The Insulin Response - Jamie Sawyer

One of the most common things I’m asked is ‘how do I build up muscle and lose fat?’ Jumping at the opportunity to geek out, my answer turns into a lengthy lecture of hormone stimulating exercises and guidelines. By this point, most who asked, have since glazed over and fallen into a semi coma. But when I then mention nutrition, life jumps right back into them as their brains start taking note.

Firstly, I address post workout nutrition and how this holds a pretty big key to achieving body composition improvements.
The reason why this is such an important aspect is due to the double-edged sword of a protein, known as INSULIN. I say doubled edged sword because if you have the right amount of insulin, at the right times, your abs will feel at home on the front cover of ‘Men’s Health’. If not, then you’ll resemble the front cover of ‘Muffin Top Monthly’.




So what is the deal with insulin?

We eat carbs, which in turn are broken down into glucose in the small intestine. Within the small intestine the glucose molecules are absorbed into the blood stream. Now this is where it can get tricky. Once the glucose enters the blood stream INSULIN determines whether it is to be used as an instant energy source (ATP synthesis) or stored. Insulin is simply the messenger, sending its package to whichever cells require it.

The glucose in storage is called Glycogen, which is stored in muscle tissue and the liver, ready to fuel physical activity. However, it can also be converted to Triglycerides, which are stored as body fat. Notice the bipolar nature of insulin, energy storage in muscle and liver or fat storage accumulating around your middle.

When we talk about how some people can tolerate carbs better than others, what we are really saying is that someone is more sensitive to insulin that the next. Meaning, that some people can eat a shed load of carbs and release just the right amount of insulin to transport it. Whereas, others simply lick a cookie and because they are less sensitive to insulin their body opens the floodgates and insulin levels rise and rise, along with fat storage.

Now surely we would say that avoiding all carbs is the answer so as not to provoke a spike in insulin, therefore create fat storage. Well that’s simply throwing the baby out with the bath water. Insulin increases amino acid uptake into the muscles, increasing protein synthesis and prevents excess amino acids being burnt as a fuel.

The delicate balance of nutrient timing concerns carbs and the resulting insulin response, more than most other nutrients when looking at body composition. Getting this right can determine which edge of the sword you fall on and ultimately your physique, but also the quality of your health.

We have all heard, and most of us probably partake in, the ritual of ‘the post workout meal/nutrition’. Sure it makes sense to pack in some protein after you’ve rep-ped out on the bench, but the theory falls much deeper than that. In this window we have the chance to make a huge difference to our body composition increasing lean mass and decreasing fat.

The reason we can do this is down to protein called Glucose Transporter Type 4 or GLUT4. These proteins are found in fatty (adipose) tissue and also in muscle tissue and ultimately determine the level of success we have in delivering the glucose to either fat or muscle.

When our insulin levels are low, GLUT4 are hiding away, out of site. When insulin levels start to rise, GLUT4 starts to migrate (translocate) to the cell membrane, allowing the messenger (insulin) to deliver the glucose package.

During exercise our GLUT4 proteins translocate to the cells of the muscle fibres and increase in concentration. So come the end of the workout when we digest our Recovery XS shake, our insulin messenger transports all the glucose to the muscle cells whilst the GLUT4 proteins allow these nutrients to pass directly to where they are needed. Simply put, the bouncer (GLUT4) is telling the customer, ‘Your name IS on the list, come on in.’

The presence of GLUT4 activity within the muscle, for most, lasts for 60-90 minutes. During this crucial time, digesting good sources of carbs, such as vitargo, maltodextrine or waxy maize starch, creates an insulin spike. This spike will deliver nutrients into the muscles, aiding repair, restoration and growth, ultimately having a positive effect on body composition, building muscle tissue whilst burning fat.

So to answer the question of gaining muscle and loosing fat, the first area we have to address is simply timing our nutrient intake so we reap all the benefits of insulin, without risking any of the negatives. Cracking this code will no doubt increase muscle tissue which as we know is metabolically active. Increasing the tissue increases the metabolism, an increased metabolism results in less fat and more muscle.

So if your goal is packing on mass without gaining fat, OR, getting ripped but maintaining muscle mass, then embrace the action of insulin AT THE RIGHT TIME.


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