Insulin Resistance -Part 3 - The Benefits of Building Muscle
Welcome back,
As part of our Insulin Resistance series, the last 2 emails discussed what it is, how it progresses and it’s risk factors. But you can’t present a problem without offering a solution. So today we need to talk about what you can start doing to prevent or even reverse it.
Blood sugar (glucose) is immediate energy for the body. And glycogen is sugar stored in the muscles and liver. Your muscles are efficient at using both glucose and glycogen for energy. So if you want to start becoming more sensitive to insulin there is no better place to start than with exercise.
1) Deplete muscular glycogen
Glycogen is used during anaerobic activities. These are activities done at a high intensity. Unlike aerobic activities, they aren’t relying on oxygen as the fuel source. They are using stored energy in the muscle and once that’s used up, performance begins to decrease or the activity needs to stop.
For example: you may be able to walk for many miles without needing to take a break. This is an aerobic activity. But even the best sprinter can run maybe 200-400 meters at their fastest pace before they start to hit a wall. They could never maintain that same pace indefinitely because they’ve used up stored glycogen for energy.
Similarly when you are lifting weights, as you get to the final repetitions, you are literally “feeling the burn.” This is a sign your body is utilizing glycogen for fuel and eventually you will run out of steam. The key difference is the intensity level at which the exercise is performed.
Resistance training at a high intensity is vital for blood sugar control. When you’ve depleted these glycogen stores, your body will work to replenish them. During this time, your muscles are hungry for sugar. They will act like a sponge and soak up some of the floating blood sugar. If you are someone who has higher blood sugar levels (prediabetes or type II diabetes) strength training is a simple way to get sugar out of your blood stream.
2) Improve glucose uptake
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