Explain Glucose/Sugar Levels, Insulin, and effects on Muscle Gain...

**dwak** · Posted On: 7/06/2008 10:53pm

so that means all I have to do to increase my gains is to jack up my pump right after i work out?
...actually that would be excedingly dangerous, seeing as how my blood sugar is always really low and dropping anyway at that point.
there may be something to it though, when I was little and used to get shots in my legs they were always abnormally large and strong for someone my age

Originally Posted by partyboy

all I know is that most diabetics I've seen who train/lift regularly are stacked muscle-wise... explain that one to me

umm because we're acutely aware of ever single goddamn thing we put in our mouths, and most of us live extremely regimented lives?

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 7/06/2008 11:27pm

WARNING: I am not a doctor. Talk to someone who is before you try anything involving blood sugar manipulation. Don't take risks with your health.

Well, if you have type 1 diabetes, you probably won't get much of an insulin response from anything you do short of manually injecting insulin (is that what you meant by "jack up my pump"?). I do not recommend this - trial and error simply isn't viable when hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia could both do irreparable harm. Instead, I'd focus on judicious use of mid-workout snacks to maintain a healthy blood sugar level throughout the workout. This should help you lift more and longer, with improved results to follow.

If you have type 2 diabetes with insulin resistance, I can't see insulin injections doing you any good either - short-term their effectiveness would be stifled, and long-term the resulting hyperinsulinemia would advance the progress of your diabetes. Whey has been suggested as potentially useful for avoiding hyperinsulinemia that comes with type 2 diabetes, but I haven't seen anything to indicate that it raises insulin sensitivity. The good news is that exercise boosts insulin sensitivity on its own, so you might be able to effectively restore muscular glycogen with a careful dose of carbohydrates immediately post-workout. But another warnings: Don't exceed healthy blood sugar levels.

Incidentally, Victor Conte (of the BALCO/Barry Bonds/Olympic sprinters scandals) used insulin to build up his athletes:

Insulin was used after strenuous weight training sessions during the off season. Three units of Humalog (fast-acting insulin) were injected immediately after the workout sessions together with a powdered drink that contained 30 grams of dextrose, 30 grams of whey protein isolates and 3 grams of creatine. The purpose was to quickly replenish glycogen, resynthesize ATP and promote protein synthesis and muscle growth. Insulin acts as a "shuttle system" in the transport of glucose and branch chain amino acids.

I've also heard that insulin is very popular amongst bodybuilders for similar reasons.

**vinhthekid** · Posted On: 7/07/2008 11:01am

so ou're talking about snacking after and during a workout?

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 7/07/2008 2:21pm

Originally Posted by Emevas

I use dextrose and maltodextrin mixed in my protein shake post workout.

It could just be supplement voodoo, but my gains improved once I began this regimine.

Any particular brands that you recommend? I usually go with whatever is in RTD PW drinks, but if I can find a way to get them by themselves as cheaply as possible, I'm all for it.

**SunTzu** · Posted On: 7/07/2008 6:06pm

I've used the NOW brand from bulknutrition. The maltodextrin kind of adds a bitter taste to my unflavored shakes, but I think if added to a flavored/sweetened shake it should be fine.

**Tom Kagan** · Posted On: 7/07/2008 6:32pm

Originally Posted by Bang!

That reminds me: Coke doesn't have glucose. They switched to cheaper high-fructose corn syrup years ago. There's nothing good about it, but plenty bad.

Fun fact: Kosher for Passover Coke uses actual glucose because God also hates HF corn syrup.

Kosher for Passover Coca Cola uses sucrose, not glucose. BTW, Coca Cola bottled/canned in Mexico does not use HFCS, either.

(Also, what makes high fructose corn syrup a 'chametz' is the fermentation process.)

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 7/07/2008 6:51pm

Originally Posted by vinhthekid

so ou're talking about snacking after and during a workout?

And before. A decent portion of low-GI-but-digestible carbohydrate (I'm thinking oatmeal) before lifting should provide a steady drip of glucose throughout the workout to offset losses from training. That is, of course, if you can stomach it.

Originally Posted by Teh El Macho

Any particular brands that you recommend?

Whatever you do wind up getting, price check it against sucrose (refined sugar, medium glycemic index but highly water-soluble) and corn syrup (mostly pre-dissolved glucose, although I don't know much about HFCS). If you're getting charged significantly more per gram of carbohydrate for a "super mass building dextrose/maltodextrin blend" than for garden-variety table sugar/corn syrup, you may be getting hosed... although in fairness to the supplement manufacturers, their powder may or may not be better suited to your tastes/lifestyles.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Tom Kagan

Kosher for Passover Coca Cola uses sucrose, not glucose. BTW, Coca Cola bottled/canned in Mexico does not use HFCS, either.

My understanding is that Canadian, Mexican and Passover Coca-Cola are all made with sucrose. The dominance of high-fructose corn syrup in American foodstuffs is political in nature (tariffs on sugarcane, subsidies to corn farmers, etc... but that's a subject for another forum).

**BudoMonkey** · Posted On: 7/08/2008 10:41am

I dunno why you would use dextroxe and maltodextrin as supplements, when this is all a perfectly awesome reason to snack on good, real, sugar-filled food.

I'ma go have some lucky charms. **** YEAH.

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 7/08/2008 12:06pm

I'm waaay too much in sugars as it is, getting me into running around like a hyperactive squirel going weeeee.

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 7/09/2008 12:20am

Originally Posted by Teh El Macho

I'm waaay too much in sugars as it is, getting me into running around like a hyperactive squirel going weeeee.

The dextrose is glucose, which is pure sugar. Add some water and you've got corn syrup. If one'll get you buzzed, so will the other, because they're chemically identical. The maltodextrin is only useful if you can't handle the added sweetness of the dextrose.

Generally, after a tough workout, your blood sugar will be quite low. What you want is to restore it to a bit above normal levels and keep it there for a while (mild insulin boost is good for recovery and growth). Given that you've burned off a pile of glycogen, it should likewise take a pile of carbs to get you buzzed immediately post-workout - if it doesn't, get tested for diabetes.