The Role of Insulin

[Victoria]

Hi all, apologies for this being my first post, and an uneducated one at that. I'm not entirely sure this is in the right part of the forum but I hope so!

 

 

As far as I'm aware, the main role of insulin is it's part in control of glucose metabolism. But of course it has many other roles.

 

What I'm curious about is these many other roles. Does anyone know what they are briefly?

 

I'm particularly interested in any role insulin plays in the transport and uptake of 'nutrients' into cells (not counting glucose).

 

Reason being, I've spoken with quite a few 'low carb weight lifting buffs' recently who are convinced that taking insulin in a sugar/insulin mixture to increase insulin in the body (I have no idea what it is they're drinking), is necessary to help more nutrients enter the cells after a work out - leading to increased muscle mass etc. By nutrients they mean 'protein' plus anything that is lost during a work out.

The only thing I can think of is that they're replenishing glycogen stores quickly. But even then I see no urgency unless there's exceptional circumstances, if you were competing in a sport with only an hour or two between rounds for example.

Personally I think what they're doing (or 'trying' to do) is absolutely ridiculous, and very dangerous if they were to start injecting insulin. But I'm not qualified enough to comment.

 

So again, I'm very curious in any roles of insulin other than it's role with glucose metabolism.

 

Thanks in advance

[Alchemist]

As the insulin level is a central metabolic control mechanism, its status is also used as a control signal to other body systems such as amino acid uptake by body cells. For more information take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin#Effects

 

If afterwards you still are in need of clarification, then please don't hesitate to ask.

 

Hope that helps.

[Victoria]

Ah, so insulin status is in itself a control for other processes in the body, like the uptake of certain nutrients...

 

Then there may be method in their madness. Still I disagree with taking 'extra insulin'

 

Thanks for the link, will have a read after lunch!

[Phi for All]

I'm a little confused by this. Low-carb "buffs" should be avoiding insulin where possible. Insulin increases salt retention in the kidneys, with an accompanying increase of water retention. Insulin signals the cells to create their own cholesterol instead of drawing it from the bloodstream. It constricts artery walls and increases blood pressure. The idea of low-carb is really low-sugar, so your body doesn't respond with an inordinate amount of insulin.

 

At least that's what I gleaned from reading a book by these two doctors. They have a book to sell, but agenda aside I hope they weren't making it all up.

[zule]

Welcome, Victoria. I don’t think you must apologize for being you first post. I would swear that every member who has written on this forum has had a first post

 

When insulin joins to its receptor on the cell, prompts a signal cascade. This leads, not only to the activation of the glucose transporters that insert glucose into the cell, but also to other effects. Those effects are mainly focused in increasing the synthesis of metabolites (glycogen, fatty acids) and reduce their degradation.

 

When we have carbohydrates, those are degraded and the glucose coming from this degradation activates the release of insulin. So, in a healthy body, the glucose is going to be taken by the cells due to the releasing of insulin.

But if more insulin is added as you say, too much glucose is going to be taken and transformed into glycogen and fatty acids. Due to the fact that brain, in physiological conditions, uses only glucose for working, a little time after you have eaten, your brain is going to ask for more carbohydrates: You are going to have hungry and your brain is not going to work properly until the levels of insulin decrease enough.

 

But this would be the case if you inject the insulin. However, you were talking about “drinking” the insulin. The insulin is a protein which is going to be degraded into amino acids in the digestive system before passing to the blood. So, I suppose that nothing is going to happen if you drink insulin.

Edited June 22, 2008 by zule

[iNow]

I totally missed that part. Insulin is a protein, and will be metabolized if you drink it. This is why diabetics don't just drink it. It wouldn't do anything. Nice post, zule.

[arnoldschwartz]

I totally missed that part. Insulin is a protein, and will be metabolized if you drink it. This is why diabetics don't just drink it. It wouldn't do anything. Nice post, zule.

 

Drink it???? could you explain this furthur, or where you refering to injecting?

[ecoli]

Drink it???? could you explain this furthur, or where you refering to injecting?

I suggest reading the original post first, before posting.

[Psycho]

To be fair I would use any kind of tablet or injection that weigh lifters use they all screw you up in some way or another even some of the powders, the best/safest way to gain muscle mass if you really wanted too would be to just use a protein shake which is just amino acids and no other chemicals.

[iNow]

Drink it???? could you explain this furthur, or where you refering to injecting?

 

The OP (which stands for opening post) made mention of them drinking insulin, and I was agreeing with zule's post )#5, this thread) that this would not do anything since insulin is a protien which would be metabolized if ingested, and hence have no effect if someone attempted to drink it. That's precisely why it gets injected.

 

Hope that helps to ameliorate any confusion.

[Victoria]

Wow, sorry I wasn't aware of any more replies on this thread!

 

I agree, most of what lifters take and their theories are potentially damaging. Fortunately many are starting to question what they're doing and hold horses long enough to consider the consequences.

 

That's very interesting about insulin being metabolised. I hadn't thought of that. What about the oral insulin? Maybe it's different in tablet form (I assume it's in tablet form). I'm sure some type 2 diabetics use this method.

[iNow]

Aha... but there's really no such thing as "oral insulin." What Type 2 diabetics take are drugs to help increase insulin production or to make their bodies more sensitive to the insulin being produced (like Glucophage or Glimepiride). <other info on Type 2 diabetes meds available at the following: http://www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes/oral-medications.jsp >

 

 

In other words, when someone takes insulin, it's injected. There are no ingestable insulins since they are proteins which would break down via digestion in the belly.

[Victoria]

Interesting!

 

Thanks for that

[jdurg]

Aha... but there's really no such thing as "oral insulin." What Type 2 diabetics take are drugs to help increase insulin production or to make their bodies more sensitive to the insulin being produced (like Glucophage or Glimepiride). <other info on Type 2 diabetes meds available at the following: http://www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes/oral-medications.jsp >

 

 

In other words, when someone takes insulin, it's injected. There are no ingestable insulins since they are proteins which would break down via digestion in the belly.

 

As a Type I Diabetic for 26 years now, the scar tissue all over my body from multiple injections are sad proof of that.

[Victoria]

My husbands type 1 too, from birth.

 

Neither of us had thought about insulin being digested, that was a very helpful thing to point out.

 

 

So any person taking a glucose/insulin 'drink' a few times a week, would suffer the effects of excess glucose, a few times a week. If their diet was otherwise good, what do you think the risk of developing type 2 diabetes would be?

[iNow]

So any person taking a glucose/insulin 'drink' a few times a week, would suffer the effects of excess glucose, a few times a week. If their diet was otherwise good, what do you think the risk of developing type 2 diabetes would be?

 

I don't know what a glucose/insulin drink is, but I'd speculate that all that impacts you is the glucose (since insulin is a protien which gets digested), and the glucose would make the body's own insulin levels rise. As for risk of developing type 2, that's much more complicated. It's an interplay of genetics, family history, lifestyle, eating habits, stress, and all manner of other things.

 

The more you exercise, and the better you eat, the less likely you are to become type 2 diabetic. That's probably the simplest way to look at it. There's no guarantee that doing those things will prevent you from getting type 2 diabetes, but the likelihood goes WAY down.