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CategoriesFirst, a quick science lesson.
ALL carbohydrates eventually end up as glucose in the body. Glucose flying around your system is transported to your cells via the hormone insulin. Any leftover glucose is converted to glycogen in the liver. Anything left after that, is stored as fat.
Depending on the type of carb ingested, time of the day, what it’s taken with and its nutrient density profile, it will do certain things to your blood sugar levels. Blood sugar is regulated by a very important hormone called Insulin. Insulin, a very powerful hormone which, in our case, can be thought of as a building hormone. It will BUILD muscle and it will BUILD fat given the right conditions.
The key to building LEAN muscle in relation to carbohydrates and insulin can be simplified as follows.
• Raise insulin at appropriate times to shunt protein and glucose into the muscles.
• Reduce the amount of insulin released when stores of glycogen are full.
• Increase the body’s muscle cells to become more responsive to the insulin released.
We can do this with Reece’s magic 4 carbohydrate rules. Observe.
1. Consuming carbohydrates in your post workout shake.
Carbohydrates not only refuel your cells with glucose via insulin, they help move protein into your muscle. You want to go for simple sugars which don’t take much breaking down. Remember speed here is the key. We want the glucose in the blood ASAP. Natural fruit juice, maltodextrin or dextrose will do the trick nicely. Vitargo is also great as its fast absorbing.
2. Consuming carbohydrates first thing in the morning.
First thing in the morning it’s less likely, unless you’re a ‘midnight feaster’, that your carbohydrates will be stored as fat. The liver has less glycogen and there is little glucose for energy. The body will use your ingested carbohydrates to repair the damage from the gym the night before and will give you sustained energy for the next few hours. No spikes in blood sugar, no cravings for rubbish, just clean muscle and a good mood.
3. Never consume carbohydrates by themselves
This is especially important, should you cheat and try to eat refined sugars (think white bread, bagels) as we only want to spike insulin post work out. So a good rule is to ALWAYS consume carbohydrates with protein and fat. The protein and fat will slow the increase in blood sugar and mitigate a smaller insulin response. This reduces the likelihood of carbohydrates being stored as fat and creating insulin resistance (my next point), but used instead, for energy and repair. Another tip is to have a full spectrum of macro-nutrients before you train. Carbohydrates protein AND fats pre workout will keep your blood sugar more stable than carbohydrates or protein alone.
4. Use supplements to help increase cell receptors
Insulin resistance is now heard almost as often as someone screams ‘lightweight!’ in your gym. Personally I believe it should be called “receptor insensitivity” since it’s the cell that has become insensitive to the insulin, and is rejecting the glucose. When the cell becomes less responsive to insulin, glucose is more likely to get stored as fat. Less repair (think muscle), less energy and more fat for you, the host. There are however, supplements we can take to help improve the sensitivity of your muscle cell receptors, enabling them to uptake the glucose. Alpha Lipoic Acid, Cinnamon, Fenugreek and ginger to name a few.
So there you have it. 4 rules to help carbohydrate ingestion for lean muscle growth.
Disclaimer. Carbohydrates are a very touchy subject. While I’m no medic, or scientist I have a decent understanding of the way carbohydrates work inside the body for the purposes of muscle gain. The information I presented is my personal take on carbohydrates for muscle gain.
References
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
Favourite Pre-Workout Stack by Charles Poliquin (online article)
The Sweet Success of Fenuplex by Charles Poliqun (online article)
Top 6 Supplements for Gaining Muscle Mass by Charles Poliquin (online article)
The most effective ways to live longer by Jonny Bowden
Reece Mander BSc DPS, is owner of Reece Mander Fitness www.reecemanderfitness.co.uk based in South London. With the motto of “Train Smart” he is constantly on the look out to get the best possible results in the shortest amount of time. His website has range of different articles from fat loss to general health and can be contacted at reecemander@gmail.com
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