Old Navy
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Men With Sensitivity
by Joel Marion, CISSN, NSCA-CPT
Some things you just can't deny. Frosted Flakes are indeed great. Splenda makes everything taste better. And chicks dig sensitive dudes. These are facts. Another fact? You, yes you, could stand to be a little more, if not a lot more, sensitive. It's true. And that's exactly why I've written this article — to teach you all about what makes a man sensitive, in addition to the various measures you can take to become a more sensitive male.
Although I'm sure many of you are dying to learn the exact moment at which to sniffle and rub your eyes during Titanic to ensure some action later in the evening, this article isn't about that kind of sensitivity. No, this article is all about insulin sensitivity. And you better believe that chicks dig it (whether they know it or not) because it has everything to do with your physique.
Insulin Physiology
Before we get into the specifics of insulin sensitivity, let's start with a little background on insulin and its role in glucose metabolism. Insulin, also known as the "storage hormone," is secreted from the beta cells within the pancreas and functions primarily to control blood sugar levels by initiating the process of glucose storage in muscle tissue, fat cells, and the liver.
Insulin, like other protein hormones, has receptors embedded in various cell membranes throughout the body. When glucose enters the blood stream, insulin is secreted from the pancreas and then in turn binds with these receptors. In general, when a hormone binds with its receptor, it triggers specific things to happen within the body. In this case, the binding of insulin to its associated receptors causes glucose transporters, particularly glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in muscle and adipose tissue, to become available in order to bring glucose into the cell.
When blood sugar and insulin are low, GLUT4 transporters make their home internally within the cytoplasm of the cell. But in the presence of insulin, GLUT4 surfaces to the cell membranes, which allows for adequate glucose uptake via facilitated diffusion.
The process of basic carbohydrate metabolism.
From there, glucose is converted to its storage form of glycogen in muscle tissue. Or in adipose tissue, glucose is used by the body to synthesize glycerol, which then teams up with fatty acids from the liver to form triglycerides (the storage form of fat).
Understanding Insulin Sensitivity
The term "insulin sensitivity" refers to the sensitivity of one's insulin receptors to the hormone. If the receptors are very sensitive to insulin, only a small amount of insulin will be needed to signal the translocation of adequate amounts of GLUT4 to rid the blood of glucose. When the receptors aren't as sensitive (termed "insulin resistance"), more insulin will be needed to do the same job, and insulin will remain elevated in the blood for longer periods of time.
Chronically high levels of insulin in the blood from the frequent ingestion of highly processed carbohydrates and sugars can lead to varying degrees of insulin resistance. Eventually, Type II diabetes can develop if insulin sensitivity becomes so poor that the pancreas is no longer able to secrete adequate amounts of insulin to signal glucose storage.
Insulin Sensitivity and You
Prolonged elevated blood levels of insulin caused by insulin insensitivity aren't only problematic from a health perspective, but very much so for the physique conscious individual as well, and for several reasons.
First, insulin inhibits lipolysis by inhibiting the enzymes responsible for the hydrolysis of triglycerides to fatty acids to be released by the cell. In other words, when high levels of insulin are present in the blood, you can forget about burning fat — not exactly a scenario conducive to looking great naked. Secondly, resistance to insulin will affect how quickly and how adequately glycogen is restored to muscle tissue after exercise.
Even more importantly, and something we haven't touched on as of yet, is insulin's role in protein synthesis and signaling the uptake of amino acids into muscle cells. When insulin sensitivity isn't up to par, both muscle growth and recovery will suffer. This makes having a high degree of insulin sensitivity extremely important not only for bodybuilders, but also powerlifters and athletes of every kind.
Get Sensitive
Now that we've discussed what insulin sensitivity is and its importance, let's talk about how to enhance it. In order to spark optimal improvements in insulin sensitivity, a three-pronged approach of diet, exercise, and supplementation is in order. And while diet and exercise are without a doubt the most crucial factors, supplementation can give the athlete a powerful edge once the former are in place.
Dietary Manipulations
The most obvious dietary practice is to avoid foods that yield a large insulin response, unless specifically timed around activity (we'll discuss this more in the exercise section). This means the majority of carbohydrates consumed should be of the low-glycemic, unrefined variety.
When the receptors are constantly bombarded by insulin spikes from the ingestion of processed carbohydrates, receptor sensitivity suffers. Fortunately, this isn't irreversible and the receptors can be resensitized by maintaining manageable blood sugar levels through the long-term consumption of low-glycemic foods.
Secondly, carbohydrates should never be consumed alone (i.e. a bowl of cereal), but should be balanced by the inclusion of substantial protein with each feeding. Protein consumption stimulates the release of glucagon, a hormone which antagonizes insulin.
Additionally, consuming at least some fiber with all meals (even if that means supplementing with additional fiber) is another smart measure to slow digestion and the rate at which glucose is delivered to the bloodstream.
It's also important to be conscious of the acidity of each meal eaten, as acidic pH levels have been shown to decrease insulin sensitivity.(1) There are several ways to lessen the acidity of one's diet, the obvious being to consume more basic foods. Vegetables score very basic on the pH scale and are a no-brainer to add to any meal for this and many other reasons including their fiber, vitamin, mineral, and phytochemical content. Adding sodium to meals also helps to reduce acidity. For more information on controlling your acid-base balance, see John Berardi's write-up.
Exercise and Insulin Sensitivity
Physical activity has a profound effect on both acute and long-term insulin sensitivity. A single exercise session will result in the translocation of GLUT4, even in the absence of insulin.(2,8) This means that even individuals who are insulin resistant can increase muscle glucose uptake through exercise, as the uptake is somewhat non-insulin dependent. Exercise also improves long-term insulin sensitivity by increasing overall GLUT4 expression in trained skeletal muscle.
Going back to the consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates after training, we can see that this is ideal timing, as GLUT4 expression and therefore glucose uptake will be maximized. This is because both the exercise session and the insulin spike from the ingested carbohydrate will trigger the translocation of GLUT4 transporters.
With this in mind, ingesting the bulk of dietary carbohydrate during the several hours following training becomes a great way to improve long-term insulin sensitivity, as they're being consumed when muscle tissue is the most sensitive to insulin.
As for what type of training yields the greatest effect on insulin sensitivity, both aerobic and resistance training have been shown to yield improvements, however, strength training may produce the greatest benefit.(3-7)
A Supplemental Approach
Once diet and training are in order, insulin sensitivity can be further improved through supplementation. Let's take a look at several supplements that may prove to be beneficial in our quest for ultimate sensitivity.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
In addition to the million and one other reasons you should be getting plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, their ability to heighten insulin sensitivity is another.(9-12) Strive to consume at least ten grams of fish oil daily. If you're not into swallowing so many pills, you can obtain more than the equivalent EPA/DHA (and in a more optimal ratio) in a single four-capsule serving of Biotest's Flameout.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Regular alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), also known as the "racemic" form, is made up of both R-isomer and S-isomer ALA. Research has shown the R-isomer to be the portion responsible for the benefits of ALA, with the S-isomer actually possessing some potentially negative qualities. Although racemic ALA is still what's commonly sold, the "purer" R-isomer is available without being tainted by its S counterpart. This is the type you should be consuming.
In addition to being a potent anti-oxidant, R-ALA has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose transport in skeletal muscle.(13-16) Take 100 mg with each meal, for both acute and long-term benefits.
Vitamin E
Everyone should be taking the ACE anti-oxidant stack (vitamins A, C, and E) anyway, but an added benefit of vitamin E is its insulin sensitivity boosting properties. The daily dosage shown to yield benefits is 800 to 1,200 Ius.(17-18)
Zinc and Magnesium
Both zinc and magnesium deficiencies have been correlated to insulin resistance (19-23), so ensuring adequate levels of these minerals via supplementation makes sense. Deficiencies of zinc and magnesium have also been linked to lowered Testosterone levels in athletes, which is the reason for the formulation of Biotest's ZMA. Now you have another reason to use it regularly.
Phosphatidylserine
Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a phospholipid with cortisol-suppressive properties. Why is cortisol suppression important with regard to insulin sensitivity? High cortisol levels have been linked with decreased insulin sensitivity in muscles and the liver, and increased insulin sensitivity in adipose tissue.(28-30) That means less glycogen storage and more fat storage.
Coming back to PS, a daily dose of 800 mg split into two 400 mg doses has been shown to reduce the cortisol rise after exercise by up to 30%.(24-27) Again, this is a crucial time for heightened insulin sensitivity and nutrient uptake, so a decrease in cortisol at this time is highly desirable. Take 400 mg in the morning with your first meal and then again with your post-workout cocktail.
It should also be noted that while suppressing cortisol below normal levels would be undesirable from a health standpoint, PS only seems to suppress cortisol when it's elevated. This scenario is perfect, since that's exactly what we'd like it to do.
Wary Compounds
While the supplements listed above are compounds that'll aid in increasing insulin sensitivity, there are also those that may decrease it as well. Let's take a look at two that may pose a problem.
Alcohol
Alcohol consumption and insulin sensitivity is a bit of a cloudy subject. On one hand, you'll find studies showing that substantial alcohol consumption acutely decreases insulin sensitivity.(31-35) On the other, there's population data that suggest regular moderate drinking may actually improve long-term insulin sensitivity.(36-39) Without a doubt insulin sensitivity will be negatively affected by a bout of heavy drinking. But for the moderate drinker it's difficult to form concrete conclusions, especially when drawing from population sampling data where so many other variables are involved.
In an effort to obtain more conclusive data, a group of researchers from the University of Western Australia put together a four-week study which analyzed changes in insulin sensitivity in response to the reduction of alcohol intake in moderate drinkers. In theory, based on the population research, reducing alcohol intake should have a negative effect on insulin sensitivity; however, insulin sensitivity remained unchanged after the four-week study period.(40)
Conclusion: A few drinks here and there may not hurt, but don't expect it to help either. As for heavy drinking, it'll always cause an immediate drop in insulin sensitivity, so it's best kept to a minimum if your physique is a concern (big surprise).
Caffeine
It's not so much the use of caffeine, as it's the timing of its use. Caffeine ingestion will acutely lessen insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake (41), so it may be best to avoid consuming caffeine during times when insulin sensitivity should be maximized, particularly post-resistance training.
Because caffeine has a relatively long half-life (at least three hours), it may be a good idea to lose the pre-workout caffeine-containing stimulants in lieu of something like Power Drive or Caffeine-Free Spike.
That's not to say you should avoid caffeine altogether, but in order to ensure maximal nutrient uptake post-workout (including absorption of things like creatine, which we've seen discussed in the past), it may be best to avoid it as a pre-resistance training stimulant. Caffeine still certainly has merit for fat loss, and consuming caffeine at other times, including before aerobic/anaerobic training will allow you to obtain those benefits without any potential insulin sensitivity drawbacks.
Final Word
Managing insulin can be a challenging task, but by putting the information you've learned from this article into practice you can quickly get the jump on achieving optimal insulin sensitivity. Continue with it over time, and I guarantee the ladies will begin to notice just how sensitive you are.
About the Author
Joel Marion, CISSN, NSCA-CPT, and 2001 Body-for-Life Grand Champion is the author of over one-hundred fitness and nutrition articles for popular health and fitness magazines, both in print and on the Web. He has appeared on CBS, NBC, Sirius Satellite Radio, and numerous other media outlets across the country to talk about his breakthrough weight-loss book, The Cheat to Lose Diet, published by Random House.
In addition to his writing, Joel is a highly sought after lecturer and a consultant to a wide variety of clients including doctors, lawyers, business men and women, athletes, and models as well as the average Joe and Jane looking to improve his or her appearance. To learn more about Joel or The Cheat to Lose Diet visit JoelMarion.net and CheatToLoseDiet.com.
_____________________________
Scott "Old Navy" Hults, NFPT-CPT; NGA-CPT
FAME, NGA & IDFA Natural Master Pro Bodybuilder
FAME, NGA & OCB Contest Judge
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