Insulin
Insulin is a vital hormone that is secreted in your pancreas. It has an important role to play in food consumption and is required to facilitate nutrient uptakes in the cells. Without insulin your body will not get the nutrients it needs. Insulin is released into the blood in response to food, with the primary role ensuring that the body has enough glucose (energy stores) which results in optimal blood sugar levels.
Insulin is sensitive to carbohydrates and a tiny portion of proteins that we consume. Everyone has a predisposed insulin level within the body that is governed by the internal organs. The muscles, liver and fat have their own individual response to insulin. When insulin is secreted in large quantities, over an extended period of time, the body becomes less sensitive to this message which can result in insulin resistance.
Therefore, controlling the foods that are consumed will have a vital role within this sensitivity. It is the higher carbohydrate meals that result in elevated insulin levels. Depending on metabolic type, there is evidence strongly suggesting that the leaner you become the stronger the insulin sensitivity levels will be, thus creating a more powerful anabolic effect from carbohydrates. Therefore increasing lean muscle mass can have a positive effect on insulin sensitivity.
