatner. Dexcom’s G7 and Stelo and Abbott’s Libre Lingo and Libre 3 are examples of common real-time CGMs. These types of devices are being increasingly used by people without diabetes, says Jones.

Why would someone without diabetes use one?
“For millions of people living with diabetes, CGMs provide significant, potentially life-changing benefits for diabetes management,” says the American Diabetes Association.
But there are benefits to wearing a CGM for people who do not have diabetes, too, such as:
- Managing blood sugar or body weight
- Gaining metabolic awareness
- Understanding their body’s responses to various foods and stress
- Achieving insight into one’s athletic performance or recovery
While there are professional CGMs designed for clinical use, you’ll want the consumer type that you can apply at home. If you’re at least 18 years old and not on insulin, you can get a personal CGM, like the Lingo or Stelo biosensor device. These devices don’t need a doctor’s approval or prescription and be purchased online as a one-time or subscription purchase. The Stelo device may soon be found over-the-counter in select pharmacies.
However, before using a personal CGM, it is very strongly recommended to consult your primary care provider (PCP), especially if you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes being managed without insulin. It’ll help ensure proper use and interpretation of data, while reducing potential adverse device-related issues, including skin irritation or infection, sensor or needle breakage, and false or inaccurate readings.

Potential benefits of using a CGM without diabetes
While current clinical research on CGM use by people without diabetes is limited—and disagreement does exist regarding interpretation of their data, as highlighted by a study published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology—the devices can provide valuable metabolic insights. This, in turn, can lead to people making healthy adjustments to their diet, physical activity, and sleep patterns.
In fact, a separate article in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology published in 2022 concluded that wearing a CGM may help promote healthy behavioral changes in someone without diabetes.
Read on for some potential key benefits from using a personal CGM.

1. Personalizing carb intake for performance
Individualizing carbohydrate intake helps optimize performance for active people and athletes. Using a CGM, you can determine how different carbs affect you, says Blatner. A blood glucose spike after eating “isn’t always ‘bad’; context matters,” according to Blatner.
Jones adds that individuals can learn how poorly-timed or unbalanced meals impact energy and recovery, too.
A registered dietitian, especially a sports dietitian, can interpret CGM data to help individuals “fine-tune their pre-workout fuel, post-workout recovery, and everyday meals for better performance and energy,” says Jones.

2. Gaining insights to prevent diabetes
Increased awareness of what triggers strong glucose fluctuations can help people better target meaningful habit change, says Jones. Data from continuous glucose monitors “may show people they can and should still enjoy carbs for energy but need to prioritize protein and fat [intake].”
Jones says people may also learn:
- The ideal time to eat meals and exercise
- The effects of alcohol and caffeine intake, both with or without food
- How sleep impacts blood sugar

3. Supporting metabolic health
A post-meal blood sugar spike is often temporary. Some people get tired; others may feel an energy burst before a crash. Healthy people might not even notice a change.
But “even without diabetes, frequent spikes can be a red flag for insulin resistance down the road,” advises Blatner. “A CGM can help catch early patterns and encourage tweaks like walking after meals or eating veggies first.” Data can be powerful, she adds, “but only when interpreted with the big picture in mind.”

4. Optimizing energy and focus
CGMs may help when trying to improve energy and focus through diet optimization, and data gathered may help to identify hidden post-meal blood sugar crashes (reactive hypoglycemia).
“Tracking glucose helps you spot patterns of sugar dips that can trigger fatigue, cravings, or brain fog,” says Blatner. “They show if a meal is giving you stable energy or sending you on a blood sugar roller coaster.”
With proper CGM data interpretation, you can ultimately build better balanced meals designed just for you.

5. Understanding your body’s response to stress
There’s a correlation between stress and sleep with glucose variability. Jones explains, “Frequent flying, time zone changes, altitude, and different sleep environments all increase stress.” She adds, “Even in non-diabetics, we see how blood sugar levels can rise as a stress response.”
So, with CGM data, a dietitian may advise you enhance hydration or electrolyte intake, for example.
Things to consider before using a CGM
Blatner and Jones offer the following advice when it comes to wearing a CGM:
- CGMs are a tool, not a diagnosis. While CGMs aren’t FDA-approved for diagnosing diabetes or pre-diabetes, they can help flag patterns that require a follow-up with your doctor.
- CGMs may be costly. CGMs are generally covered by insurance with a diabetes diagnosis. Otherwise, you may need to pay out of pocket.
- Be aware of data privacy. Your health data is being collected, mainly via apps, so know the security risks.
- Data can be stressful. For some, using a CGM may potentially lead to stress or anxiety from over-tracking.
- Data may be unreliable. Accuracy and reliability can be affected by inappropriate CGM sensor placement or even skin lotion.
- Data can be confusing. Using a CGM with registered dietitian guidance is key to interpreting your results and understanding fluctuations.
For daily wellness insights, sign up for The Healthy by Reader’s Digest newsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook and Instagram. Keep reading:
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