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How Does Insulin Work?

S

sniper33

Member
Sep 19, 2010
67
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How do Cells Utilize Glucose?

A vast portion of cells in our body depend on glucose for their energy demands. Even the brain and the CNS depend on glucose (almost exclusively). So the management of sustaining adequate blood glucose available at all times must be extremely meticulous. The bulk of our cells are contingent on a dependable source of glucose. As one can tell with individuals with diabetes, any issue with our fragile system that safeguards glucose homeostasis is radically consequential.

How do cells bring glucose into service? Indeed, glucose cannot just magically go into the cell demanding energy. For the cell to acquire the glucose, it must employ a particular transfer system for moving molecules in and out of cells. Glucose is permitted into virtually every cell in the body by a transport mechanism that does not require any energy. The carriers utilized for transporting glucose are called “glucose transporters,” or GLUT for short.

While there are many different GLUT’s, GLUT4 is going to be concentrated on as of this moment – as it is the sole glucose transporter responsive to insulin, as well as its located in skeletal muscle. It is the primary means by which insulin transports blood glucose into muscle and adipose tissue. Other tissues (liver and brain, etc.) rely on other carriers. Insulin allows the translocation of the GLUT4 from the interior to the membrane of the cell – where it then transports the glucose into the cell.

Here’s a quick synopsis of how insulin is responsible for cellular uptake of glucose. The pancreas releases insulin when blood glucose levels are too high and need to be brought down to normal. Insulin then binds to the appropriate receptor on the cell membrane. Once the insulin is bound to the receptor, it signals the glucose transporters to relocate from the inside to the cell membrane. Those glucose transporters (GLUT for short) enable the glucose from outside the cell to come inside. The cell subsequently utilizes the glucose for the energy it requires.

How Does The Body Respond To Blood Glucose Levels?

The pancreas secretes insulin while blood glucose levels are excessive of what the high end of levels should be, which then reduces the blood-glucose levels by expediting the movement from the blood into cells. Insulin is responsible for the uptake of lipids, glucose, and amino acids, which takes them and converts them to storage forms in muscle and fat tissue.

The body decides how it will utilize glucose – it may be metabolized to generate energy, stored as glycogen, or converted to fat. However, before anything else, the cells’ energy requirements must be met. If there is available glucose beyond what is required immediately for energy, the surplus glucose is stored as glycogen. Once the glycogen storages are full, all the outstanding glucose is converted to fat.

Our bodies have a definite amount of energy available. On average; a man that is 174-177 LBS and about 15% body fat will have around 500 grams total of immediately available energy from glycogen stores. 400 grams of muscle glycogen, 100 grams of liver glycogen available. However, it is important to point out this doesn’t mean one can get away with consuming 500 grams of carbs post-workout, and none of it get stored as fat! It is only possible to replace the stores of glycogen utilized. If only legs were worked out, it wouldn’t be necessary to replace the chest glycogen stores. If more one consumes excess than the body requires to recover, the excess is stored as fat.

When blood-glucose levels are overly depleted, the body secretes glucagon. Glucagon is the principal catabolic hormone responsible for breaking down liver glycogen (glycogenesis) and fats stored in adipose tissue, and impedes the synthesis of proteins.

As the body secretes insulin, glucagon levels reduce and vice versa – they act in the opposite of each other. There is only one hormone capable of lowering blood glucose, and it is insulin.

Sustaining sufficient blood-glucose levels is a paramount homeostatic function of the body, as it is a crucial function of muscle tissue, adipose tissue, and of the liver. The liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle together represent the majority of the tissues in the body.

Insulin levels respond differently to various foods. There exists a particular method of classifying how dietary carbohydrates influence blood glucose and insulin levels – it is the glycemic index (GI). It indicates how the digestion and absorption of these foods modify blood-glucose levels. The glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) provide a system of calculating the comparative hazards of different foods. They can also assist with forming diets to prevent obesity and coronary heart disease.

The glycemic reaction is the impact the foods consumed and absorbed have on blood-glucose levels. The foods expeditiously digested and absorbed are noted as high GI foods as they induce a spike in blood glucose levels. When there is a spike in our blood-glucose levels, insulin is released to attempt to get it under control. Unfortunately, the rapid response can result in an accelerated fall below the fasting levels as the body secretes an excessive amount of insulin too rapidly. Then there are foods with a more extended and slower release of glucose, which the insulin is more capable of responding to and handling properly – these are low GI foods.

Interestingly enough, there is a substantial difference amongst various samples of the same food. The aforementioned discrepancy comes from factors such as how ripe it is, where it was grown, and even the temperature of it when consumed. For example, if one was to consume a boiled potato while hot, it will have a considerably higher GI than if they were to consume the same potato while it’s cool. The disparity of the glycemic index can even be as much as 30 (GI of 60 while cool, and a GI 90 while hot), and sometimes greater. Consequently, while it is an extraordinary tool, it must be accepted there are numerous factors and variables that impact it.

How Does Insulin Impact Fat Loss & Building Muscle?

Insulin forces the transportation of available amino acids and glucose into the muscle and adipose tissue from the circulating blood, therefore, inducing protein synthesis within cells. Through the anabolic properties of insulin and its influence on protein metabolism, a positive nitrogen balance is manufactured. Unfortunately, when there is an insulin shortage, negative nitrogen balance becomes an issue to be handled. It should be coming to light how essential insulin is for developing muscle.

Insulin is a double-edged sword – it can hinder fat loss if too much is present, or impact muscle gains if there is too little. If one is trying to lose fat, it must be remembered insulin is also responsible for fat storage in adipose tissue, moreover, it inhibits the breakdown of fat for energy. When there is adequate glucose for energy, the fat will not be broken down for energy demands. If one is trying to gain muscle while there is not sufficient glucose present for a sizable energy expenditure, the body then resorts to dietary protein or breaking down pre-existing muscle to meet the urgent requirement for energy.

Here is a brief synopsis on how insulin impacts energy metabolism. Insulin increases glucose uptake and reduces glycogenesis and gluconeogenesis. When high levels of insulin are present in the blood stream, cells are not broken down for energy. It increases triglyceride synthesis and decreases lipolysis, increases amino acid uptake as well as increased protein synthesis, while thwarting protein degradation. For insulin secretion to occur, there must be elevated blood glucose or high blood amino acids.
Sources of Glucose

When glucose levels are too low, it is procured from foods consumed and digested, as well as from internal glucose stores. All carbohydrates, minus fiber, enter the blood as glucose. While about 50% of protein and about 10% of fat consumed enter the blood as glucose. The internal energy storages capable of being converted into glucose are glycogen, some pre-existing protein, and the glycerol portion of triglycerides.

When people sit down to eat, the total consumption during each sitting is typically in the scope of 100 times greater than the essential calorie requirements during the period spent consuming food. However, this is vital as humans require the ability to live from meal to meal without endlessly grazing. Due to glucose being such a crucial energy source for various types of tissues, it is vitally imperative that glucose homeostasis remains functional as it should. This remains true whether the individual has just consumed food or they are in a fasting state.

So How Do Bodybuilders Benefit From Insulin?

Insulin is not only highly anabolic, but also the strongest anti-catabolic hormone known to man. So when bodybuilders can control their insulin levels, they can ensure they don’t lose any of their hard-earned muscle to catabolism. Additionally, it can be guaranteed they are continually anabolic by means of using insulin. By utilizing insulin, a state of “supersaturation” is achievable, where the cells are stuffed as full of glycogen, protein, etc. as possible!

It’s necessary to dig a little deeper into this, as many people don’t grasp how truly powerful this hormone is. Insulin is the most powerful anabolic hormone for developing new muscle tissue; this is not a joke. It is a hormone that not ONLY increases how anabolic the body is or prevents catabolism, rather it accomplishes both. As with every other hormone used for furtherance, if ventured to utilize it without the appropriate nutrition regimen, the flat out BEST case scenario is one can end up fat as shit via misusing it. Worst-case scenario is death, yes that is correct, kick the bucket, die. Nevertheless, when utilized with the necessary substances and the proper nourishment; one will explode with new muscle at rates thought were entirely impossible. Each must decide if those benefits are worth the risk on their own.

So how effective is insulin exactly? Here are a few studies to provide a basic understanding. However, before being progressing, it is essential to point out the test subjects didn’t consume suitable calories/nutrition during the study. This means the results are not what one would experience if all the nutrition aspects were proper. The test subjects didn’t utilize sufficient glucose or amino acids to see the real potential, regrettably. As it is well understood; it doesn’t matter what one utilizes – so long as adequate quantities of calories and amino acids aren’t consumed; new muscle won’t be developed and the inhibition of catabolism can be forgotten. These studies were conducted without the appropriate diet rules which hold true physique alterations. So while reading these studies, just *try* to visualize how superior the outcomes would have been, had they properly augmented the carbohydrate and protein intake while doing these.

In one study done, the participants attained hyperinsulinemia by way of high doses of insulin. In this particular study, it was verified to reduce Leucine breakdown by approximately 30% and increased its uptake into muscle tissue by roughly 13%. Then with phenylalanine it diminished the breakdown by 9%, but magnified its uptake in the muscle tissue by 30%. By way of insulin’s anti-catabolism and anabolic effects combined, the human body achieves an incredible state of being positively protein balanced.

In another study conducted to quantify how anti-catabolic insulin is, it was shown to inhibit the breakdown of Leucine and phenylalanine by close to 50%! However, this study showed anabolism increases by about 5 to 10%, owing to the insulin.

Studies have consistently indicated insulin is the downright most advantageous after working out. A study was conducted to discover how insulin influences post-workout nutrition. The study revealed the glucose and alanine uptake was up to 3x enhanced after exercise! Insulin’s influence on protein degradation was minimized a great amount – all during the post-workout period while protein degradation is substantially higher than general.

Another study was performed to see in what way training impacts the body’s reaction to insulin and how it affects recovery post-workout. During this study, adequate glucose levels were hardly maintained — just enough to not pass out or go into a coma (again, not following the required dietary modifications to benefit truly from insulin). This study showed the insulin utilization exhibited a 2-4x increase in glucose uptake and glycogen synthase activity. Now just contemplate what these outcomes would be if they were following the dietary procedures necessary when utilizing something as powerful as insulin.

The studies just reviewed displayed how inconceivably potent insulin is without the nutritional factors even close to being sufficient. Imagine how mind-boggling powerful insulin is when there are appropriate blood concentrations of plasma amino acid and glucose! Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the reason the studies documented how unimaginably anti-catabolic it was, but was lacking when it came to increasing how anabolic insulin is. One must recognize when the proper diet is engaged in while using insulin; the anabolic outcome will be far more impressive while also improving the anti-catabolic properties. As it is well understood, it is impossible to develop new muscle or prevent it from breaking down when ample amino acids and calories are not available to the body! So these studies didn’t even get close to showing how powerful insulin is. Because not only would the anabolic ratings be far higher than shown in those studies, but the anti-catabolic effects would be far superior as well!

So again, insulin is remarkably anabolic and anti-catabolic with muscle tissue. Insulin has many incredible benefits. It enhances the uptake of glucose and amino acids in skeletal muscle, intensifies glycogen synthase activity, improves the rate of glycogen storage in muscle, and speeds up how quickly one can recover from a hard workout.

Furthermore, insulin enables the ability to use far greater quantities of protein than our bodies would be capable of naturally. So if one is going to utilize insulin, it is imperative to consume a minimum of 1g protein per pound of bodyweight. Though it is strongly advocated to go beyond and hit 2g – 2.5g per pound of bodyweight. One certainly does not want to restrict the potential results while utilizing insulin.
 
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