Insulin Resistance, not much talk about it around here

[Zarati]

I don't see any mentions of this topic here really, anyone here IR and how to battle this? can you be IR if you take insulin, I did when I in early 20s just to get big, how to reverse it

 

[qbkilla]

I think it has to do with body fat. you diet down to 7 percent your sensitive to insulin, then when you bulk up and gain fat it goes to shit. some say carb cycling works but from what ive read it is genetic and then goes up and down dependent on body fat. some claim that supplements help I don't personally, if I was on a limited budget I wouldn't drop $ on pills to increase insulin sensitivity. some people take blood glucose in the am when bulking to see if it keeps going up, meaning insulin resistance is developing, im not sure how accurate this is myself.

 

[Knight9]

Diet along with Metformin OR(not and) Berberine.

 

[jayk]

This topic has always interested me. I can’t wait for other others to chime in. Personal experience tells me there’s probably truth to body fat percentage playing a big role as far insulin sensitivity goes. It does seem as if when I’m leaner I can eat more carbs and use them more efficiently which shows in fullness throughout the day and better pumps that stay longer. Twelve to fifteen percent body fat seems to be where my body looks good with high carb intake. It seems like this is when I grow the most as well.

 

[hawkmoon]

Metformin is my best friend.
I have been using it for years and I credit it with me being able to eat carbs like a normal human (well, bodybuilder) and not get fat.

 

[lookslikesausage]

Metformin is my best friend.
I have been using it for years and I credit it with me being able to eat carbs like a normal human (well, bodybuilder) and not get fat.

what's your optimal dose? i've just started using it at the recommendation of a doctor friend and it's making me feel like shit (often nauseous and tired).

 

[hawkmoon]

what's your optimal dose? i've just started using it at the recommendation of a doctor friend and it's making me feel like shit (often nauseous and tired).

I like 500mg after a meal that has more than 50g of carbs. Max 1500mg per day.

I do not use post workout regardless of carbs as I believe glut-4 should but upregulated from training.

 

[IronLion2]

I don't see any mentions of this topic here

Literally the most talked about subject here

 

[Gunsmith]

I don't see any mentions of this topic here really, anyone here IR and how to battle this? can you be IR if you take insulin, I did when I in early 20s just to get big, how to reverse it

It gets mentioned a good bit but not to many topics directly discussing it.
I think it’s becoming more of an issue with people because HGH is getting used so much more now days and people are eating more and more carbs in their diet.
I personally have been running 4iu HGH for close to a year (went up to 6 for a few months) and my fasted blood glucose is still in the upper 70’s to low 80’s but I don’t eat a lot of carbs , 250g a day is a lot for me and I take Metformin 2x a day (500x2)
This coming off season I’ll probably increase my HGH to 6iu and add in insulin pre workout , possibly increase my carbs some adding to more than just pre , intra and post workout. I’ll track my blood glucose a little more closely during this time to see how things go

 

[jeroendebleser]

I'm with previous posters in that a lot of issues such as this one can very likely be avoided if you stay lean enough. But many people (including bodybuilders) grossly underestimate how much fat mass they're carrying around. The more muscle you have, the greater the illusion of being leaner than you really are but in many cases these bodybuilders are still carrying around a lot of excess fat mass.

 

[Kaladryn]

The current theory is that glucose, not insulin, causes insulin resistance. Insulin is actually trying to reduce glucose and thus reduce insulin resistance, so the term itself is misleading.

It's all diet and it doesn't mean carbohydrate intake causes it either. You can consume large amounts of carbohydrates, even sugars, as long as those carbs are replenishing depleted glycogen. You can become insulin resistant from eating too much protein, as this is easily converted into glucose. Eating too little fat is probably one of the most common causes, the less fat you eat, the MORE carbs and protein you eat, there is no way around this, it's just how it works.

I would say that as a rule of thumb, it's overeating in general that causes insulin resistance but what ultimately causes overeating is a bit paradoxical: undereating is what generally leads to overeating.

A consistent, healthy, balanced diet is the long term solution.

 

[Zarati]

I just couldn't find any topics, I only search titles

Anyway I'm lean 10-11% bf and am insulin resistant, A1C and blood glucose are all goood tho, so it's a sneaky one

I may have to start taking metformin then

 

[maldorf]

The current theory is that glucose, not insulin, causes insulin resistance. Insulin is actually trying to reduce glucose and thus reduce insulin resistance, so the term itself is misleading.

It's all diet and it doesn't mean carbohydrate intake causes it either. You can consume large amounts of carbohydrates, even sugars, as long as those carbs are replenishing depleted glycogen. You can become insulin resistant from eating too much protein, as this is easily converted into glucose. Eating too little fat is probably one of the most common causes, the less fat you eat, the MORE carbs and protein you eat, there is no way around this, it's just how it works.

I would say that as a rule of thumb, it's overeating in general that causes insulin resistance but what ultimately causes overeating is a bit paradoxical: undereating is what generally leads to overeating.

A consistent, healthy, balanced diet is the long term solution.

Right, gluconeogenesis. Protein can be converted to glucose although it's not nearly as efficient. The body is going to hold on to calories. Then convert extra glucose to fat.

 

[little slice]

I just couldn't find any topics, I only search titles

Anyway I'm lean 10-11% bf and am insulin resistant, A1C and blood glucose are all goood tho, so it's a sneaky one

I may have to start taking metformin then

Dnp + PSMF + cardio for a couple weeks

 

[Kaladryn]

I just couldn't find any topics, I only search titles

Anyway I'm lean 10-11% bf and am insulin resistant, A1C and blood glucose are all goood tho, so it's a sneaky one

I may have to start taking metformin then

If A1C is normal why do you think you are insulin resistant? There is physiological insulin resistance also that isn't pathological.

 

[Zarati]

If A1C is normal why do you think you are insulin resistant? There is physiological insulin resistance also that isn't pathological.

Low shbg, doc said a1c, body fat and blood sugar aren't the best indicators as he's seen many ppl like me who are on the same boat

 

[Kaladryn]

So I'm a bit confused, if your blood sugar and a1c are normal, you think (or your doctor does?) that you are insulin resistant because you have low shbg?

 

[Zarati]

So I'm a bit confused, if your blood sugar and a1c are normal, you think (or your doctor does?) that you are insulin resistant because you have low shbg?

Yea, he says low shbg is always linked to insulin resistance

 

[KillerStack]

It's not a topic that doesn't get mentioned here, but there is a lack of knowledgeable people engaging here. I'm moderately interested in many aspects of IR, like how it relates to bodybuilding insulin use, but apparently too lazy and not smart enough to do the leg work.

Here's a great post by Kaladryn, that makes a couple of points of things that may be news to most here.

The current theory is that glucose, not insulin, causes insulin resistance. Insulin is actually trying to reduce glucose and thus reduce insulin resistance, so the term itself is misleading.

It's all diet and it doesn't mean carbohydrate intake causes it either. You can consume large amounts of carbohydrates, even sugars, as long as those carbs are replenishing depleted glycogen. You can become insulin resistant from eating too much protein, as this is easily converted into glucose. Eating too little fat is probably one of the most common causes, the less fat you eat, the MORE carbs and protein you eat, there is no way around this, it's just how it works.

I would say that as a rule of thumb, it's overeating in general that causes insulin resistance but what ultimately causes overeating is a bit paradoxical: undereating is what generally leads to overeating.

A consistent, healthy, balanced diet is the long term solution.

This kind of info, may be looking basic and not that important to some but for others it can lead to a lot of questions. Like the last sentence, it may not actually be the best strategy to go keto to reverse type 2 in every situation. The problem is not just too much sugar to begin with.

What I would like seeing debated is how people here determine that they are extra sensitive or very resistant and so on. Are these methods reliable? For example, is a loss of pumps in your arms while taking insulin a sure sign of IR? Is going hypo easily from exo insulin a sign of not being insulin resistant? And coverely, if you no longer "feel insulin", like with BG fluctuations or fast gains, is that a sign it has stopped "working"?

 

[Kaladryn]

Yea, he says low shbg is always linked to insulin resistance

Testosterone use is also a cause of low SHBG... I think your doctor may be a quack, either that, or he is google. Come on man...