My question is why would you want to spike insulin during/post workout. The concept doesn’t compute. I would have thought that in most cases keeping a stable level of insulin is what you would want and during/post what you would want to do is raise your insulin a little. Not spike it.
Can anyone explain why we would spike it and not just raise it slightly?
I’m no expert… but think I have read on here that insulin is a highly anabolic horomone.
I’d rather be anabolic than catabolic when I’m lifting.
Well, insulin is a very anabolic hormone, it tells cells to open up and let nutrients (mostly glucose I suppose) from the blood stream enter them.
I wouldn’t want an insulin spike while working out, as that would result in a sudden burst of energy followed by a drop in blood sugar level, with the accompanying fatigue.
While directly after workout, getting plenty of good carbs and protein into your muscle cells fast and efficiently could prove very beneficial – I wouldn’t know though because I usually don’t try and spike my insulin with my PWO drink, although it does contain some carbs.
The desired ‘insulin spike’ doesn’t mean sending your insulin levels sky high. Athough a pronounced rise in insulin is considered desirable, this is relative to your current level of insulin. Furthermore, you’re probably in a better physical condition if you have a high level of insulin sensitivity, in which case you wouldn’t produce so much insulin in response to post workout carbs.
Think of insulin as a shuttle taxi. After a workout when glycogen is depleted your muscle cells are primed to host new occupants.
Taking a product like Surge will cause a release of insulin (the taxi) for amino acids and nutrients (the taxi occupants) into your muscle cells (the host).
This is why post workout it is good to have an insulin spike with protein. This will stimulate muscle repair and growth.
Now if someone never exercised and ate high GI carbs and sugars spiking insulin all day they would do two things. One burn out their pancreas causing diabetes and two cause a huge fluctuation in energy levels leaving one usually fat and tired.
D
[quote]steinnes wrote:
I wouldn’t want an insulin spike while working out, as that would result in a sudden burst of energy followed by a drop in blood sugar level, with the accompanying fatigue.[/quote]
Not true at all, not even a little teeny weenie bit.
Why don’t you?
[quote]eengrms76 wrote:
Not true at all, not even a little teeny weenie bit.
[/quote]
Really? Must depend on the person, I personally have an oversensitive insulin response I think, and if I consume simple carbs I get a slight sugar rush which lasts for a few minutes, then my blood sugar plummets and I get fatigued – as I said “I wouldn’t want” (I as in me ;-).
[quote]
Why don’t you? [/quote]
Well, because I haven’t gotten round to it really, not because I don’t think it doesn’t work. I do take an amino acid syrup which has some carbs in it (about 15g of carbs for 20g of protein at the dosage I take it post workout) – I’m pretty sure a good carby PWO shake would be better, but this is just something I’m trying out at the moment.
[quote]Dedicated wrote:
Think of insulin as a shuttle taxi. After a workout when glycogen is depleted your muscle cells are primed to host new occupants.
Taking a product like Surge will cause a release of insulin (the taxi) for amino acids and nutrients (the taxi occupants) into your muscle cells (the host).
D[/quote]
ah man, you had such a good analogy goin until (the taxi) with its (occupants) drove…INTO THE HOST!!! WHAT??? crazy tuesdays
[quote]allNatural wrote:
Dedicated wrote:
Think of insulin as a shuttle taxi. After a workout when glycogen is depleted your muscle cells are primed to host new occupants.
Taking a product like Surge will cause a release of insulin (the taxi) for amino acids and nutrients (the taxi occupants) into your muscle cells (the host).
D
ah man, you had such a good analogy goin until (the taxi) with its (occupants) drove…INTO THE HOST!!! WHAT??? crazy tuesdays
[/quote]
I hear you dude, but someone explained it to me in a similar fashion along time ago and it helped. The host…LOL
D
Thanks for the answers.
I’ve read a couple articles by JB and Thib about trying not to have a lot of carbs and a lot of fat in the same meal because it spikes insulin and helps your body store fat more easily. They both recommend saving your P+C meals for first thing in the morning, immediately following your workout, and an hour or two after the workout.
My question is how are you supposed to manage carbs on non-workout days? Should you stick to three meals of P+C and three meals of P+F? And when should you time these meals?
[quote]Defender wrote:
I’ve read a couple articles by JB and Thib about trying not to have a lot of carbs and a lot of fat in the same meal because it spikes insulin and helps your body store fat more easily. They both recommend saving your P+C meals for first thing in the morning, immediately following your workout, and an hour or two after the workout.
My question is how are you supposed to manage carbs on non-workout days? Should you stick to three meals of P+C and three meals of P+F? And when should you time these meals?[/quote]
Your P+C meals should be early in the day breakfast mid morning and lunch when energy needs are higher for most even on non workout days (carbs energy).
Afternoon into evening is when your P+F meals. As you stated a carb and a fat should be avoided such as donut or pastry as this combo leads to easy fat gain.
D
We must also consider that Dave Barr says that the post-workout “window of opportunity” is not just 2-3 hours after a workout, but 24 hours after a workout.
He even drinks a serving of Surge first thing the morning after a workout.
Things to consider…