Is there a limit to how much insulin you can take?

In this video I share my thoughts on one of the most popular questions we get asked inside The Training Lab. Is there really a limit to how much insulin you can take? Watch this video to find out.

Simple, you need to activate your LEAN GENES.

You must have come across similar claims;

“DNA testing is the future.”

“We tailor nutrition to your genes.”

Or maybe,

“We program perfect workout plans for your genome!”

Skeptical?

You should be.

Those claims are talking about genetic determinism. This basically means. You are born with a genetic code that perfectly predicts your future health and physical potential. Also, you can do very little to change your outlook.

You either got it, or you don’t, right?

Wrong. Current science shows the exact opposite. Your genetic code only predicts 20% of your future health (1).  It’s how your genes are activated that makes all the difference, 80% of the difference. This is the field of science called Epigenetics.

Epigenetics is the science looking at the environmental, nutritional and physical factors that influence your genetic expression.

Let me break this down for you.

Imagine your genetic code is a large fridge freezer.

The top part is the fridge, which is full of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean cuts of quality meats, and a host of quality fresh produce. You can consider these your “good” or “LEAN GENES”.

The bottom part is the freezer, containing pizza, chicken nuggets, ready meals, ice cream and a shed load of processed food. You can consider these your “bad” or “fat” genes.

Now it’s true that some people are born with bigger fridges that others (genetic determinism). But that is not the most important thing. The important thing is how you make your daily selections from the fridge or freezer (epigenetics). This is what predicts health, body shape, and insulin sensitivity.

Research shows clearly that if you regularly fire-up your LEAN GENES, you can expect:

• Reduced inflammation (2)
• Reduce Fat storage (3)
• Improve blood glucose control & reduce insulin resistance (4)
• Increase insulin secretion (5)
• DNA repair and protection (6)
• Inhibition of protein degradation (7)
• Increased protein synthesis (8)
• In type 2 muscle fibers, the growth of satellite cells (9)

So basically, looking good, feeling good, on your way to Hollywood!

What happens if people with diabetes turn on their LEAN GENES?

You can expect lower glucose levels, improved pancreatic function and to increase your fat burning potential. As shown in this diagram below taken from a leading research review article (10)!

So, you are probably thinking;

“What daily habits can I employ to make sure I am selecting from the fridge and not the freezer?”

Or in technical speak,

“What nutritional, environmental and physical practices can I adapt to activate the expression of my lean genes?”

It’s great you’re asking that, it means you are in the right place.

As you read this article, you will discover the BIG THREE lifestyle practices you can employ to get all the benefits of activating your Lean Genes.

Let’s begin.

Before we start making changes. It’s essential we understand how the selection process works. What decides if the LEAN GENES (fridge) or fat genes (freezer) are expressed?

There is a wide range of factors, but science is showing clearly that there are a set of MASTER REGULATORS within our cells that control the gene expression process.

What are these MASTER Regulators?

A group of enzymes called the Sirtuin Enzymes. There are seven of them, but Sirtuin 1 and 3 are the most important when it comes to the expression of your LEAN GENES.

The cartoon below shows how the Sirtuin Enzymes (the conductor) create the lean gene activation (beautiful harmonious music from the orchestra).

How do the MASTER REGULATORS alter gene expression?

Simple explanation. The Master Regulators direct the hand into the fridge, so healthy selections are made.

Technical explanation. The Sirtuin enzymes remove acetyl group (deacetylation) from proteins in the cells, which alters the activity of the proteins in favour of expressing your LEAN GENES.

This deacetylation process requires NAD+, so the higher the NAD+, the more effective this process is. See this cartoon showing how the Sirtuin Enzyme removes an Acetyl group of a Histone, allowing the Histone to fire-up LEAN GENE expression.

Make a mental note here.

Anything that increases the NAD+ or Sirtuin enzymes in the cells, enhances Lean Gene activation.

This will help you understand how lifestyle changes activate LEAN Genes.

So, if you are with me so far, you are probably thinking;

“If I increase the number of Master Regulators (Sirtuin Enzymes) in my cells, and make them work more effectively (increase NAD+), I will really fire up may Lean Genes!”

If you are, you are 100% correct. The aim of the game is twofold:

1. Increase the number of Sirtuin Enzymes in your cells.

2. Create conditions (increase NAD+) in the cells that enable the Sirtuin enzymes to work as quickly and effectively as possible.

Now you are clear on the process of activating your LEAN GENES. It’s time to discover how to increase the number Master Regulators, and create a cellular environment that makes them sing!

You are going to do this by employing the principle of Hormesis.

Hormesis is the principle of applying a small stress to the body, the body fights that stress, then adapts the metabolic machinery to be stronger, healthier and more robust.

So next time you can handle a higher stress load and you evolve into a machine that can handle anything!

Just think of Hormesis as;

“What does not kill you makes you stronger!”

There are endless ways to stress the body to get this effect. But I am sure you want the ones that give you the best bang for your buck, right?

Good, because the rest of this article outlines THREE of the most effective Hormesis strategies for activating your LEAN Genes. Three strategies that increase the number of Master Regulators and create the optimal cellular environment to fire up your LEAN GENES.

What are the BIG three?

1. Polyphenols (including Resveratrol)
2. Cold Stress (Energy stress)
3. Fasting (Caloric Restriction)

This diagram presents an overview of how the BIG THREE work and consolidates your knowledge so far!

You can see how the big three increase the Sirtuin Enzymes (Sirt1) directly and/or increase NAD+. There are several metabolic pathways involved, including the AMPK and LKB1 pathways, but you do not need a deep understanding of the pathways.

You just need to know once the Sirtuin Enzymes are activated with NAD+, there is a positive cascade leading to LEAN GENE expression and good health.

Let’s break the big three down.

What are Polyphenols and how do they work by Hormesis?

Polyphenols are the plant’s defense mechanisms, they protect from UV light, insects, microbial infections, and they attract pollinators.

They are compounds that contain at least one aromatic ring and are classified into different groups according to the number of aromatic rings and the structural elements that bind these rings together. Therefore, polyphenols are classified as flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, and stilbenes.

When we consume polyphenols, they act by applying a stress to our cells and increase the Sirtuin Enzymes. Because this stress comes from plants, it’s technically known as Xenohormesis.

Polyphenols also have an anti-oxidant effect and help lower blood pressure by dilating blood vessels.

This all sounds great, but what is the evidence to say consuming Polyphenols is beneficial for health?

A review of all the key evidence in 2016 reported (11):

“A multitude of proven benefits for consuming a diet that has a high and diverse intake of polyphenols”

The benefits include;

• Proven long-term benefits

–    Reduced relative risk of cancer by 40%

–    Reduced relative risk of cardiovascular disease by 30%

• Proven short-term benefits:

–    Anticarcinogenic

–    Antiatherogenic

–    Antiulcer

–    Antithrombotic

–    Anti-inflammatory

–    Antiallergenic

–    Anticoagulant

–    Antimicrobial

–    Vasodilatory

The most important thing to understand from the above research is the statement;

“High and diverse intake of polyphenols”

This graphic shows each category of polyphenols has sub-categories, and lots of individual polyphenols. There are literally thousands!

Fortunately, a European Team has identified the 500 most important polyphenols and created a database, the Polyphenol-Explorer. The Polyphenol database allows you to see which foods are bursting with the key polyphenols. I spent hours trawling the database to develop this table that summarizes things nicely.

You should now be starting to realize why you need a high and diverse intake of different foods groups to get your Polyphenols!

The Polyphenol-Explorer database has been independently validated by a huge pan-European study (12). The study also reported usual intakes by the different nations. Do you think consume more than your nations average?

At Diabetic Muscle and Fitness, we have spent months creating a tool that allows you to enter how frequently you eat the Top 100 polyphenol-rich foods. In return for your efforts, you get a report that details;

1. Your overall daily intake in mg.
2. Your intake is broken down into the key food categories.
3. Notification if your intake is low, medium, optimal, or too high in the different food categories.
4. Considerations of how to improve your intake.
5. Top food lists to help you achieve optimal intakes.

Interested?

See the below report from one of our Training Lab members.

You can see his overall intake is medium and there are several food groups with a low intake. Interestingly, he thought he had a “healthy diet”, but this made him realize there was a lot of room for progress.

After chewing over his report, he decided to take on the Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Four-Week Polyphenol Challenge with other community members in the Training Lab.

He used the top foods list we created to improve his polyphenol intake. Below are two of the eight Top Food lists.

Using the 100mg and above list for Teas and Cocoa products,  he decided to introduce Green Matcha Tea and add in a couple of cups of peppermint tea per day.

Using the 150mg and above list for Fruits, he decided to introduce Figs, prunes and plumbs.

He completed the tool again after the four-week challenge and was rewarded with the below report

What an amazing turnaround!

He now has optimal intake overall and most in categories. He has a “high and diverse intake of polyphenols”, so he can expect all the health benefits, as he is regularly firing up his LEAN GENES.

Still some room for improvement in the herbs, spices, and condiments – But nobody is perfect, right?

How do you think you would score?

If you want to find out, access the Training Lab to use the unique tool.

Two final things to consider with polyphenols from the leading research review (11):

1. A healthy gut increases the absorption of polyphenols, and foods high in polyphenols feed a healthy gut. So, look after your gut and you will get the most out of your polyphenol intake. Some simple advice:
2. Eat fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi.
3. Eat at least one fruit and veg from each colour of the rainbow every day.
4. Eat foods high in pre-biotic fibre such as onions, garlic, and leeks.
5. See the Guide in the Training Lab for more detail.

2. Increase the bio-availability of polyphenols with these simple tips:
3. Add lemon juice to tea.
4. Consume fat with vegetables e.g. light frying of onions.
5. Eat high-quality protein (high in Leucine).
6. See the Guide in the Training Lab for more and a more detailed explanation.

Ok, Polyphenols are done, let’s get into cold stress.

Cold Stress

Cold Stress was popularized by Tim Ferris in his book The Four Hour Body, and more recently by Wim Hoff -The Ice Man.

Stories of ice baths, cold packs, Cryotherapy, and cold showers being the fountain of youth.

Promises of rapid fat loss, increased metabolic rate, improved mental health, and building resilience.

Sounds too good to be true, right?

Let’s find out, but first, what does Cold Stress look like?

The Cold Stress Options:

1. Cold shower: Turn the shower to full cold and stand under for 5-15 minutes. Not as easy it sounds. Start with 5 minutes and increase by a minute each time.

2. Cold bath or bin: Submerge up to the neck for 5-15mins. This is actually easier than a shower as you do not get the constant sprinkle of cold on you. Build duration up over time.

3. Cryotherapy: Enter a cold capsule and be blasted by liquid nitrogen for a short time period, usually 2-3 minutes. Much more expensive but very time efficient. Usually 2-3 minutes.

Which is best?

Studies comparing all methods show they elicit the same response, as long as the core temperature drops (13). So, the best for you depends on finance, availability, and your mental strength to withstand the cold for longer durations.

What do the research papers say?

1. Cold stress causes a BIG surge in stress hormones: Noradrenaline increases by 300 -500% and Dopamine by 150-250% (14).

How does this benefit?

• Good for mood: noradrenaline and dopamine electrify the regions of the brain to make you feel good, the same effect induced by caffeine. Interestingly the cold stress response does not go away with daily practice, unlike the quick graduation from a single, to a double, to a triple espresso. Sound familiar?

• Good for the immune system: noradrenaline reduces inflammation by decreasing key inflammatory factors, and increasing beneficial natural killer cells (15). This has been linked with reducing brain inflammation, by better use of Serotonin (happy chemical).

• Good evidence shows cold stress improves arthritis symptoms (16) and lowers incidence of nasty chest infections (17). Interestingly, studies of centenarians (people over 100 years) show INFLAMMATION (low levels that is) is the strongest predictor of living a long and healthy life (18).

This is a big leap I know, but could occasional exposure to cold stress help you live longer and stronger?

2. Cold Stress stimulates heat production and increases metabolic rate by up to 350% (19). This is mediated by two processes.

• Shivering (believe me, this happens!). The muscles twitch rapidly using glucose to produce heat. This creates a serious energy stress and is very much Hormesis.

• Stimulation of brown fat to produce heat by burning fat. Brown fat found in your sternum and collarbone region is special. Why? because it is the only type of tissue that can burn fat purely to produce heat. Consistent exposure to cold stress increases brown fat accumulation over time via the Sirtuin 3 metabolic pathway (20).

This sounds great, as it increases fat burning potential!

However, there is a strange irony with brown fat. The accumulation only happens for LEAN INDIVIDUALS. Unfortunately, brown fat accumulation is virtually non-existent for obese people (21). This is a cruel paradox, and is shown in the graphic below!

3. Cold Stress has been shown to improve our internal anti-oxidant defense systems by 40%, to help fight the damage from everyday inflammation (22). Could cold stress become one of your five a day?

4. Cold stress can improve recovery from training and injury. Amazing, let’s get in the cold bath, right? Not so quick, the devil is in the detail. It all depends on timing and type of training!

• For strength and muscle building training: DO NOT APPLY COLD STRESS IN THE 1 HOUR AFTER TRAINING (the anabolic window). You need the inflammatory response after training to drive muscle growth and strength! Research has shown cold exposure in the hour after strength training slows any gains (23).

• For endurance events and sports specific activities, it’s a different story. Applying cold stress soon after the activity is important. Why? Stopping inflammation is key, so repeated bouts of training can be completed. It is the enzymatic changes and increased number of mitochondria that drive performance improvement for endurance training, not hypertrophy (mostly). Cold stress has also been shown to increase the number of mitochondria (energy-producing cells) in muscles (24). Cold stress has been shown to improve performance markers in elite runners by 20% (25) and increase sprint power of elite cyclists by 5% (26).

This all sounds great, but what about people with Diabetes, any evidence?

As usual NO, but there are no reasons why this would not work for people with Diabetes.

Just a few things to consider:

• The massive increase in noradrenaline may:
• Increase blood glucose during and after.
• If you have a heart condition it can be very dangerous (27), DO NOT DO IT.

• The increased glucose utilization from shivering may make your glucose drop.
• The cold feeling will mask any signs of going hypo.

• You will need to be aware of the last time you gave a bolus of insulin. If in the last 3 hours your response will be much more unpredictable.

My safety advice would be:

1. Make sure glucose is 7mmol/l (125mg/dl) before starting.
2. Measure before and after and 30 minutes after to see the effect.
3. Start with 5 minutes and build up minute by minute.
4. Have someone with you for the first few times.
5. Make sure your last bolus insulin was at least three hours ago.
6. Keep it to three times a week for practicality, and to reduce to risk of too much stress.
7. If you are dieting hard and in a big energy deficit, do not use cold stress. It may be one stress too far and lead to overtraining and illness.

SAFETY WARNING

ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR MEDICAL TEAM BEFORE TRYING ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY COLD STRESS

Check with your Doctor before trying anything, especially if you have a heart condition. If you are thinking of doing contrast therapy, from hot to cold and back, this puts the body under increased stress. This has been shown to be an issue for people with poor heart health (28).

So, there you have it. Cold Stress has quite a few potential benefits, but you have to be prepared for a bit of mental torture three times a week to get them!

Diabetes does present a few extra challenges, but you now have the tools to overcome them.

Do you want to join an elite group of people with Diabetes who have taken on the Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Four-week Cold Stress Challenge?

Is so, head over to the Training Lab where the Activate Your LEAN GENES Guide will walk you through it step by step.

Ok, two down, fasting to go!

Why does fasting fire up your LEAN GENES?

There are multiple metabolic pathways that lead to the activation of LEAN GENES whilst fasting. We will keep our focus on the main two. Firstly, fasting directly increases the level of Sirtuin 1 enzymes. Secondly, the caloric restriction leads to the cells using a lot of nutrients, which causes a very high NAD+ level (29).

This combination is a true stress on the body, and leads to serious activation of your LEAN GENES.

The research evidence on the benefits of fasting is vast and beyond dispute (29). Not to mention that it’s been practiced throughout human evolution, is practiced routinely by many religions, AND IT’S WHAT OUR GENES EXPECT REGULARLY TO BE HEALTHY!

In western society we have just forgotten about it.

Why?

Because there is an abundance of food on every street corner and takeaways just the click of an app away. Instead of fasting being imposed on us by seasonal food scarcity. We have to purposefully pursue the practice of fasting to get the benefit!

This is the challenge. We, humans, love immediate gratification, that’s why we love tasty food, we get in the car for all our trips, and we often prioritize being on our phone until late, in place of seven hours quality sleep.

To meet our evolutionary need to fast, we need to understand the benefit, then shape our environment to make occasional fasting a way of life!

We are now clear fasting is beneficial and that our current environment works against us. But what is not so clear is;

“What type of fasting is the best choice for people with diabetes.”

There are several different ways to employ fasting popular types of fasting are:

Intermittent Fasting:

• 20:4 – Eating window 14:00 – 18:00
• 18:6 – Eating window 12:00 – 18:00
• 16:8 – Eating window 10:00 – 18:00
• 14:10 – Eating window 8:00 – 18:00

5:2 Diet – Popularized by Michael Moseley

• 5 days’ maintenance calories
• 2 days 300-500kcal

One or two 24 hours fast a week – Popularised by Brad Pillion – Eat Stop Eat.

• Usual fasting window 20:00 to 20:00

3-7 day prolonged fasts:

• Water only

In my ten years of clinical and coaching experience, there is one clear winner for people with Diabetes. Before I tell you which one, let’s break each of them down.

If you go for 24 hours without eating, once or twice a week, then back to maintenance caloric intake, your basal insulin requirement changes drastically. Even though modern background insulins have improved, they cannot keep up with this fluctuation. People on an insulin pump have a better chance, but they need two or three basal profiles – this requires a high level of daily management.

In my opinion from lots of clinical and coaching experience, the Eat Stop Eat method often leads to erratic blood glucose.

This is a similar story for the 5:2 diet. Changing from maintenance caloric intake to 300-500kcal twice a week will require two different regimens. Not quite as challenging as Eat Stop Eat, but a level of inconsistency that does not match diabetes medications.

If you are considering a 3-7 day fast, please seek medical support.

You will need a planned gradual reduction in background insulin or medications. You will need to understand the difference between nutritional ketosis and diabetic ketoacidosis. You will need to stop resistance training. Finally, you will need a crazy level of grit and determination.

You may have guessed by now. The best choice is Intermittent Fasting.

Why?

Matching diabetes medications (especially insulin) to metabolism requires one thing, CONSISTENCY. Intermittent Fasting provides a level of consistency from day to day that allows diabetes medications to be matched very effectively.

I have helped countless people with diabetes get the benefit from intermittent fasting with very few blood glucose issues.

Here are my top tips:

1. An 18 (fast) 6(eat) regimen you can improve your hba1c. If you stop eating at 6 pm then your quick acting insulin is out of your system by 10 pm (bedtime). If you get your glucose in the target before bed and your background insulin set correctly, you get the next 18 hours target range.

2. You may need a small correction dose of insulin first thing in the morning if you experience dawn phenomenon.

3. Train at 4 or 5 pm after you have eaten so you have the energy to smash a tough session. Fasted sessions can be challenging.

4. You may need a reduced dose of background insulin in the morning If you take a split dose or you are on an insulin pump. Why? Your liver glucose output drops in favour of burning fat as the fasting period goes on.

This sounds GREAT, so I should use Intermittent Fasting all the time, right?

Not quite. There are times when Intermittent Fasting will be beneficial, and other times detrimental.

When Fasting is beneficial?

• Maintaining current physique or slow body fat loss phase.
• Time pressures.
• Training intensity is not of primary importance.
• Issues with post-breakfast glucose spikes.

Intermittent Fasting will not be optimal when you need to spread out protein feeds, and prioritize recovery from training:

• Gaining size and strength.
• Training twice per day.
• Heavy periods of training requiring on point pre and post nutrition.
• Physique contest preparation.

We have had some amazing results in the Training Lab from those who have taken on the Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Four-Week Intermittent Fasting Challenge.

The Challenge takes you from a 14:10 to a 20:4 over four weeks. It also provides you with a detailed guide on how to adjust medication to manage blood glucose control. Obviously, you need to agree on any medication changes with your Health Care Professional.

Let’s recap on what we now know.

Our Genes only determine 20% of our health, the most important thing is which ones we turn on. Simply, it’s not the size of your fridge or freezer that counts, but the selections you make from them.

The Sirtuin enzymes are the master regulators that fire-up your lean genes by a process of deacetylation. Simply, the Sirtuin enzymes are the conductor and the Lean Genes are the Orchestra.

Hormesis is the process that stimulates the Sirtuin enzymes and elevates the level of NAD+ in the cell to fully activate your Lean Genes. Simply, what does not kill you makes you stronger.

The big three for activating your Lean genes are:

• Polyphenols – High and diverse intake.
• Cold Stress – Fat burning and mood elevation.
• Intermittent Fasting – Consistency is key.

The Training Lab is the place to go for:

• A detailed video guide and practical handbook to further your knowledge.
• The unique Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Four-Week Challenges to convert understanding into real learning by taking ACTION.
• A Community of like-minded people to learn from and get accountable for.

I hope you enjoyed this article. If so, please share with friends who have Diabetes.

John Pemberton

Head Coach at Diabetic Muscle and Fitness

Diabetes Specialist Dietitian/Educator

References

1. PLoS Med. 2011;8:e1001116. Epub 2011 Nov 1
2. Adipocyte. 2013 Apr 1;2(2):113-8

1. Biochem Pharmacol. 2011 Mar 1;81(5):569-76.
2. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Mar;25(3):138-45
3. Nature (2007) 450, 712-6
4. Physiol Rev. 2012 July ; 92(3): 1479–1514
5. Aging Cell (2015) 14, 511-523
6. Eur J Cell Bilogy (2009) 88, 35-44
7. Cell Stem Cell (2015) 16, 171-83

10. World J Diabetes (2014), 15; 5(6): 894-900
11. Nutrients 2016, 8, 78
12. Eur J Nutr (2016) 55:1359–1375
13. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00365510701516350
14. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s004210050065
15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1845768
16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16870097
17. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987703002706
18. http://physiolgenomics.physiology.org/content/24/1/13.long
19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3726172/
20. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0046352
21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4338605/
22. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3726172/
23. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0046352
24. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP270570/epdf
25. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26041108
26. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3233540/
27. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24504431/
28. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10085493
29. Physiol Rev . 2012 July ; 92(3): 1479–151

If you want to build a great looking body you’re going to have to respect a number of fundamental principles, these include…

Controlling your calorie intake, regular strength training, keeping active (outside the gym), getting high quality rest and following a healthy lifestyle.

These are all compulsory. whether you’re diabetic or not. However, people with diabetes have an extra responsibility that overrules all of these factors.

You can be incredibly precise with your calorie intake, disciplined with your training, physical activity and sleep schedules, but if you don’t dose your insulin correctly in relation to all of these factors, then your efforts to get in shape will be futile.

If you want to build your best body yet, you need to be disciplined and knowledgeable when it comes to dosing insulin and managing your diabetes. This is an area almost every hard training diabetic I have come across fails on.

They know how to train and eat, but when it comes to managing their blood sugars, bolus and basal insulin they are sunk! As a result, they never reach their true muscle building and fat loss potential and end up going round in circles trying one diet/training regime to the next without actually looking at the root of the problem, which is ignorance and lack of knowledge on insulin dosing.

Think about it.

Dose too much – you’ll end up going hypo and have to consume what’s available, which could add a tonne of unwanted calories, never mind straining your central nervous system, which can have detrimental effect on mood and exercise performance.

Vice versa, don’t inject enough insulin and you’ll end up going hyperglycaemic, which is highly catabolic, detrimental to health and the last time I checked…doesn’t really feel that good!

I asked our head coach John Pemberton, who runs the Diabetic Muscle & Fitness Elite Physique Coaching program and who also happens to be one of the UK’s leading diabetes dieticians, to share his views on how people with diabetes can learn to dose their insulin more accurately for better fat loss and muscle.

Check out he had to say in the article below.

Get a pen and paper ready. As you absorb the latest information in this article, you will quickly become more advanced than the vast majority of Diabetes Dietitians.

Yours in Strength,

Phil Graham

Unfortunately, people with type 1 diabetes are taught (previously by me) that calculating insulin at meal times is simple:

1. Add up the carbohydrate of the meal.
2. Apply your carb ratio.
3. Deliver the insulin.
4. Your blood glucose level will remain in target for the next four hours.

Carbohydrate is the only macronutrient that increases blood glucose after eating, right?

You know this isn’t true. It’s not as simple as just calculating carbs.

How many times have you experienced random high and low blood glucose levels after eating, even though you thought you accounted for every last carb?

Take, for instance, the latest research¹ on how much extra insulin is needed for a 70g carbs pizza base vs. a 70g carb pizza with extra cheese and meat.

How much extra insulin do you think was needed?

Wait for it…

65% extra insulin on average, and some people needed up to 124% extra!

Yes! That means you need to think outside the box of just counting carbs. Once you realise this you will gain significantly more control over your diabetes. Let’s break it down.

First things first, have you heard of any of the following?

• The Warsaw Fat and Protein Unit System.
• The Food Insulin Index.
• The Bell (2015) Systematic Review insulin dose algorithm.

Maybe not?

Don’t worry. I hadn’t either, and embarrassingly, even during my time working as a Diabetes Specialist Dietitian for the National Health Service.

Initially I employed the counting carbs-only approach for the first five years of my Type 1 journey (still working as Diabetes Dietitian), and found it to be successful 75% of the time.

This may sound ok, but I was experiencing unexpected highs and lows which I didn’t appreciate.

Despite doing everything right, I wasn’t confident in controlling my diabetes.

Are you in the same boat?

If so, what have you done about it?

Nothing?

Well, I’m here to tell you –  it is time to move past the “You must not be counting your carbs correctly!” answer you’ll get from your diabetes specialist or dietician.

When I realised things weren’t working for me, I invested myself heavily into the research and physiology textbooks in search of answers. I wanted to devise a set of flexible insulin dosing strategies that would put me and any other fitness fanatics with type 1 diabetes in full control of their physique and fitness goals.

This is something that would help you, right?

How easy would it be to choose the right insulin dose if all you had to do was?

1. Enter your carb, fat and protein grams into a calculator.
2. Observe the different insulin doses suggested by the four main systems.
3. Choose the insulin dose based on your current goals, gaining, leaning, maintaining.

Keep reading and I will tell you where you can go to find such a revolutionary calculator. But before that, let’s look at what the research and textbooks tell us.

I am not going to bore you with all the details of reading 100s of articles, 1000s of hours of personal trial and error, and 100s of patients trailing different methods in my clinical practice.

I’ve done all the hard work for you. Let me take you right to the juicy stuff. You ready?

Say hello to Kristine Bell, a Type 1 diabetes researcher in Australia. She authored what I consider to be one of the most important Type 1 Diabetes articles: the most comprehensive evidence review on the effect of carbohydrate, fat, protein and glycaemic index on after-meal glucose levels.²

Finally, a team of experts took the time to pull together the best research to explain the physiology, and most importantly to offer solutions. This is a landmark paper for people with Type 1 Diabetes.  Why?

The paper highlights the physiology behind, and the best techniques to prevent, your glucose level going out of range after eating. Here are a few of the highlights to whet your appetite:

• Glucose soaring after eating carbs that get absorbed quickly (high glycaemic index). This is because even though we have “quick acting” insulin, it’s not as quick as that breakfast cereal or bagel! Breakfast is usually to worst for post-meal spikes, right? Here some pearls that will keep those post-meal levels in check.

• Takeaway 1: Give your insulin 15-30 minutes before food! How about even earlier, how does 40 minutes sound if your glucose level at 12mmol/l (215mg/dl) pre-meal? This will keep those post-meal spikes in check!

• Takeaway 2: Ever heard of a Super Bolus? If you are on an insulin pump, try borrowing from the basal by doing a temporary basal rate, and then add it to the meal insulin. I have seen this destroy after-meal highs, it’s something I use every day.

• Glucose level going high and staying high four to ten hours after eating a meal containing large amounts of fat or protein. Do you think this is due to excess protein being converted to glucose? It’s actually due to excess protein causing pancreatic glucagon release, which goes to liver and floods the bloodstream with glucose; not forgetting the prolonged insulin resistance caused from a high fat intake. What’s the answer?

• Takeaway 3: If you are on a pump you need to increase the meal insulin way above that suggested by the carbs alone, and use a dual/extended bolus option to spread it out! How much extra? How long to extend?
  • Start with 25% extra and increase from monitoring
  • Start with a 50/50 split of the bolus and extend the second 50% for 2 hours bolus
  • Monitor and make adjustments as needed. I need 50% extra insulin when I have Pizza. I bolus 60% upfront and the remaining 40% over three hours. I do love a stuffed crust!

• Takeaway 4: If you are on multiple daily injections you also need to increase the meal insulin way above that suggested by the carbs alone. But you need to do two injections to cover the delayed rise.
  • Start with 25% extra and increase from monitoring
  • Start with the first 50% of the insulin before the meal, and give the other 50% in 60-90 minutes time.

You may be thinking,

“All these techniques are for high carbohydrate diets, what about the low carb diet, how should you calculate meal insulin?”

Some key takeaways for the low carb crowd:

• Takeaway 5: The amount of insulin required to cover the glucose raising properties of protein is less when eaten with very low carbs. So you will need a very small insulin dose at mealtimes to cover protein if you go very low carb or KETO. From clinical experience a lot of people find success with counting 25-50% of the protein and applying their carb ratio to get an effective dose. But this requires some trial and error.

What about the fitness fanatics and physique competitors who go from high carb when gaining mass, to low carb when shredding fat?

They need to be adept at counting macros and switching up their insulin dosing strategy as they manipulate their macros. This takes time, experience and plenty of trial and error.

By now you’ve probably realised how much valuable information is inside this paper?

You would be 100% correct.

However, there is one big problem…

It is written in a very scientific way – making it incredibly difficult to understand for the average layman. It certainly doesn’t have videos and tools to bring it to life. This is where I come in.

I have condensed thousands of hours studying the amazing work of Kristine Bell and summarised it into a BREAKTHROUGH course hosted inside the Diabetes and Muscle Fitness Training Lab.

What is it called? What does it entail? I hear you ask…

“Becoming a Bolus Wizard”

This eleven module video course will be the best five hours you have ever invested in your Diabetes. It starts you at the basics to cement your foundational knowledge. It will then advance your knowledge to a point where you can start to apply:

• The Warsaw Fat and Protein Unit System
• The Food Insulin Index
• The Bell (2015) Systematic Review insulin dose algorithm
• Super Bolus
• Glycaemic Index
• Personalised Nutrition

Not only does the course have an interactive workbook, but it has that bolus calculator I mentioned earlier – the calculator that allows you to simply enter your meal details, and hey presto, you have all the insulin dosing systems at your fingertips.

Sound like a one-stop shop?

It is truly a unique resource that I am very proud of and has taken an immense amount of work. I am excited to be sharing it with you, so you can take control of your diabetes and build the body you’ve always dreamed of.

I guarantee you will be 100% satisfied, why? Because hundreds of people with type 1 Diabetes have already benefitted from the course and calculator. Take Andy for example, Type 1D of 20 years.

“For years I was taught it was only carbs I needed to account for. I knew this was too simplistic, but what else was there to know? My healthcare professional kept telling  me it was only carbs. The course built my knowledge, instilling the basics, then I started bolusing for protein. What a game changer, Type 1 Diabetes is no longer a mystery!”

After absorbing this article, you are now aware you need to broaden your insulin dosing horizons. Imagine completing the modules inside Becoming a Bolus Wizard , using the calculator and dominating your diabetes control.

I’m not saying you have to join the lab and read through my course.

You could do all the research yourself, but do you have a few thousand hours to spare?

How about five hours?

If you want to learn faster, more effectively and get better diabetes control, there is only one thing to do.

1. Become a member of the Training Lab. (you get a free T-shirt and shaker when you join)
2. Watch the videos
3. Complete the modules
4. Download the workbook and test your new found knowledge
5. Use the calculator
6. Dominate your diabetes game

You will be joining a community of people with Type 1 Diabetes who are positive about diabetes, who are training for strength and physique, and who inspire you to be more.

Are you are the type of person that wants great detail and the research behind all the insulin dosing strategies?

If so the Training Lab also has the most detailed guide available:

“The Definitive Guide to insulin dosing for carbohydrate, fat and protein”

Be warned, this goes deep!

Ever heard of “you are the average of the five people you associate most with?” Upgrade your circle of positive influence, and join the Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Training Lab.

I hope this article helped you!

See you on the inside.

References

1. Bell et al. (2016) Optimized Mealtime Insulin Dosing for Fat and Protein in Type 1 Diabetes: Application of a Model-Based Approach to Derive Insulin Doses for Open-Loop Diabetes Management. 

2. Bell KJ, et al. (2015) Impact of fat, protein, and glycaemic index on postprandial glucose control in type 1 diabetes: implications for intensive diabetes management in the continuous glucose monitoring era.

3814 words, 30-minute read.

KEY POINTS

• Whey protein is the least important thing you need to worry about when it comes to building a better looking body.
• Certain types of whey protein are overpriced and aren’t worth the money.
• Whey protein will not ruin your kidneys or liver.
• Whey protein can affect your blood glucose levels and needs to be accounted for with the appropriate level of medication.

Does whey protein live up to the hype for people with diabetes?

Can I take whey protein safely if I have Diabetes? What about my kidneys?

Am I wasting my money on another marketing scam?

My health care professional says I do not need protein supplements, do they really know, or are they playing it safe?

All my gym buddies take whey and getting results, but they don’t have diabetes, will it work for me?

These are questions I hear all the time in my clinical Diabetes practice. Mainly by young men and women who are starting at the gym and want to build a great physique. They want to maximise their gym efforts by supplementing with whey protein. But they are concerned with safety, effect on blood glucose, and their finances. Sound familiar?

There are some amazing articles online that have every last detail on whey protein. But I am guessing you do not want every last detail, right?

If you want the most potent information, in an easy to understand format, that is specific to diabetes? This article is perfect for you.

Not only that, it details the best practical strategies, taken straight from the pioneering Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Training Lab . These strategies are guaranteed to put you in control of your blood glucose level, and get the most out of whey protein.

Oh, one more thing, I guess you want a diabetes specific guide for how to choose the right whey? Don’t worry this article covers that to.

Ready?

Let’s go.

Before we get into the specifics, let’s zoom out to get some perspective.

How important do you think whey protein is in the grand scheme of losing weight and building a better body with diabetes?

Very Important?

Sort of important?

Not so important?

Check out the Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Pyramid below.

As you can see Phil Graham has outlined very clearly the most important dietary factors when it comes to building a better body with diabetes.

• A high value on fitness and diabetes management. (Your WHY)
• Excellent blood glucose control.
• Dietary adherence.
• Appropriate calorie intake for your set goal.
• Adequate essential macronutrient intake – especially protein which, according to the well-researched Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Guide, should fall into the following ranges:
• Fat Loss Protein Recommendations: 1.7 – 2.0g/kg (0.8 – 0.9g/lb) of lean body mass.
• Mass Gain Protein Recommendations:4 – 1.7g/kg (0.6-0.8g/lb) of lean body mass.

• Dietary Timing
• Micronutrient, fibre and water

Then…

Last, but not least – Supplements.

I would argue there are other more important factors before supplements – all of which are outlined in the Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Guide. These include

• Progressive Muscular Overload.
• Fatigue/Stress management and Sleep.

As you can see there are many more important factors to consider than the newest whey protein on the market.

Supplements and esoteric practices have at best, a 5-10% impact on your muscle building and fat loss efforts.

How many times have you jumped down the rabbit hole and spent madly on the next breakthrough supplement?

Many times?

Me too!

Before you do it again, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is my diabetes control on point?
2. Do I have a HbA1c of 6.5% (48mmol/mol) or less, with less than five hypos a week?
3. Am I consistently getting 7-9 hours sleep every night?
4. Am I hitting my protein targets?
5. Are my food choices real or fake?
6. Am I managing stress well?

It is easy to jump to the quick fix, after all that’s how our brains are wired. Resist, get the fundamentals sorted first.

Need some help? That’s why the Diabetes Muscle and Fitness Training Lab was started.

To provide you with evidenced based knowledge that is converted into daily strategies. Most importantly, the community is full of people with diabetes who have, or are working towards, a great physique.

If you’re not in our Facebook group already – take two seconds and join here. Then come back to read the rest of this article.

Once you have the fundamentals in place. Let’s see what benefits whey protein has to offer people with Diabetes.

What is whey protein?

How is it manufactured?

Whey is the water soluble protein in dairy, its fat-soluble sibling is casein.

Whey is technically the group of milk protein polypeptides (lots of amino acids bonded together) left in the liquid portion. Once dried it’s put in a tub and sold off the shelf as whey protein powder.

Whey has a variety of polypeptides that come in different amino acid combinations and structures.  They include ß-Lactoglobulin (BCAA rich), Alpha-Lactalbumin (L-Leucine rich), Immunoglobulin’s (L-Cysteine rich), Glycomacropeptides (hunger suppressing), which all have unique bioactive properties. Whey has all the essential amino acids (EAA) and a high content of branch chain amino acids (BCAA). It has the closest amino acid makeup to skeletal muscle, and gets absorbed rapidly.

This gives whey the potential of driving muscle protein synthesis, as it provides all the building blocks, in the right amounts.

Does this potential get realised?

Keep reading and you will find out.

But before that, what are the whey protein options you see on the shelf?

Do you know the key differences, and which is best for you? Don’t worry, you soon will.

Once separated from casein, whey undergoes a variety of purification processes, leaving it in one of three forms:

• Whey Protein Concentrate– Contains between 30-80% protein depending on manufacturer. This is the cheapest because it contains a small amount of fat and lactose. If you want the best bang for your buck, and you are not concerned with a little fat and lactose, this is perfect for you. Look for whey concentrate that is 70-80% protein by weight. This will ensure you get a good protein content, and not a mass gaining blend full of fast acting carbohydrate. It should be per 100g:

• • 70-80g of protein
  • Total carbohydrate less than 10g
  • Total fat less than 10g
  • As few additives and ingredients as possible
  • Cost between $15-$26 (£12-£20) per 100g

Below is a comparison of some of the popular whey protein concentrates, in protein content order. Notice a few things as you look at them.

• The names can be deceiving, 100% Whey!
• Cost range from $15-$26 (£12-£20)
• Differences in fat and protein content

Also remember a typical serving is 25-50g, so the fat and carb content are a quarter to half of what is shown in the table.

Key Questions to consider when selecting whey concentrate with Diabetes:

• How much impact will 3-6g carbohydrate have on my blood glucose level?

• How does an extra 4-8g of fat impact on my overall daily calorie intake?

• Do I have an unfavourable reaction to milk proteins or lactose?

Do I want flavourings added or not?

Source: http://compareproteins.co.uk/

Bottom line: If you ensure the protein is at least 70g per 100g weight, you are not going to get a huge amount of fat and protein per serving.

• Whey protein isolate– is the result of further purification, to remove almost all the fat and lactose. Look for whey isolates that have more than 80% protein by weight. To ensure getting a good whey isolate, and not a glucose busting mass mix, it should be per 100g:

• • 80g or more protein
  • Total carbohydrate less than 5g
  • Total fat less than 6g
  • As few additives and ingredients as possible
  • Cost between $22-$46 (£17 – £35) per 100g

Below is a comparison table of some of the popular whey protein isolates. They are in order of protein content. The real questions you need to ask yourself are:

• What’s the benefit of a 97g vs. 90g vs. 80g whey isolate?

• Is a difference in carb and fat content per 25-50g serving of 0.25-2.0g a deal breaker?

• Do I want flavoured or unflavoured?

Do I have issues with a tiny amount of lactose or milk proteins?

Source: http://compareproteins.co.uk/

Bottom line: Don’t be dragged into the hype that 97% pure protein is massively better than 90%! If you have lactose intolerance then you may need the 97% stuff, otherwise, save your hard earned cash!

• Whey protein hyrdrolysate– is the most purified form, following partial hydrolysis of large polypeptides into di-peptides and free amino acids. This does lead to some loss of the sulphur rich amino acids, such as L-Cysteine, and makes it taste very bitter. This form is ideal for people who have allergies to milk proteins or digestive issues, such as infants and people with Chron’s disease. Adults with intact digestive systems tolerate whey concentrate and isolate very well. Their pockets tolerate it even better! If you have digestive issues, a good whey hyrdrolysate should be per 100g:

• • 90g or more protein
  • Total carbohydrate less than 1g
  • Total fat less than 2g
  • As few additives and ingredients as possible
  • Cost $33-$66 (£25-50) per 100g

Bottom line: 99% of adults have the digestive capability to process whey concentrate and isolate. So only go for whey hyrdrolysate if you have specific digestive issue, or have not managed well with isolate.

How do you know if you are buying a quality product that has been rigorously tested?

This is a great question.  Regulations on supplement manufacturers vary from country to country. Enforcement of them over the internet is virtually non-existent.

My suggestion is to head over to Labdoor.com, they independently test and score whey protein, among many other supplements. You can filter your criteria by cost, quality and several other useful metrics.

If you want to compare brands and costs, go to http://compareproteins.co.uk/. You can filter your search by protein content, and almost any variable you can think of.

Whey protein’s effect on muscle protein synthesis and insulin requirement.

Whey protein spikes amino acid levels in the blood within 40-60minutes, most importantly, it spikes L-Leucine. Research (1) shows this spike in L-Leucine is accompanied by an increase insulin production in non-diabetics, and an elevation of protein synthesis by 30%, when compared to casein and animal protein in the first three hours. But, total protein accumulation is equal between all sources at seven hours.

There are a few important take-homes:

• If you are training twice a day, whey protein may well offer an advantage in protein synthesis.

• If you choose whey protein with Type 1 Diabetes, you are going to need more insulin than expected due to a spike in L-Leucine. If you don’t, you will miss that 30% increase in muscle protein synthesis, and have a high glucose level!

Inside the Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Training Lab we have a highly detailed execution guide called ‘Becoming a Bolus Wizard’ that covers everything you need to know about insulin dosing at meal times. There is a module and calculator showing you how to dose insulin accurately to cover protein. Gain 2 Months Free Access to the Training Lab (+ a free t shirt and protein shaker) by clicking here.

• If you choose whey protein with Type 2 diabetes, the effect on your blood glucose level could go either way. If you still have adequate beta-cell function in your pancreas, the L-Leucine spike will trigger a surge of insulin. This has been shown to reduce after eating glucose levels by 20%. However, if your Beta-call function is exhausted, you may require extra insulin if you are injecting.

Whey protein: Does it increase strength and improve body composition? 

Ever seen a claim such as:

“Whey protein, scientifically proven to increase muscle mass whilst shredding fat!”

This type of headline is from studies where protein intake is sub-optimal. When protein intake is consumed at 1.5-2.0g/kg/day, the muscle gains from additional whey disappear.

But if you are struggling to hit your daily protein requirement, whey protein is a great option for you.

Whey protein – Does it have an antioxidant effect?

Diabetes is unique in that it poses a huge oxidative stress challenge to the body. Constant fluctuations in blood glucose levels decrease cellular antioxidant levels, which in turn increase the oxidative load on the body (2).

What is oxidative stress, and how do antioxidants work?

Although your body needs oxygen to survive, it is oxygen that can lead to oxidative stress in the body. As you breathe oxygen to produce energy, there are by-products created called FREE RADICALS.

If theses FREE RADICALS are not neutralised, they cause damage to cell membranes, proteins and genes, by a process called oxidative stress.

Imagine you start a little fire to keep warm whilst camping in dry bush land. You need the fire for your survival, but you would surely put the fire out before you went to bed, right?

Of course you would. The water you extinguish the fire with, is that same principal of how antioxidants work. Antioxidants are forever neutralising free radicals before they can cause oxidative stress.

Now imagine one night you left the fire flickering and fell asleep, what’s the risk? Complete bush fire! Probably not, it would not go up that night, but if you do this often enough, eventually a massive bush fire is guaranteed!

Those bush fires in the body are caused by persistent oxidative stress with little antioxidant neutralisation. If this goes on uncontrolled for years, the risk of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s increases massively. As for building muscle, very little progress!

You might be thinking, the solution is easy, just throw back some vitamin C and a load of other antioxidant pills, right? 100% not right!

The most powerful antioxidants are already present in the body. One of the most potent being Glutathione. Glutathione is responsible for 24/7 protection in all your cells, by neutralising free radicals.

Therefore, it is more important to supply an abundance of building blocks needed to re-generate Glutathione. That’s where L-Cysteine come in. This amino acid is the rate-limiting factor for the regeneration of Glutathione.

As whey is very high in L-Cysteine, it may have potential in preventing oxidative stress.

Worth investigating, don’t you agree?

Animal studies (3) have shown the addition of whey protein reduces inflammation, elevates glutathione stores, lowers HbA1c and reduces insulin resistance.

I hear you, you are not animal, what about human research?

Human research is lacking in terms of mechanistic proof of the antioxidant effect. But at the very least there some human trials showing cardio protective effects for people with type 2 diabetes when supplemented with whey protein (4).

Whey protein: Does it cure Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)?

NAFLD is very common in people with type 2 diabetes, and a serious health risk. One study (5) showed up to 75% of insulin naive type 2’s had the clinical markers of NAFLD. It was suggested insulin resistance is the main culprit. The same study showed the type 1 diabetes population had no increased risk, further adding weight to insulin resistance being the main factor.

A Study (6) supplementing NAFLD subjects with 20g whey protein per day over 12 weeks showed an improvement in liver function, elevated liver glutathione levels, reduction in liver fat mass, and improvement in body composition. The benefit is thought to be due to the increase in L-Cysteine from the Whey protein.

Does whey protein cause kidney damage in people with diabetes?

Are your kidneys not in poor health?

Do you have chronic kidney disease stage 3 or higher?

If you answer yes to either of these two, then check with your health care professional before adding extra protein to your diet. It may make it worse.

If you answered no to both, then a higher protein intake does not pose an issue (7). If unsure, always check with your healthcare provider.

When is the best time to take whey protein if you live with diabetes?

Are you meeting your daily protein intake for your phase of training?

If you are, there is little benefit to be gained by adding in extra whey protein. You will be wasting your money by downing multiple shakes before and after training.

However,

Are you are planning on training twice a day, training fasted first thing, or are you not meeting your daily protein needs?

If yes, then having 20g whey protein before (8), and certainly in the one hour after, will ensure adequate amino acid supply. Especially the L-Leucine spike to drive muscle protein synthesis.

Let’s whey all this up.

What are the most important factors for building muscle and a great looking physique with diabetes?

That’s right, those first and second order factors in the Diabetes Pyramid of Muscle Building:

• Blood glucose control
• Consistent calories intake
• Progressive overload
• Sleep
• Adequate total protein intake according to phase of training
• Diet quality
• Allostatic load (stress management)

When you have these checked off, then consider whey protein. Let’s summarise the potential benefits for different types of diabetes.

People with Type 1 Diabetes who may benefit from supplemental whey protein:

1. Those with sub-optimal dietary protein intake <1.2/kg/day.
2. Those who train twice per day.
3. Those who struggle to meet protein requirements through real food due to time.
4. Those who are leaning down and need to hit 2.0g/kg/day.

People with Type 2 Diabetes who may benefit from supplemental whey protein:

1. Those with sub-optimal dietary protein intake <1.2/kg/day.
2. Those who train twice per day.
3. Those who struggle to meet protein requirements through real food due to time.
4. Those who are leaning down and need to hit 2.0g/kg.
5. Those who have NAFLD if substituted for other calorie sources.

Key things to pay special attention to:

1. Whey protein will require more insulin than expected due to L-Leucine content. Very important for people with type 1 diabetes, and people with type 2 diabetes who have exhausted beta-cell pancreatic function.

2. If you have chronic kidney disease stage 3 or above, it is not advisable to have extra protein. Check with your healthcare professional.

What to consider when choosing a Whey protein:

1. Do I have lactose intolerance or milk protein allergy?

• If yes, go for a 97% whey isolate or hyrdrolysate
• If no, then go for a whey concentrate or isolate.

2. Does it matter if per serving, the carb and fat content is 3-6g?

• If yes, choose a whey isolate >90%
• If not, choose a 70-80% whey concentrate

3. Is cost a major consideration?

• If yes, choose a 70-80% whey concentrate
• If no, choose a whey isolate >90%

There are a host of other considerations depending on the type of person you are:

1. Grass fed animals vs. not grass fed
2. Added sweeteners vs. no added sweeteners
3. Flavourings vs. no added flavourings

For these, it is over to you to check the labels!

If this article has helped you, please share it on your social and educate other people with diabetes.

There’s More!

Believe it or not. This article is only a condensed version of the main Whey Protein and Diabetes article inside The Training Lab.

If you found this article useful – you’ll gain even MORE VALUE information inside The Training Lab. There is an insane amount of regularly updated high quality content inside the Lab waiting for you. It will add immense value to your diabetes management, health, muscle building and fat loss efforts.

You won’t find content like this anywhere else on the internet.

Join today and claim 2 months free membership, a free training tee and Diabetic Muscle and Fitness protein shaker!

References

1. Reitelseder, S. et al (2011) Whey and casein labeled with L-[1-13C]leucine and muscle protein synthesis: effect of resistance exercise and protein ingestion. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Jan;300(1):E231-42. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00513.2010.

2. Asmat, U. (2015) Diabetes mellitus and oxidative stress—A concise review. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal Volume 24, Issue 5, September 2016, Pages 547-553

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2015.03.013

3. Jain, S.K. (2009) L-cysteine supplementation lowers blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, CRP, MCP-1, and oxidative stress and inhibits NF-kappaB activation in the livers of Zucker diabetic rats. Free Radic Biol Med. 2009 Jun 15;46(12):1633-8. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2009.03.014.

4. Ballard, K.D. et al (2013) Acute effects of ingestion of a novel whey-derived extract on vascular endothelial function in overweight, middle-aged men and women. Br J Nutr. 2013 Mar 14;109(5):882-93. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512002061.

5. Cusi, K. (2017) Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) prevalence and its metabolic associations in patients with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2017 Apr 17. doi: 10.1111/dom.12973.

6. Frestedt, J.L (2008) A whey-protein supplement increases fat loss and spares lean muscle in obese subjects: a randomized human clinical study Nutr Metab (Lond). 2008; 5: 8. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-5-8

7. Chitapanarux, T. et al (2009) Open-labeled pilot study of cysteine-rich whey protein isolate supplementation for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2009 Jun;24(6):1045-50. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2009.05865.x.

8. Friedman, A. N. (2004) High-protein diets: potential effects on the kidney in renal health and disease. Am J Kidney Dis.2004 Dec;44(6):950-62.

1094 words, 10-minute read.

Key Points

• There is no doubt about it – Sleep is a prerequisite to high-performance living. Skip it at your peril.
• Sleep in the darkest environment possible.
• Enforce a technology ban at a certain time every night.
• Take advantage of modern-day apps that filter blue light, if you need to work on a computer late in the evening.
• Do your best to avoid strength training right before bed.

‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’…

LOL – Good luck – you’ll die quicker without it!

Sleep is a prerequisite to high-performance living.

Sleep hygiene, as the name implies, equates to ‘clean uninterrupted flawless sleep’.

In order to achieve good sleep hygiene, you must focus on building consistent habits and practices that are conducive to sleeping well.

Most people’s sleep environment is far from optimal.

Whilst some sleep disorders are outside your control such as shift work, sleep apnea and the neighbour’s dog barking its f****ing head off, there are many other factors negatively affecting sleep but which develop from environmental factors within our control.

Check out these 7 key tips you can use (as of today) to improve and maintain your sleep hygiene.

1. Buy a pair of blackout blinds and don’t sleep with the light on.

Make your sleep environment like a bat cave.

The hormone melatonin is linked to a series of biological processes that recur naturally on a twenty-four-hour cycle, even in the absence of light fluctuations known as the circadian rhythm. These include darkness related behaviours such as sleep initiation and a decrease in body temperature and mental alertness.

The production of melatonin is primarily controlled by an enzyme called AANAT. The production of melatonin is blocked by light very quickly, as AANAT activity decreases by 50% every 3 minutes after the introduction of light. This is why exposure to light is so detrimental to you getting a good night’s sleep. Melatonin is great at getting you to sleep, but won’t keep you asleep once you’re there.

It is important to stress that, whilst melatonin prepares the body for sleep and helps to maintain sleep once it is initiated, it is not a sleep hormone/sedative or hypnotic.

2. If toilet breaks are interfering with your sleep during a fat loss phase, consume the bulk of your carbohydrates and sodium towards bedtime.

This useful strategy is more typically used with athletes and individuals taking part in physique competitions.

Anyone who has dieted to an ultra-low level of body fat is susceptible to more toilet trips during the middle of the night. These can result from several factors, such as lower levels of muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrate), loss of sodium loss through sweating and increased use of stimulants with diuretic properties like caffeine, green tea, and coffee etc.

Both carbohydrates and sodium are osmolytes, meaning they attract and retain water.

Carbohydrates retain x4 times their weight in water, whilst sodium retains an astonishing x50 times its weight. Carbohydrates are typically eaten in larger amounts compared to sodium, meaning more can be consumed.

Although there appears to be no current research on this strategy, if you consumed the bulk of your carbohydrate and sodium later in the evening it would help retain fluid before bed, and so potentially reduce the number of toilet breaks throughout the night.

Anecdotally, having worked with many bodybuilders and physique competitors, this strategy has worked well for many. The effects are more noticeable with high carb/sodium-rich cheat meals like pizza consumed before bed. However,  this may prove problematic for blood glucose management.

That being said, brief awakenings happen.

Sleep is cyclical, so waking up very briefly during the night is to be expected. Sometimes you’ll be more aware of it than other times, especially if your cortisol is high, but follow the rules of step one and you should get back to sleep.

3. Eliminate Blue Light.

Electronic devices such as phones, TVs and computers all have screens which emit predominantly blue light.

If you can’t get a blue light filter on your phone (most major operating systems are bringing them in) minimise the amount of time you spend looking at it, and completely stop looking at screens at least an hour before bed to give the melatonin concentration time to build up.

Check out these apps which automatically pull blue light from your screen, come evening time, in preparation for bedtime.

Mac Users -> https://justgetflux.com/

Android Users -> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.urbandroid.lux&hl=en_GB

The iPhone has a built-in nighttime setting – set it to a time that suits you.

4. Avoid Caffeine after 5-6 pm.

Caffeine is a stimulant – it will keep you awake, plain and simple.

It has the ability to reduce or eliminate the feelings of fatigue by blocking adenosine receptors. As adenosine is involved in the initiation of ‘deep’ sleep, this is not a great thing to happen before you go to bed.

Individual clearance of caffeine varies, with some studies showing a half-life (concentration dropping by 50%) of between 1.5 – 9.5 hours. With that in mind, monitor your caffeine intake and eliminate it in the afternoon to ensure you can achieve proper deep sleep.

De-caff, unfortunately, might have to be an option! The struggle is real.

5. Avoid High-Intensity Exercise Before Bed.

High-intensity exercise, like weight training or interval training, stimulates the production of various stress hormones, all of which serve the purpose of increasing mental clarity and awareness.

Performing such activities within a few hours before bed is not ideal, and will, without question, reduce sleep quality. The best time to train in my honest opinion is first thing in the morning. The stress hormone response dampens across the day and reaches its lowest point later in the evening, naturally in line with a working day, like it should.

6. Avoid Evening Naps

While napping can prove useful during the day, napping within a few hours of going to bed is a bad idea.

How many times have you tried this and then found returning to sleep difficult?

Doing a lot of travel, I’ve found the best thing to do in this case is either:

A) go to bed super early and wake up when you wake up, and proceed with your day,

or,

B) hold off sleeping (without stimulants) until you reach a state of exhaustion.

These simple strategies will allow you to get the most out of your sleep!

7. Chill the F**K out

Horror movies and anxiety before bed aren’t a good mix.

They stress the system and drive up the production of stress hormones which, as mentioned earlier, increase mental alertness and prevent you from falling asleep. Your body doesn’t know the difference between a real vs perceived threat.

Take time to unwind before bed, read, meditate or make love to your significant other.

Avoid spiking your heart rate and priming your system for fight or flight.

So there you have it,

“Sleep hygiene is the key to sweet dreams”

Don’t use the bed for anything but sleep (and sex!)

Want to learn more? 

If you found this article interesting. You’ll love The Definitive Guide to Sleeping Better for Health, Strength and a Better Looking Physique inside the Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Training Lab. The guide goes into super depth on the science of sleep and includes over 4 hours of video presentations, detailed articles and multiple resources to help you sleep better.

It will add immense value to your diabetes management, health, muscle building and fat loss efforts. Click here to join today and claim 2 months free membership and a free training tee and Diabetic Muscle and Fitness protein shaker!

Written by Phil Graham

Founder of Diabetic Muscle and Fitness

Sports Nutritionist, Strength Coach, and Fitness Educator

Type 1 Diabetic for 12 years

How important is it?

Does Whey Spike Blood glucose levels?

Is whey bad for people with diabetes?

Will whey ruin your kidneys?

What does the research say about blood glucose, whey and diabetes?

How to incorporate whey protein into your diabetes bodybuilding diet plan?

Watch the video below to find out.

If you liked this video and want to learn more about nutrition and living with diabetes, you need to check out the Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Training Lab.

It contains a vault of in-depth knowledge and resources you can’t find anywhere else on the internet. You’ll gain valuable new found knowledge on diabetes, nutrition, training, mind-set and more.

Join 1000s of other diabetics just like you and start building muscle, shredding body fat and build the best version of you.

Calories influence energy levels and body fat.

Protein influences everything from muscle growth, appetite control right through to hormone production.

Fiber feeds the bacteria in our guts which play a role in the health of our immune system.

Carbs influence blood glucose and exercise performance.

Vitamin C protects against the damaging effects of high blood glucose and oxidative damage.

Salt influences water retention.

etc… We could go on forever.

The nutritional components of food serve many different roles within the human body.

This article aims to highlight 5 key nutritional aspects of food which have been shown to improve the action (or sensitivity) of insulin, resulting in improved blood glucose management in people with diabetes.

Before we go into details – it is important to understand a few key terms surrounding insulin and diabetes.

Key Terms

Insulin is a key hormone involved in the use and storage of fuels within the body.

Insulin sensitivity refers to how effective the hormone insulin is at doing its job in the body. This varies between individuals and is reduced in people with diabetes.

Insulin resistance is when muscle, liver and fat cells do not use insulin properly. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine and is excreted out of the body, never fulfilling its role as the body’s main source of fuel.

Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by different degrees of insulin resistance, where not enough insulin is produced, or the current insulin produced does not work effectively.

Disorders in insulin production and signalling can have widespread and devastating effects on the body’s organs and tissues if left uncontrolled. Therefore, it is important that people with type 1 diabetes (who produce next to no insulin) have an uninterrupted supply of high-quality insulin medication to replicate their own natural insulin production.

Individuals with type 2 diabetes may also need to take medication to improve the effectiveness of their natural insulin production.

In both cases of diabetes, certain lifestyle factors are advised to support medication therapy. Nutrition is one of them.

5 Incredibly Powerful Eating Tips That Boost Insulin Sensitivity Naturally

Consume Foods That Have Been Scientifically Proven to Boost Insulin Sensitivity.

Scientific research has demonstrated foods like vinegar, lemon, lime, walnuts, almonds, green tea, cinnamon, and turmeric have insulin-sensitizing properties. Including nutrient-dense foods like these in your diet may help improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin and ability to store consumed carbohydrates within muscle glycogen stores instead of as fat. That’s why I included all these kinds of foods inside the Ultra Lean and Muscle Building Cookbooks. If you haven’t checked these cookbooks out already, you’re missing out on over 200+ mouth-watering diabetic friendly recipe ideas that will help you get you in shape without giving up the foods you love.

  Consider Supplementing with Magnesium and Vitamin D.

Magnesium and vitamin D have been shown to improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Low magnesium levels are common in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

Magnesium is an essential dietary mineral and the second most prevalent electrolyte in the body besides sodium. Magnesium has a strong relationship with insulin and thus plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism _1,2.

Research has shown that subjects who supplemented with oral magnesium improved their fasting blood glucose levels and increased their insulin sensitivity.³

The standard dose for magnesium supplementation is 200-400mg.⁴

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient essential for human survival.

Vitamin D is known to aid in improving insulin receptor function, prevent islet cell death, as well as improve beta cell function.

Research in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have shown positive results in that supplementing with vitamin D has the potential to lower haemoglobin A1c compared to baseline.^5,6 Much of this may in part be due to improving insulin resistance.

Individuals with diabetes should get a 25(OH)D blood test to assess their current vitamin D status. The Vitamin D Council recommends a blood level between 50–80 ng/mL year round.

If needed, 1,000-2,000 IU (25–50 mcg) of Vitamin D per day is more than adequate. ⁷

Both magnesium and vitamin D may be consumed via supplements. However, they can also be obtained from food.

Magnesium rich foods include green leafy vegetables, pumpkin seeds, cashews, and broccoli.

Vitamin D is easily received by getting sun exposure daily; however, people who live further away from the equator or experience harsh, cold winters are at a disadvantage and may need an additional vitamin D supplement. Also, foods such as fatty fish like salmon, dairy, eggs, and cod liver oil may be consumed to achieve adequate vitamin D levels.

 Prioritize the Essential Fatty Acids, especially Omega-3.

The human body can synthesize most of its fat needs from the diet. However, there are two essential fatty acids, known as Omega 6 (linoleic acid) and Omega 3 (alpha-linolenic acid) which cannot be produced in the body and must be consumed from food. Both of these fats can be found in plant and animal foods.

Consuming a healthy balance of omega-6s and omega-3s is very important for human health.

However, in today’s modern society many populations at risk of obesity and diabetes have an imbalance in their consumption of omega 3s and 6s, whereby too much omega 6 is consumed at the expense of omega 3.

While both of these fatty acids are essential for good health, the stark imbalance is pro-inflammatory and detrimental to insulin sensitivity. The imbalance is a result of the world’s growing food intake, particularly increased consumption of processed food cooked in processed polyunsaturated fats like sunflower oil.

The first line of defence in rectifying this imbalance involves eating fewer calories and improving energy balance with physical activity. The next step is to increase omega 3 consumption from cold water fatty fish or use of high-quality Omega 3 food supplements.

Ideally, 340-453g (12–16 oz.) of cold-water, fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel each week, if personal taste allows for it. Otherwise a good quality fish oil supplement.

 Avoid Trans Fats.

There is nothing positive or healthy about man-made trans fats. They are well established to cause insulin resistance, resulting in a decrease in insulin sensitivity. Additionally, trans fat may increase abdominal fat storage.

Food products that contain trans fat include, cakes, vegetable oils and margarine. Substitute these common cooking products for healthier oils like olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil or real butter.

Trans fats are mentioned on nutrition labels.

Strive to purchase and consume foods that contain 0g Trans Fats.

Food over Macronutrients.  

Carbohydrates have the greatest effect on blood glucose levels, protein has a moderate effect and fat a relatively small effect.

However, when it comes to mealtimes, we mostly consume mixed macronutrient meals comprised of different food sources.

Think about it. You rarely eat a potato on its own. Rather, a combination of potato (carbs), meat or fish (protein) and a good dab of butter (as fat).

If you keep consistent with the amounts of carbs, fat and protein at meal times, you’ll have a much better chance at working out a reliable insulin to carb ratio.

This is great, but what happens when you make an extreme change and decide to consume a food dominant in one macronutrient? Or, vary the composition of your set meal in favour of a certain macronutrient such as a pepperoni pizza which is super high in fat?

When the time comes, you must be willing to increase or decrease your insulin accordingly. This requires an in-depth understanding of how to dose and spread your insulin for mixed and, or, single macronutrient-based meals.

Dosing your insulin accurately is extremely important for avoiding hyperglycemia and further insulin resistance.

Want to put this learning into practice?

I’ve taken all of these principles and incorporate them into Diabetic Shred Guide – a 112-day fat loss system for men and women living with diabetes. It contains everything you need to know about eating, training and living to get lean. You get weekly meal plans tailored to your metabolism and over 50 challenging workouts.

If you want to learn more about flexible dieting you can check out my body transformation diet and training guides created exclusively for people with diabetes.

Diabetic Shred –  112-day Advanced Body Transformation Guide Built for FAT LOSS.

References

1. Paolisso G, Scheen A, D’Onofrio F, Lefebvre P: Magnesium and glucose homeostasis. Diabetologia33:511–514, 1990
2. Nadler JL, Buchanan T, Natarajan R, Antonipillai I, Bergman R, Rude R: Magnesium deficiency produces insulin resistance and increased thromboxane synthesis. Hypertension21:1024–1029,
3. Mooren FC, Kruger K, Volker K, Golf SW, Wadepuhl M, Kraus A. Oral magnesium supplementation reduces insulin resistance in non-diabetic subjects-A RCT. Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism. 2011;13(3);281-284
4. http://www.nap.edu/read/5776/chapter/8#223
5. Aljabri KS, Bokhari SA, Khan MJ. Glycemic changes after vitamin D supplementation in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and vitamin D deficiency. Ann Saudi Med. 2010;30(6):454-458.
6. Mitri J, Muraru MD, Pittas AG. Vitamin D and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011.65(9):1005-15.
7. Example.com The Supplement-Goals Reference Guide

• Insulin and amino acids play an important role in assisting with muscle growth.
• Glucose and amino acids are both insulinogenic and have the potential to increase blood glucose.
• When glucose and amino acids are consumed together they require more insulin, than if consumed alone.
• Adequate medication must be given to accommodate the blood glucose increasing effects of these two macronutrients.
• Hyperglycaemia is highly detrimental to muscle protein synthesis.
• Besides focusing on carbs and protein alone, it’s important to see the bigger picture and consider all the other important factors that influence rate of muscle growth, of which there are many.

What you’re in for?

• 600 Words
• Reading Time ~ 8 minutes

  SHOULD TYPE 1 DIABETICS EAT CARBS AND PROTEIN TOGETHER IN AN ATTEMPT TO BUILD MORE MUSCLE?

Insulin is considered an anabolic (constructive) hormone. When protein is consumed the B-cells of the pancreas secrete insulin to shuttle amino acids into cells for anabolism. Insulin has been shown to play a role in the creation of new proteins across the body as well as inhibiting muscle protein breakdown ¹.

All the amino acids that make up protein impact insulin secretion differently. Certain amino acids are more potent at stimulating insulin secretion than others, especially leucine ². This explains why whey protein, one of the richest sources of leucine, increases insulin secretion more than any other protein source ³ , and, why the food insulin index considers the insulin requirement for foods as a whole (inc. protein and fat) rather than just their carbohydrate content ⁴.

The synergistic combo of glucose and amino acids signifies a high energy state (compared to one macro nutrient alone) leading to elevated insulin secretion. This is what promotes anabolism, glycogen storage and synthesis of fat tissue (if excess energy is available). Eating protein alone would not yield as much of an insulinogenic or anabolic response compared to a matched meal of protein and carbs.

Besides focusing on carbs and protein alone, it’s important to see the bigger picture and consider all the other important factors that influence rate of muscle growth including, but not limited to,

• Overall diabetes management
• Overall calorie intake
• Body composition
• Stress
• Sleep
• Training frequency
• Progressive overload
• Use of ergogenic aids (PED, Supplements like creatine etc.)
• Other diseases and illness

Should type 1 diabetics pair carbs with protein to maximize protein’s anabolic effect?

The most popular approach to mealtime insulin dosing is counting carbohydrate and applying an insulin to carbohydrates ratio. Most people with type 1 diabetes believe they are only giving insulin for the carbohydrate; however, the insulin dose calculated from the Insulin to carbohydrate ratio actually takes into account the insulin requirement for usual protein portions. Carbs and protein are rarely consumed in isolation. It is much more likely that both macronutrients will accompany each other at mealtimes ⁵.

Provided essential amino acid needs are met across the day, the primary responsibility for someone living with type 1 diabetes is to dose enough exogenous insulin to accommodate any increase in blood glucose.

References

1. K N Frayn and P F Maycock. Regulation of protein metabolism by a physiological concentration of insulin in mouse soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles. Effects of starvation and scald injury. Biochem J. 1979 Nov 15; 184(2): 323–330. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1161767/
2. Gannon MC, Nuttall FQ. Amino acid ingestion and glucose metabolism–a review. IUBMB Life. 2010 Sep;62(9):660-8. doi: 10.1002/iub.375. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20882645
3. Nilsson M, Stenberg M, Frid AH, Holst JJ, Björck IM. Glycemia and insulinemia in healthy subjects after lactose-equivalent meals of milk and other food proteins: the role of plasma amino acids and incretins. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2004; 80: 1246-53.
4. Bell, K. et al (2016) Algorithms to Improve the Prediction of Postprandial Insulinemia in Response to Common Foods. Nutrients 2016, 8, 210; doi:10.3390/nu8040210
5. Smart CEM, Evans M, O’Connell SM, et al. Both dietary protein and fat increase postprandial glucose excursions in children with type 1 diabetes, and the effect is additive. Diabetes Care 2013;36:3897–3902

Quick Summary 

• The more emotionally attached you are to your health and fitness goals, the clearer they’ll be and the greater you’ll value them.
• Lifting weights to look better is a sound reason to get started, as the health benefits always come as a byproduct.
• Increased muscle mass can help reduce diabetes medication needs and improve blood glucose control.
• You should never go into a set completely shattered. Each set needs to be quality.
• It doesn’t matter how good your training program is: if you don’t control your blood glucose levels, you’ll never build the body you desire.
• Each session should provide the body with a different training stimulus.
• Rest is equally as important as the training itself.
• A professional coach is worth their weight in gold.

What you’re in for?

4,000 Words

Reading Time ~ 26 minutes

HOW TO SET UP A WEIGHT LIFTING PLAN FOR DIABETES

We get all sorts of visitors on DiabeticMuscleandFitness.com: both men and women, ranging from the everyday gym goer to professional bodybuilders with diabetes, sports athletes right through to newly diagnosed teens who haven’t an ounce of muscle to their name.

If the idea of building muscle, getting stronger and improving whole body definition sounds good to you, then you’re in the right place.

The training information I am about to share with you is grounded on the latest exercise science, thousands of gym sessions and countless hours coaching people with diabetes of all shapes and sizes.

Let’s get started.

Weight Training and Diabetes 101

Weight training, also known as resistance, body weight or strength training is one of the most beneficial forms of exercise you can perform, especially if you live with diabetes.

When performed properly, weight training delivers a host of health benefits including,

1. Increased physical strength.
2. Denser, stronger bones.
3. Increased metabolic rate at rest (allows you to eat more calories, whilst staying lean)
4. It burns body fat and helps prevent obesity.
5. Releases key endorphins that make you feel great.
6. Improves balance and coordination.
7. It can protect against sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss)
8. Increased glucose uptake (it can help manage diabetes)
9. Improved blood lipids.
10. Plus, looking jacked and toned in your favourite clothes feels great!

In this article, I want to discuss the most important principles for building a highly effective weight training program for people living with diabetes, whose goal is to build muscle and simply look better naked.

If you are a typical reader of fitness magazines like Muscle and Fitness, Men’s Health, Women’s Health and Oxygen, this article is for you.

What this article is not.

This article does not focus on the goal of building maximum strength for sports like powerlifting and Olympic lifting. I will cover these specific training goals in another article.

Let’s get started…

The Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Training Pyramid.

The Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Training Pyramid outlines all the most important variables that make up a successful weight training program in order of importance. Similar to nutrition, many people prioritize the wrong stuff like what is the best exercise for arms over more important stuff like sets, reps, weight used on the bar and personal values for health and fitness (the driving force).

Let’s run through each aspect of the pyramid and highlight everything you need to know when it comes to getting the most out of strength training with diabetes.

Feel free to download the pyramids and upload them onto your social media if you wish. It’s important other people living with diabetes see these. If you’re using a PC right click and ‘Save As’. If you are using a mobile, hold your index finger down and saving the image.

Also, (if you haven’t already) get signed up to my insiders’ mailing list. You don’t want to miss an update. Strength training science is constantly evolving. I’ll keep you in the loop with anything worth knowing. So sign up and don’t miss a thing.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF SETTING UP A WEIGHT TRAINING PLAN IF YOU LIVE WITH DIABETES ARE…

1. PERSONAL VALUES FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS.

Change your mindset, before you change your behaviour.

Why are you thinking of getting more muscular and healthy?

The more value you see in your health and fitness goals, the more attention you’ll give them. This is why personal values for health and fitness are the most important aspect of the Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Training Pyramid.

If you want to get the most out of strength training you need to identify how it will benefit your life. For most people, the idea of looking better is more important than health.

Girls, you’ll probably see more value in building a great shaped butt, tight core and strong defined legs over improving your bone density.

Guys, you’ll value a well-cut 6-pack, jacked arms and 300lbs bench with more than improved glucose uptake.

Lifting weights to look better is a sound reason to get started, as the health benefits always come as a byproduct.

The more you value something in life, the more energy and focus you’ll put into it. This is your WHY.

Check out these examples of WHY people value strength training.

• I’ll look better naked.
• Have better sex.
• Have more confidence.
• Be able to wear nicer clothes.
• Physical Strength and Fitness.
• Both physical fitness and a great looking body are signs of self-respect and care.
• Working out feels amazing and lets me clear my head.
• Being strong will help me protect myself.
• Lifting weights allows me to eat more food, (if you follow my insta stories you’ll know I love food. 🙂
• Increased muscle mass lowers my insulin needs – it literally resembles a vacuum for glucose.

Setting Realistic Goals Is Important.

Goal setting is a powerful process for mind and body. Clear goals provide you with direction and motivation to turn your vision into a reality.

However, there is a big difference between positive and realistic goal setting.

What is your goal, is it realistic?

Positive goal setting is like flicking ‘Beast Mode ON’ and thinking you’re going to be Arnold Schwarzenegger in 6 months or Monica Brant after you finish your newest tub of pre-workout.

So many of us fall prey to this mode of thinking. They spend so much time scrolling through Instagram and Facebook comparing incredibly jacked and ripped guys and girls on Instagram, thinking to themselves,

‘I’m going to look like that!’

The problem is, not many people come to terms with the backstory to their favourite fitness photos on Instagram.

• Genetics (different parents, ethnicities).
• Years of training experience.
• Expert coaching and mentorship.
• Use of anabolic steroids.
• More free time (giving them the ability to train multiple times a day).
• No kids to keep them up at night.
• The list is endless…

Be realistic when setting your training goals.

Be original, define YOUR own personal success criteria, do not borrow those belonging to an individual whose life bears no resemblance to yours.

Stay focused and make the best of your own unique circumstances, rather than comparing yourself to everyone else, especially the pro fitness models and bodybuilders who have been at it a lot longer than you.  The acronym S.M.A.R.T is a great framework to base your goals off.

Every time you set a goal, ask yourself, is it…

S –  Specific, Significant, Stretching

M – Measurable, Meaningful, Motivational

A – Attainable, achievable

R – Realistic

T– Time-Based

The best way to set a training goal is to acknowledge;

• How you don’t want to look and feel.
• How you want to look and feel in your new body.

You need to get very specific.

Ask the right questions and you’ll come up with great answers.

• How lean do I want to be?
• How muscular do I want to be?
• How strong do I want to be?
• How do I want feel?

Goals will differ from person to person. Some people will want to look better for the beach, while others will want to look like a hardcore bodybuilding monster.

Once you visualise how you want to look, hold that image in your head and think about it constantly.

So, how do you look? It’s not that far away.

Now we have goal setting and motivation out of the way, let’s look at the fundamental building blocks that make up a highly effective diabetes weight training program.

The Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Training Pyramid outlines all the key elements of strength training program design in order of importance. Too many people prioritise the wrong stuff, like the best exercise to do, or the best weightlifting belt to buy over the much more important stuff like managing blood glucose levels around exercise, adequate training volume and sufficient rest.

We’ve already covered the most important element of the pyramid ‘Personal Values for Health and Fitness’. Now, let’s discuss the other factors and their role in building a successful strength training plan for diabetes.

2. DIABETES MANAGEMENT.

It doesn’t matter how good your training program is, if you don’t control your blood glucose levels, you’ll never build the body you desire. One of the most important take-homes people have when reading my best-selling book, The Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Guide is this:

‘OBSESS OVER PERFECT BLOOD GLUCOSE CONTROL 24/7 – 365 DAYS A YEAR.’

While looking after your diabetes may seem obvious, not many people do it (well).

How dedicated are you to perfecting your control?

What does good diabetes control look like to you?

1. Do you check your blood glucose levels regularly?
2. Do you correct high blood glucose ASAP?
3. Do you question ‘WHY’ your blood glucose levels go outside range, and get to the root of the problem?

Call it obsessed, but some of us want to get more out of training and live longer.

Poor blood sugar control (both short and long term) is the enemy to building a better looking and feeling body.

We live in an age with breakthrough diabetes management tools. There has been no better time to have diabetes. Recognise this reality and make the most of what is on offer.

Dedicate your life to chasing perfect control. Get as close to normal (nondiabetic) A1C levels as you can. Your dedication will pay off.

I’ve also covered a tonne of information on the effects different types of exercise have on blood sugar levels and diabetes in my book The Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Guide.

3. TRAINING ADHERENCE.

The term fitness is defined as, ‘the ability to do a task.’

You may be fit enough for one training program, but not another.

Before you consider exercises, sets, reps and how much weight to use, you must ascertain the following key factors:

• What is the maximum number of days you can train per week?
• How much time can you spend training per session?
• What is your training experience? Do you know your exercises?
• What is your current fitness level?

These factors determine how much training you can handle.

Have you ever jumped into a hardcore program without considering what’s best for you? How did that end up?

If you’re new to training, you’ll lack the basic strength and physical fitness to handle high levels of work. You will get a lot out of a little. Less is more. The great thing is, you will progress quickly and will be hungry for more.

If you are thinking of following the training plans of professional athletes, fitness superstars or pro bodybuilders – be warned! These people are fitter than you, and most likely have more resources in their corner including genetics, supplements, more free time and a coach.

If you have a decent level of experience and strength base, you’ll be able to handle more training. However, it still needs to be manageable from a time and recovery perspective.

This is especially true if you’ve taken time out from training, because of injury or needing a mental break. You’ll not be fit enough to jump back into your old ways of training. You’ll need adequate time to get back in and adapt yourself.

YOU SHOULD NEVER LEAVE THE GYM SICK, IN PAIN, ABSOLUTELY SMASHED or asking yourself, ‘Why am I doing this?’.

Focus on leaving the gym tired, stimulated and challenged.

LEAVE SOME FUEL IN THE TANK FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAY.

So many people hold the misconceived notion that a workout must leave absolutely f***ked. If it doesn’t they automatically assume they haven’t worked hard enough.

This way of thinking isn’t smart.

What good is a workout program that burns you out physically and mentally?

There is a fine line between too much, too little and just enough. Your workouts need to be challenging and enjoyable at the same time. This is much more sustainable and you’ll reap far better results.

Follow a training program that stimulates, not annihilates.

Have an intro week, test how certain exercises feel and how well you recover from set number of training sessions.

Your strength training program should keep you healthy and yield long-term progress rather than burn you out, cause injuries and drive you to resent training.

How Long Do I Need to Train For?

Would you say you are a beginner, intermediate or pro?

This is highly dependent on your personal agenda and lifestyle. If you perform other forms of exercise like football, yoga etc. or work a very heavy laboursome job you will need to be mindful of doing too much and cap training sessions at 2-3 times per week.

As an example, let’s assume you were dedicating all your exercise time to weight training. You training frequency would look like this:

Beginners: 30 mins of strength training x3-4 times per week for the first 3-6 months.

Intermediate: 30-60 mins of strength training x5-8 times per week.

Pro: Sports Specific -30-60 mins of strength training x5-10 times per week.

You also need to consider fitting training around your family. One of the most valuable things you can do is introduce them to exercise, especially loaded movement.

There’s nothing stopping you taking time out to show your partner or kids a few simple exercises like body weight squats or weighted carries. If you have really young kids, just get them moving and playing – embracing the full range of human movement.

Why not make it a family ritual to train together one day every week? You can get a tonne of training done with just bodyweight alone.

4. TRAINING VOLUME AND FREQUENCY.

Training volume is defined as the amount of sets x reps you perform over time for a given body part or movement, in other words, the total amount of work you do.

As a general rule of thumb, your training volume should increase over time.

However, this doesn’t mean you should continually add sets and reps in an endless fashion.

Volume increases only work up to a certain point. If you add too much volume you run the risk of overreaching and building high levels of unwanted fatigue.

As fatigue increases, your performance and training effect will diminish.

In a nutshell, you need to perform enough volume to progress, but not as much as possible. Only increase training volume when you have plateaued or feel very well recovered well.

Frequency refers to how often you train a particular body part or movement.

Generally speaking, you should aim to train each body part at least x2/week. If you have a weak part that needs attention, you may consider going to x3/week if you have the time.

How many reps?

Research has shown muscle gain is possible across a range of rep schemes ^1,2. Gains in muscle mass are pretty much equal regardless of repetition range provided training is carried out to muscle failure

Generally speaking, you could have one day dedicated to 6-10 reps and the other 10-20 reps.

Each session should provide the body with a different training stimulus.

You will need to go to failure on reps over 15 Rep Max, whereas reps between 6-15 rep max are probably the most time efficient and don’t need to be taken to complete failure. What would be the difference in time in the gym for these per session, per week, per month, per training block of three months – this would bring it right into the reader’s mind!

5. INTENSITY & PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD.

You must give your muscle tissues a reason to adapt. This requires challenging your muscles progressively and changing your training program over time.

Increasing weight is one of the most obvious ways to force an adaption.

Other methods include increasing the number of sets and reps you perform or using advanced training variables like bands, chains, drop sets and supersets.

Does this mean my workouts need to get harder and harder, for the rest of my life?

Not necessarily on every set of every workout, it might take you a few weeks training at a particular weight before you acquire the strength and fitness to move the weights up. Generally speaking, you should strive to get physically stronger on a consistent basis, over the course of the month/year.

Learn to measure your training…

When was the last time you kept a note of your sets, reps and progress, honestly?

Track your progress via photos and a log book. If you aren’t getting stronger, look at your diabetes management, total calories, rest and work effort during training. Something will be out of place.

If the idea of manipulating sets, reps, and training loads seems too complicated for you, don’t panic – I’ve done all the hard work for you by creating two complete done-for-you 16-week training protocols that incorporate all the essential aspects of progressive overload needed for optimal strength and muscle development. They also come in 16-weeks of printable log books.

Diabetic Shred is a 16-Week fat loss training guide -> Get Started!

Diabetic Mass is a 16-Week Muscle Mass and Size -> Get Started!

6. EXERCISE SELECTION.

Exercise selection needs to change between training sessions and block phases. This provides your body with a variety of stimuli and helps avoid injury or niggles.

There is no such thing as a mandatory exercise; however, there are mandatory movement patterns you will need to include in your strength training program.

Movement patterns are fundamental to the proper functioning of the body and involve the use of multiple muscle groups at one time. Exercises are drills that allow you to overload each mandatory movement pattern.

Thousands of exercises exist. However, not all are created the same. I’ve outlined some of the most popular and effective exercises for each movement pattern below.

Consider the muscles involved in each movement.

Squatting

• Front Squat
• Goblet Squat
• Back Squat
• Box Squat

Unilateral (single leg)

• Lunges
• Dumbbell Split Squat
• Single Leg Press

Quad Dominant

• Leg Press
• Leg Extension
• Band Exercises for quads

Hip Hinge/Hamstring Dominant

• KB Swing
• Deadlift
• Romanian Deadlift
• Good morning
• Rope pull through
• Lying Leg Curls
• Seated Leg Curls

Horizontal Pressing

• Bench press
• Close Grip bench
• Decline bench press

Vertical Pressing

• Military press
• Seated Dumbbells shoulder press
• Push Press
• Front Raises
• Lateral Raises

Horizontal Pulling

• Barbell Rows (overhand)
• Dumbbell Row
• Chest Supported Rows
• T-bar rows

Vertical Pulling

• Pull Up
• Lat Pull Down

Elbow Flexion Exercises

• Any kind of bicep isolation exercise.

Elbow Extension Exercises

• Any kind of triceps isolation exercise.

Carrying

• Farmers walk
• Single arm walk

Core

• Palloff Press
• Abs Roll outs
• Handing Leg Raises

How many Exercises?

How many different exercises did you do in your last session?

Generally speaking, for most body transformation training, 4-6 exercises per workout is more than sufficient. These should include all the exercises above, unless injury is an issue or there are noted weak points in one’s physique, sometimes common in competitive bodybuilders.

Workouts can be split into both whole body or upper/lower based body workouts. I’ve created some very useful templates you can perform each day you train.

WHOLE BODY TRAINING TEMPLATES

Workout #1

X1 Squat/Unilateral Leg Exercise

X1 Hip Hinge/Hamstring Dominant

X1 Horizontal Press

X1 Horizontal Pull

X1 Carry

X1 Core

Workout #2

X1 Unilateral Leg Exercise

X1 Hip Hinge/Hamstring Dominant

X1 Vertical Press

X1 vertical Pull

X1 Core

Workout #3

X1 Quad Dominant

X1 Hip Hinge/Hamstring Dominant

X1 Vertical Press

X1 vertical Pull

X1 Core

UPPER/LOWER BODY TEMPLATES

Workout #1 – Upper

X1 Horizontal Press

X1 Horizontal Pull

X1 Vertical Pull

X1 Vertical Push

X1 Elbow Flexion

X1 Elbow Extension

X1 Core

Workout #2 – Lower

X1 Squat/Unilateral Leg Exercise

X1 Hip Hinge/Hamstring dominant

X1 Quad Dominant

X1 Core

7. REST PERIODS.

How much rest do I need during training?

I’ll keep this ultra-simple and to the point.

You should never go into a set completely shattered. Each set needs to be quality.

• Big Bang Exercises like squats, deadlifts etc. 2 minutes is adequate.

• Moderately Taxing Exercises like pull ups, barbell rows, close grip bench etc. 1-1.5 mins rest is sufficed.

• Isolation Exercises like curls and cable work 30-60 seconds is more than enough.

If you’re new to weight training – take a little longer.

Is it ok to take a break from weight training?

Yes, and I highly recommend you do.

Milk every training session for as long as you can, then take a self-assessed break or period of detraining to recharge your batteries. You can’t just keep adding more.

Have you ever got bored with same the routines, frustrated you’re not progressing?

Generally speaking, every 4-8 weeks of consistent training should be followed up with 5-10 days of detraining or complete rest. The more stress you are under (like poor sleep, stress, illness, not eating enough and high or low blood glucose levels) the shorter your training cycle and the longer your detraining/rest periods should be.

During a detraining period, you’ll need to manipulate:

• Training Volume – Reduce training volume by 50% of your normal routine. So instead of 4 sets, do 2.

• Intensity – This includes the load and how hard you push to failure. Reduce your training load by 60-80% of what you normally use. Don’t bring your sets to exhaustive failure, work with around 60-70% of the effort.

• Frequency – Reduce frequency from 2-3 times per week to 1.

Tempo refers to the speed at which you are lifting across different parts of the rep.

It’s one of the least important factors when it comes to training for a better-looking body.

I’ll get straight to the point with this one.

• Perform all your reps in a safe and controlled manner.

• Maintain consistent control and speed during the negative (lowering) and positive (pressing/pulling) parts of the rep. Generally speaking, 2 seconds is a good speed to go at.

• Pause at the bottom and top of each rep for around 1 second.

• Repeat again until the target number of reps has been achieved.

That was long but worth it.

You’re now equipped with more knowledge than most personal trainers when it comes to designing a strength training program.

I hope you enjoyed what you read and take action on the tips I have shared with you the next time you pick up a barbell.

What key things do you remember, what are you going to take action on?

Here’s some you will want to consider…

Take Home Points

• You must follow a weight training plan that suits your current fitness level and personal schedule.

• Obsess over perfect blood glucose levels pre, during and after exercise.

• Train using a variety of exercises.

• When performing an exercise, do so with intent. Focus on complete quality and putting your body into the most favourable mechanical position.

• Don’t be stupid and train through pain. Get it looked at.

• Perform a range of 6-20 well-controlled reps.

• Progressively increase the weight you use over time. If you don’t have the fortitude to turn double, treble or even quadruple your lifts, then take up fishing.

• Never start a set exhausted. Wait until you have properly recovered.

• Train using a range of movement patterns and exercises.

• Weightlifting belts, squat shoes and heart rate monitors are the least of your worries.

Safe to say, you’re pretty serious about building muscle, aren’t you?

As you know strength training is only a piece of the puzzle when it comes to getting in shape.

There’s so much more to it, especially when it comes to managing blood sugars with diet, supplements and lifestyle to achieve greater fat loss and maximise muscle growth.

But, I can only cover so much in these articles.

If you want to learn more (much more) and master everything there is to know about strength training science, managing your diabetes and becoming your own personal strength coach and nutritionist, then you need to check out The Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Guide.

With over 400+ pages of evidence-based theory on how to build a stronger, better-looking body with diabetes, this is an absolute must for any dedicated gym goer living with diabetes.

IF THAT SEEMS LIKE TOO MUCH INFORMATION FOR YOU…

I HAVE TWO MORE PRACTICAL GUIDES FOR YOU.

If your goal is fat loss -> GET DIABETIC SHRED   

If your goal is lean weight gain –> GET DIABETIC MASS

References

1. Schoenfeld BJ et al. Muscular adaptations in low- versus high-load resistance training: A meta-analysis. Eur J Sport Sci. 2016;16(1):1-10. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2014.989922. Epub 2014 Dec 20.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25530577
2. Schoenfeld BJ et al. Effects of Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Well-Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Oct;29 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25853914

Quick Summary 

• Everyone who goes to the gym with the goal of getting stronger and leaner is technically bodybuilding whether you like it or not.
• Competitive bodybuilding is fat loss taken that little bit further.
• The best diabetes bodybuilding diet plan is the one you can stick to the longest.
• Bodybuilding involves set periods of eating a calorie surplus and deficit.
• Bodybuilding is more challenging for people with diabetes. There are many important nutrition considerations.
• 99% of people looking to lose weight or gain muscle mass prioritse the wrong things when it comes to diet.
• If you don’t assess your diet you won’t reach your true potential.
• You need fewer supplements than you think. Both whey and creatine are valid options for people with diabetes.

What you’re in for?

3,500 Words

Reading Time ~ 20 minutes

If you live with diabetes and love bodybuilding, this article is for you.

I’m all for building muscle and shredding fat as fast as possible. However, to achieve this, your diet MUST be set up correctly.

There is a fine line between…

• Eating too much vs. eating too little.
• Taking too much insulin vs. taking too little.
• Training too much vs. training too little.

Overlook one detail and you run the risk of burning out, losing muscle, gaining body fat and looking the same (or worse) from year to year

Sound familiar?

Bodybuilding with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, is more challenging than you think.

That’s why so many people living with diabetes fail to look and perform their best in the gym.

It’s taken me ten years of academic learning, 1000s of blood glucose tests, 1000s of hours in the gym and over 700 clients later to develop, The Ultimate Bodybuilding Cutting and Mass Building Diet Plan for people living with diabetes.

BEFORE WE BEGIN:

WHAT IS BODYBUILDING?

When you hear the word bodybuilding what comes to mind?

Most people, conjure up images of overly tanned men and women hitting muscle poses on stage in their underwear.

While this represents the ‘competitive bodybuilder’, what about the vast amount of everyday gym goers who have no intention of getting on stage, but simply want to look better naked?

Like it or not, anyone who goes to the gym with the intention of looking better is bodybuilding.

Male, female, young, or old – it doesn’t matter. Bodybuilding is about building muscle, minimising body fat and looking your physical best.

Competitive bodybuilders train year-round in an attempt to increase their muscle mass and strength. They dedicate set periods of time (usually 20 weeks) to ‘MASS GAIN’ followed by another 10-20 weeks of fat loss, doing what is commonly termed CUTTING. When the time is right, the competitive bodybuilder steps on stage with other competitors to be judged.

The judging criteria is based on overall aesthetic development which includes muscle size, muscle symmetry, level of body fat and presentation skill (i.e. posing).

What is required to compete and look your best?

Nutrition, the right training stimulus and dedicated periods of rest are essential in every bodybuilder’s journey to building the perfect looking body (competitive or not).

This particular article focuses on the nutritional aspect of bodybuilding, specific to people living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. I will cover the training aspect in another article.

Bodybuilding with Diabetes

Bodybuilding and Physique sports are becoming increasingly popular nowadays. Just look at the increased availability of protein supplements, meal prep services, and healthy eating restaurants.

Bodybuilders who live with diabetes are few and far between. The fear of low blood glucose, the frustration of high blood glucose, lack of support and not knowing how to eat are the main reason so many people with diabetes fail to pursue their bodybuilding or physique body transformation goals.

Does this mean bodybuilding with diabetes is out of reach?

Living with diabetes doesn’t mean you can’t partake in body building or transform your body.

Just look at the likes of IFBB PRO Anth Bailes, IFBB PRO Jason Poston, IFBB PRO Collete Nielson, Aidrian Brodlell and other leading diabetic bodybuilding stars.  All of these individuals have won trophies and graced the front of many muscle and fitness magazines, all while living with type 1 diabetes.

While it’s great to see so many people take an active interest in their health, it’s a hard push to find good quality, evidence-based diet information for bodybuilding and diabetes. As a result, many individuals end up following sub-optimal advice that jeopardises their health and bodybuilding results. You may have experienced this yourself?

The diabetic body is governed by a different set of rules and requires a much more tactful approach to diet than would be advised by the mainstream fitness media or your local gym hero.

Let’s look at the challenges a bodybuilder living with diabetes faces in their quest to build a better-looking body.

• Increased levels of muscle protein breakdown.
• Reduced strength.
• Decreased joint and muscle mobility due to glycation.
• Increased potential for injury.
• Increased fatigue.

These challenges are real.

However, they only become a serious problem to building muscle when blood glucose levels are not controlled. You can safely say diabetes is not an advantage to bodybuilding, BUT, with the right knowledge, plans and guidance, diabetes DOES NOT have to be a disadvantage.

The more you know about diet, the better you will control your blood glucose levels.

Getting Started:

The Diabetic Bodybuilding Diet Plan.

When it comes to creating your own diabetic bodybuilding diet plan a number of factors need to be considered. Some are more important than others and must take priority. It’s easy to get excited and place more attention on the small details like the newest supplement, diabetic special food or the best time to consume your whey protein. Rather than prioritizing the more important (yet sometimes boring) aspects like your ‘WHY’ behind eating better, overall calorie intake or diabetes management.

The Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Nutrition Pyramid

The Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Nutrition Pyramid (pictured below) outlines all the nutritional aspects of building a successful bodybuilding diet for fat loss or muscle gain with diabetes, from most important (at the bottom) to least important (at the top). Structure your nutrition like this and you can guarantee high-quality results.

This is the exact hierarchy of importance I have incorporated into my new 112 Day Body Transformation Guides, Diabetic Shred and Diabetic Mass, developed exclusively for people living with diabetes.

1. PERSONAL VALUES FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS.

Your personal values for health and fitness are your WHY behind your HOW TO.

Find as many reasons as you can to support why improving your diet will enhance the quality of your life. These answers are the driving force behind your daily attitude and actions.

Quick hint, you’ll need a lot more reasons than simply wanting to look better to fit in.

I’ll do a separate article on the psychological aspects of getting in shape as it’s a complex subject well beyond the scope of this nutrition article.

2. DIABETES MANAGEMENT.

Even if a diet is comprised of the best quality and freshest food or most expensive supplements on the planet. Poorly controlled diabetes can predispose individuals to malnutrition, a condition where the cells of the body cannot utilise fuel properly.

Malnutrition resulting from poorly controlled (i.e. uncontrolled) diabetes, adversely affects body function and well-being, in addition to predisposing individuals to disease and delaying recovery from illness.

The point of the matter – Your diabetes must be exceptionally well controlled in order to reap the full benefits of healthy eating.

 3. ADHERENCE.

Whether your goal is to shred pounds of body fat, gain mass or maintain body weight, your diet plan must be able to accommodate social occasions, days off, and the odd slice of pizza when you fancy it. Yes, a diabetic just said pizza.

The best diabetes bodybuilding diets incorporate a little give and take. If set up correctly, the total number of calories you consume will allow you to achieve your goal without restricting the foods you love.

Eating ‘clean’ doesn’t mean you’re doing things optimally. This is especially true if you find yourself craving the foods and macronutrients you restricted.

What good is a diet that drives you crazy?

You’ll struggle to get results, never mind maintain them.

Besides nailing your calorie intake and essential nutrient targets, the secret to building a better-looking body is eating a diet you enjoy. Adherence is everything. This viewpoint is also supported by the Journal of the American Medical Association which researched pretty much every fat loss diet on the planet to find ‘adherence’ was the most significant factor behind a diet’s success ⁹.

How many massively restrictive diets have you started, only to stop once your burst of enthusiasm has been replaced by pure monotony? Time to re-think things?

As for training, it’s only the fun part.

I take dietary adherence very seriously in my guides. I’ve even incorporated detailed instructions on how you can eat the foods you love and still get in amazing shape. The breakthrough diabetes bodybuilding diet and training guides are Diabetic Shred and Diabetic Mass.

Forget overly restrictive, dull, boring chicken, broccoli and rice diets, carb cycling, detoxes and super expensive supplements.

Focus on sustainability and killer consistency.

Know Your Goal:

To Cut, Build or Maintain?

Now you’ve got to terms with the foundation of your diabetes bodybuilding diet plan, let’s discuss your goals before going any further.

1. FAT LOSS – Fairly self-explanatory. The goal is to get as lean as possible while maintaining, and where possible increasing, muscle mass at the same time.

2. INCREASE BODYWEIGHT & MUSCLE MASS – When the primary focus is an increase in body weight, muscle size and strength. Successful mass gain involves very little fat gain.

3. MAINTAIN BODYWEIGHT – Maintaining your current level of body fat and muscle mass. Typically reserved for retired bodybuilders or individuals who no longer have the time or resources to commit to a full-time bodybuilding lifestyle. If you want to keep looking great naked, with the minimum effective dose, maintaining is your goal.

Once you’ve identified your diabetes bodybuilding goal you will need set yourself a time frame, measure your progress and get accountable.

Let me elaborate…

1. Set a time frame.

You need to set yourself an adequate time frame for getting in shape.

How long will depend on much progress you want to make.

There is a huge difference between

• Losing 10lbs of fat vs. 100lbs
• Gaining 2lb of muscle mass vs. 20lbs

While building a great looking physique takes years, generally speaking, 16 weeks is enough time to make significant body transformation changes.

2. Measure your rate of progress.

If you aren’t assessing you’re just guessing.

To get the most out of your diabetes bodybuilding diet plan, you must learn to evaluate and measure your food intake.

“Tracking food may seem like a mundane task”

Think again, tracking allows you to build portion control habits, and eat more flexibly in relation to your bodybuilding goals.

Fat loss requires eating less than you burn off. Overeating will hinder your fat loss efforts, while under eating will increase your chances of muscle loss and fatigue.

Mass gain requires eating slightly more than you burn off. Overeating will increase your chances of gaining unwanted body fat, while eating too little will slow muscle growth and prevent you adding size.

Far too often people blindly drop their calories and increase their training when there is no need. You must adjust when the time is right. How will you know? Tracking of course!

Having worked with 100s of bodybuilders and physique athletes, I know only too well how confusing it can be when it comes to making decisions about when to cut calories and where from. I paid great attention to this dilemma when developing Diabetic Shred and Diabetic Mass.

Both guides give you a crystal clear decision process for when and where to adjust your calories, once you hit a plateau. The plateau is usually the time when people give up on their goals. Have you given up when improvements have slowed?

Having a clear set of questions and actions like this saves hassle, gets better results, and most importantly, keeps you progressing not quitting!

3. Get Accountable.

To get the most out of your diabetes bodybuilding diet plan, you must get accountable.

Hiring a coach or personal trainer with a proven track record who understands diabetes management will be worth its weight in gold, especially if it is your first time.

A good coach will give you that much-needed push during training, along with good honest critical feedback on your physical progress, and posing.

Now let’s get into the nitty gritty of nutrition and talk calories, carbs, protein, dietary fat and supplements.

4. ENERGY BALANCE.

The first place to start when building your diet plan is calories.

Calories play a crucial role in everyone’s attempts to build muscle and shred fat ¹.

If your goal is to lose body fat or increase body weight, you must first establish how many calories you need to maintain your current bodyweight, and then work from there.

How do I work out my maintenance calories?

Record your body weight and calorie consumption over 14 days. Total the values up and divide each of them by 14 to get your fortnightly calorie and body weight average. Compare this value to your starting body weight…

• If your body weight has gone up, this indicates a calorie surplus.
• If your body weight has gone down, this indicates a calorie deficit.
• If your body weight has remained the same, this indicates maintenance calories.

Oh, and if the idea of weighing yourself seems daunting, here are some useful tips on how to weigh yourself properly.

Another way to calculate maintenance calories is by using a calorie calculation.

These aren’t 100% bulletproof, but they do get you on the right path.

Once you’ve established a maintenance level of calories, you’ll need to adjust it to your goal.

Generally speaking, for…

• Fat Loss – Eat slightly fewer calories than you need to maintain your body weight.
• Mass gain – Eat slightly more calories than you need to maintain your body weight.
• Body maintenance – Keep eating the same amount of calories.

5. MACRONUTRIENTS.

Everyone gets confused about macros. It’s no surprise considering the vast amount of conflicting and over-complicated information found online and in the papers.

Low carb,

High carb,

High fat,

Low fat.

Which macro split is best for diabetes?

Here’s what you need to know about macros…

Certain macro nutrients are essential, others not.

Protein and the essential fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) need to be consumed via the diet.

Carbohydrates and other forms of fat are non-essential as the body can produce them itself.

The best diet contains all the macronutrients in the right amounts specific to your overall calorie goal for fat loss, mass gain or body weight maintenance.

What ratio of macronutrients you decide to eat is largely down to personal preference once you have met your essential needs for protein, essential fatty acids and carbohydrates for hypo treatment/prevention purposes.

How much protein do I need?

To keep it simple, 1.4-2.0g per kg (0.6-1.0g per lb) of protein for the majority of people reading this.

In other words, if you weigh 67kg (147lb) you would consume 90-150g of protein per day. Split equally over 3-5 servings of 20-40g each day.

How much fat do I need?

Generally speaking, consuming 20-30% of your calories from fat is a great place to start. You might consume different amounts each day. However, over a period of weeks/months – they should average out.

In respect to your overall fat intake, certain types of dietary fat are essential, others not.

Omega-3s are essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids that need to be supplied through the diet

There are three types of omega-3s involved in human physiology: ALA, EPA & DHA. Predominantly of marine origin, EPA and DHA are better than ALA found in plant oils, due to their greater bioavailability ^2,3.

Consuming fatty fish and fish oil supplements have been shown to improve dozens of aspects of health and disease, including insulin sensitivity, blood lipids, depression, inflammation and blood pressure, to name a few ^2,3,4,5,6.

Taking into account the different government and health organisations’ recommendations, 1-3 g of combined EPA-DHA per day suffices. The upper dose of 3g would be more suitable for people with diabetes due to the predisposition of a high triglyceride level and elevated blood pressure.

1 gram of fish oil is the equivalent to around 3 fish oil capsules per day or three to four 112g portions per week of oily fish like salmon, mackerel or sardines.

You’ll want to check how much Omega 3 you can take with your health care professional if you’re taking blood thinning medication.

How many carbs do I need?

Carbohydrate should make up the remainder of your calorie intake once you have calculated your calorie intake from protein and fat. The more carbs you eat, the less fat you’ll eat, and vice versa. The more dietary fat you eat, the fewer carbs you’ll consume.

Think of carbohydrate as a performance fuel, not a recovery fuel – the more training you do, the more you’ll need.

Do I need to go low carb if I live with diabetes?

Not necessarily.

If you are highly active and strength train 3-6 times per week, carbohydrates will help fuel your exercise performance and provide your body with a better training stimulus.

The fiber aspect of carbohydrates has also been shown to play a key role in the health of our microbiome, which has now been repeatedly shown to play a key role in body weight management ^7,8.

Carbs provide a range of different vitamins and minerals. They also taste great and help with dietary adherence.

Provided you manage your blood glucose levels and account for the calories you consume from carbohydrate, there is no reason to exclude them. On a side note, you must account for the carbohydrate calories you use to treat hypoglycaemia. This may vary from day to day.

If you”re like most men with diabetes, trying to figure all this out can get pretty overwhelming. One of the easiest ways to overcome this is to follow simple recipe plans.

That’s why I created the Ultra Lean Diabetic Cookbook for men looking to shred fat.

….and The Diabetic Muscle Building Cookbook for men looking to pack on muscle size and strength.

These books are are jam packed with 200 mouth-watering diabetic friendly recipes. They include everything from beef burgers, tortilla pizzas, tacos the whole way through to protein bars and pancakes. All the calories and macronutrients are outlined for you – they even come with a Myfitness pal barcode for easy food tracking.

6. NUTRIENT TIMING

Nutrient timing is more important for people with diabetes, especially when it comes to preventing/treating hypoglycaemia or preventing hyperglycaemia.

Refer to the infographic below and review when nutrient timing is Very Important, Worth Considering and Not Important. It’s the perfect size for Instagram, so please do feel free to share on social media (remember to tag us)

Getting your nutrition timed right has favourable effects on body composition, mood, and diabetes management. However, it should never be prioritised over the more important levels of the pyramid such as energy balance and macro nutrients.

A prime example of this would be the ‘no carbs after 6 dogma.’

In terms of meal frequency, 2-4 meals for fat loss and 3-5 if bulking to add size.

7. MICRONUTRIENTS/FIBER/WATER.

The topic of micro-nutrition may sound mind-numbing but you can’t overlook it.

Long-term micronutrient deficiencies will have a detrimental impact on your health and ability to perform/recover optimally from your training efforts.

Micronutrient deficiencies can result from prolonged periods of low-calorie dieting and poorly controlled diabetes. A varied diet is a great way to get in a range of micronutrients.

If you have any problems with energy levels, hunger, skin, or problems sleeping, you might be short of a few vitamins or minerals. Rather than assuming, the best way to check for micro nutrient deficiencies is by getting a blood test done.

Fiber Intake

First of all, it is worth noting fiber is not an essential nutrient.

1. It makes you feel fuller (helps with fat loss)
2. Slows gastric emptying and nutrient absorption (can help with blood glucose management)
3. Decreases blood cholesterol
4. Decreasing mineral absorption
5. Provides food for the bacteria in our guts which are shown to play a massive role in health and obesity prevention.
6. Helps you go to the toilet.

High-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables contain lots of other nutrients (vitamins and minerals) that are important to health.

If your fiber intake is low, don’t start ploughing it down. The body, particularly the bacteria within your gut need a little time to adapt. Otherwise, you’ll be pretty bloated and be blowing a lot of gas.

Provided you don’t suffer from IBS or any other serious bowel condition, 30-40g of fiber is a great target to shoot for daily.

Water Intake

Water is important for all things: health, muscle building and exercise performance. There isn’t really a fixed water goal you should work to per say, as hydration needs vary widely with body weight, sweat rates and frequency of hyperglycaemia.

Generally speaking,

• Aim for at least 5 clear urinations a day.
• Make sure you’re not dehydrated before training.
• Hydrate yourself well both during and after hyperglycaemia.
• Your hydration needs will increase if you are using the likes of creatine.

8. SUPPLEMENTS.

When it comes to supplements, let’s get five things straight.

1. Supplements are the least important part of the nutrition pyramid.
2. Supplements can be a great nutritional insurance to someone living with diabetes. However, they will not mop up the damage caused by poorly controlled diabetes.
3. Supplements are a healthy addition to a good diet plan, but they will not make up for a poor one.
4. Generally speaking, supplements are not needed, unless you don’t eat oily fish or natural sources of omega 3.
5. Supplements are never to be seen as shortcuts.

What supplements do I need?

Generally speaking, protein powder is a convenient easily digested source of high-quality protein, creatine along with caffeine is useful for boosting strength and cognition, Vitamin D is good for health if you live in a dull climate, fish oil seems to improve many elements of health – which makes all of these a worthwhile investment.

Since I consider the subject of supplements such a non-important topic, I’ll cover them in greater detail in a separate article, as I don’t want them distracting from the more important parts of this article.

In fact, I guarantee some people will have skipped everything I’ve said up until now – if you have – go back and start afresh.

If you’ve read the whole way up until here. Great!

Respect the hierarchy of importance for each element outlined in the Diabetic Muscle and Fitness nutrition pyramid, get focused on building healthy habits over the long term, assessing your progress and just eat real food.

Take Home

Before you pay for another month of gym membership consider these key principles for cutting, bulking or maintenance phases.

• Proper diabetes bodybuilding nutrition is about understanding how to eat healthily and sustainably towards your goals. All diet plans work (for a while), use them as a template from which to adjust according to your results and personal circumstances.

• Never hop from diet to diet. It’s best to measure progress after about 2 to 4 weeks and then continually adjust.

• At all times, whether gaining, losing or maintaining, the ultimate nutritional approach for diabetic bodybuilding is a calorie controlled, nutrient dense diet that supports exercise performance and recovery.

• To get the best possible results an individual’s diabetes must be extremely well-managed through regular blood glucose testing and appropriate amounts of medication. This is essential for the proper absorption and metabolism of nutrients from food.

Since you have made it to the end of this blog, you are obviously serious about your physique, so

I’m going to give you an 85% off coupon for what many have coined the most advanced diabetes bodybuilding diet and training programs in the world. And, yes before you ask you can do SHRED first, then MASS (or vice versa)

They are also both an absolute steal too, at only £13 ($16)

If your goal is fat loss -> GET DIABETIC SHRED   

If your goal is lean weight gain –> GET DIABETIC MASS

References

1. The poor, misunderstood calorie: calories proper: Volume 1 Lagakos Ph.D., Dr. William
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28289069
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23794360
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25278765
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013121/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24117792
7. Le Chatelier, T. Nielsen, J. Qin, E. Prifti, F. Hildebrand, G. Falony, et al. Richness of human gut microbiome correlates with metabolic markers Nature, 500 (2013), pp. 541-546.
8. -P. Furet, L.-C. Kong, J. Tap, C. Poitou, A. Basdevant, J.-L. Bouillot, et al. Differential adaptation of human gut microbiota to bariatric surgery-induced weight loss: links with metabolic and low-grade inflammation markers Diabetes, 59 (2010), pp. 3049-3057, 10.2337/db10-0253
9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256290225_A_Call_for_an_End_to_the_Diet_Debates

For people with diabetes, exercise has been continuously proven to help improve blood glucose control and subsequently prevent some of the secondary health problems associated with diabetes. Monitoring your blood glucose levels is a crucial aspect of living a healthy life with diabetes, but it can also have a substantial effect on your return to exercise if you have been injured.

If you play sport or exercise regularly, there is a possibility you will get injured.

Let’s face it you’re not superman or superwoman. At some stage in your training career, you will get injured. Injuries occur for a multitude of reasons. It may stem from a performing a repetitive movement over an extended period. In athletes, it may be because of a nasty tackle, too sharp a turn or nasty fall. For a regular gym goer, it could be because of a poorly taught exercise or because you have just pushed yourself too fast, too soon. Athletic injuries are usually musculoskeletal in nature, in that they occur in the soft tissues – muscles, ligaments, tendons – or bone and joints. Occasionally injuries can happen to the nervous system, but this is rare.

It doesn’t matter what the cause, injury forces us to rest, heal up and rehabilitate. Generally speaking, the burden of injury and recovery can be challenging both physically and mentally for people with and without diabetes.

The three stages of injury and recovery:

1. Inflammatory Phase: Soon after injury – sometimes immediately – and depending on the exact cause of damage, the body encourages clotting around wound sites, sends antibodies and white blood cells to fight infection, and provides nutrients, enzymes and oxygenated blood to begin the early stages of the repair process. These various processes lead to heat, swelling and, of course, pain.

2. Proliferation Phase: New blood vessels form and deliver further nutrients to the damaged tissues for repair. The newly formed granular tissue and collagen fibres replace damaged tissue and keep the injured site “strong”.

3. Remodelling/Maturation Phase: The collagen fibres during the proliferation phase aren’t robust enough to put up with the stresses of normal exercise. To increase tissue strength collagen integrates itself along the lines of force/tension to protect weaker areas of tissue that may be susceptible to repeat injury.

Diabetes and Sports Injury Risk

The human body needs adequate rest, nourishment and specific rehabilitation exercise to recover properly. People with diabetes must ensure blood glucose levels are controlled tightly for a full speedy recovery.

Fact: Hyperglycemia causes cell injury.

The effects of hyperglycemia on delaying healing and injury recovery are complicated and well beyond the scope of this short article.

However, one of the most damaging processes is an abnormal increase in advanced glycation end products (AGEs). In layman’s terms, this is when normal protein and lipid (fat) molecules bind to sugar, via a process called glycation. Glycation accelerates when these molecules are overexposed to sugar, especially during hyperglycemia.

A prime example would be when glucose molecules attach to the haemoglobin protein in red blood cells. The longer hyperglycemia occurs in blood, the more glucose binds to haemoglobin in the red blood cells and the higher the glycated haemoglobin. An A1C blood test assesses the percentage of glycated red blood cells in an individual’s circulation.

Once a haemoglobin molecule is glycated, it remains that way.

AGEs can also be introduced into the body via modern day food processing methods such as dry heat(1) or during tobacco smoking(2).

AGEs are well established to contribute to a variety of microvascular and macrovascular complications(3) and play a fundamental role in the complications of diabetes by raising intracellular oxidative stress.

In Layman’s terms,

Sugar makes things sticky.

A simple analogy would be to consider high blood glucose like drinking a milkshake through a straw. On the other hand, normal blood glucose levels (normoglycemia) would resemble drinking a glass of water.

Which fluid would be more challenging to sip through the straw?

The milkshake obviously.

This kind of analogy resembles what happens in the cardiovascular systems of arteries, veins and capillaries when blood glucose levels are high. The blood becomes a slower moving, sticky substance.

With this, you have a less efficient delivery of all the essential components of recovery. Blood cannot get to where it needs to be as quick as it is needed. Not only do we see a slower delivery of nutrients, antibodies, enzymes, etc. but there is also a less efficient removal of waste product from recovering body tissues: dead cells, lactic acid, inflammatory markers and more ^5,6,7.

In the same way, cholesterol can is deposited around the body, so too can sugar. Research has shown that chronic hyperglycemia glucose can slow collagen formation around damaged areas of tissue, which increases the potential for re-injury and further damage  ^5,6,7.

Take Home

The benefits of exercise for people with diabetes are plentiful. However, there is a chance of getting injured. If you do experience an injury, your blood glucose control plays a significant role in determining how quickly you recover and get back in the gym.

Here are three super important tips to implement the next time you’re injured.

1. Invest in a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM.) to monitor blood glucose levels 24/7 with ease. You’ll be able to catch and treat hyperglycaemia faster than normal.

2. Unless you are completely debilitated exercise areas of your body that aren’t injured. If your lower body’s injured train your upper body, and vice versa. Sitting on your ass all day isn’t going to do you any favours, and in most cases worsens blood glucose control, adds body fat and leaves you feeling like crap. Do what you can.

3. Be mindful that your energy expenditure won’t be as high. To avoid fat gain, make appropriate adjustments to your diet and physical activity.

References

1. Koschinsky T, He CJ, Mitsuhashi T, Bucala R, Liu C, Buenting C, Heitmann K, Vlassara H. Orally absorbed reactive glycation products (glycotoxins): an environmental risk factor in diabetic nephropathy. J Biol Chem. 1989 Mar 5; 264(7):3674-9.
2. Cerami C, Founds H, Nicholl I, Mitsuhashi T, Giordano D, Vanpatten S, Lee A, Al-Abed Y, Vlassara H, Bucala R, Cerami A Tobacco smoke is a source of toxic reactive glycation products.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Dec 9; 94(25):13915-20.
3. Goldin et al. Advanced Glycation End Products Sparking the Development of Diabetic Vascular Injury. Circulation. 2006;114:597-605
4. Biochemistry and molecular cell biology of diabetic complications. Brownlee MNature. 2001 Dec 13; 414(6865):813-20.
5. Wyatt, LH and Ferrance, RJ., 2006. The musculoskeletal effects of diabetes mellitus. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association.
6. Levinger I, Seeman E, Jerums G, McConell GK, Rybchyn MS, Cassar S, Byrnes E, Selig S, Mason RS, Ebeling PR, Brennan-Speranza TC., 2016. Glucose-loading reduces bone remodeling in women and osteoblast function in vitro. Physiological Reports.
7. Bhat TA, Dhar SA, Dar TA, Naikoo MA, Naqqash MA, Bhat A and Butt MF., 2016. The Musculoskeletal Manifestations of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Kashmiri Population. International Journal of Health Sciences.

Before we discuss creatine and diabetes let’s discuss what creatine actually is and abolish some of the common myths and fallacies around this ever popular sports nutrition supplement.

Quick Fire Myths Dispelled

Q. Is creatine a steroid?

No

Q. Does creatine make you go bald?

No

Q. Does creatine cause cancer?

No

Q. What happens when you stop taking creatine?

Generally nothing.

What is Creatine?

Creatine is a molecule we naturally produce in the body. It is a natural tri-peptide which means it has three amino acids. If you eat a diet rich in animal proteins like beef, fish and dairy you will naturally be consuming creatine

Creatine has profound effects on exercise performance by increasing your body’s availability of Adenosine-Triphosphate (ATP) the body’s primary source of energy, especially when performing resistance based exercise. Increased ATP availability allows you to lift heavier for longer which amplifies your ability to stimulate muscle growth.

Creatine Supplementation = More ATP = More Energy = Greater Training Stimulus

There is also research supporting the cognitive benefits of creatine supplementation in those with depression.

Noted benefit and possible side effects include:

• Increased strength
• Water retention
• Stomach cramping (if insufficient water is consumed)
• Diarrhoea of nausea (if too much consumed)

There is some concern that it could harm the kidney, liver, or heart function. However, a connection between high doses and these negative effects has not been proven.

Q. What is the best type of creatine?

There is a host of different creatines available on the market including Creatine monohydrate, Kre-Alkalyn and Creatine Ethyl Ester.

Which form of creatine is best?

Creatine monohydrate is the best form. It is the cheapest and most researched creatine of the lot.

How Do you take creatine?

There are two approaches to dosing creatine.

Approach 1 – Loading Phase

• 0.3g per kg bodyweight per day
• 80 KG male = 24g (broken up into 5g doses)

Approach 2 – Maintenance

• Supplementing with 5g per day.

Q. Do you need to cycle creatine?

Given the current body of evidence, you do not need to cycle creatine.

CREATINE AND DIABETES

How does the holy grail of supplements fare against diabetes?

The research to support creatine consumption in people living with T2 is relatively large. Unfortunately, there is zero research investigating the effects of creatine consumption in people living with T1 which definitely warrants future research.

Benefits of Creatine in Diabetes

Increased muscle mass and frequent muscle contraction in people without diabetes is known to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake into cells.

Creatine has the ability to improve glycemic control, based on its ability to increase training performance.

Muscle tissue acts like a vacuum and storage house for glucose.

When muscle tissue is contracted such as during resistance training, specific glucose transporters known as GLUT-4 translocate (rise) to the surface of the muscle cell and assist with the disposal of glucose out of the bloodstream and into the muscle cells.

The harder an individual trains the greater uptake of glucose.

It is well established that people living with Type 2 diabetes have a marked increase in GLUT-4 activity following strength training ² which assists in the lowering of blood glucose.

These favourable changes could also be seen in people with Type 1. However, due to a complete lack of insulin production, the liver’s production of glucose can often outweigh uptake and thus lead to hyperglycemia.

Is it fair to say these benefits would be useful in well-controlled type 1 diabetes, especially if the liver’s production of glucose is accounted for with appropriate amounts of injectable insulin?

Maybe so….

Either way, more research is needed.

If you want to learn more about building muscle tissue with creatine, I’ve covered an absolute tonne of useful strategies in my book The Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Guide.

Is creatine safe for diabetics?

One of the main concerns with creatine is kidney trouble.

The underlying theory does make sense. The more creatine consumed, the harder the kidneys have to work to process it. And, since people with diabetes already have an increased susceptibility to kidney disease, especially when poorly controlled, creatine consumption might exacerbate the issue.

In fact, there isn’t one single peer-reviewed study or case report suggesting creatine as the causative factor behind kidney damage, which is a marked complication of poorly controlled diabetes.

Research by Gualano in 2010 studied a man with one functioning kidney who consumed more than 20g creatine monohydrate per day. His remaining kidney failed to show any signs of damage ³.

A significant double-blind trial by Gualano and colleagues in 2011 looked at the kidney function of people with Type 2 diabetes who consumed 5g of creatine/day versus those who consumed a placebo. Both groups performed a mixture of aerobic and resistance based exercise, but neither presented any evidence of kidney damage ⁴.

In a separate study, Gualano and colleagues also noted that creatine consumption could improve overall diabetic control by lowering HbA1C levels ⁵.

Two groups, one consuming a placebo and one consuming 5g of creatine/day, both took part in a mixed exercise plan of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Those who were consuming creatine found a significant reduction in HbA1C compared to the placebo group within a period of 12 weeks.

It was proposed these beneficial effects were a result of increased GLUT-4 activity and ensuring glucose disposal into cells ⁵.

If you want to learn more about the effects of creatine on the diabetic body before taking it you definitely need to check out the hour-long webinar I recorded with Dr Darryn Willoughby (one of the world’s leading exercise researchers) inside the exclusive webinars section of The Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Training Lab.

If you’re obsessed with building a better body, The Training Lab contains a gold mine of information you will benefit from.

Take Home

People living with T2 can safely consume creatine. Research among people with Type 1 diabetes is lacking and should advocate further studies taking place.

Creatine has demonstrated significant benefits on glucose metabolism when used alongside exercise, raising its potential as a possible nutritional therapy in this population.

For the benefit of your overall care, you must mention it to your medical doctor.

Creatine is a proven supplement. But make sure you’re confident in your blood glucose control before using it. Even the best supplements in the world can’t protect against hyperglycemia.

Interested In Using Creatine As Part of Your Muscle Building Efforts?

Since you have made it to the end of this blog, you are obviously serious about your physique, I’m going to give you an 85% off coupon for what many have coined the most advanced diabetes bodybuilding diet and training programs in the world.

Both of these plans incorporate creatine monohydrate as part of their 112-day diet and training program.

The best thing about it…

For all the information you get, these guides are an absolute steal, at only £13 ($16) each.

IF YOUR GOAL IS FAT LOSS -> GET DIABETIC SHRED   

IF YOUR GOAL IS LEAN WEIGHT GAIN –> GET DIABETIC MASS

References

1. Ritcher, EA and Hargeaves M, (2013). Exercise, GLUT4, and skeletal muscle glucose uptake. Physiology Reviews
2. Holten MK, Zacho M, Gaster M, Juel C, Wojtaszewski JF, Dela F., (2004). Strength training increases insulin-mediated glucose uptake, GLUT4 content, and insulin signalling in skeletal muscle in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes.
3. Gualano B, Ferreira DC, Sapienza MT, Seguro AC, Lancha AH Jr. (2010). Effect of short-term high-dose creatine supplementation on measured GFR in a young man with a single kidney. American Journal of Kidney Disease.
4. Gualano B, de Salles Painelli V, Roschel H, Lugaresi R, Dorea E, Artioli GG, Lima FR, da Silva ME, Cunha MR, Seguro AC, Shimizu MH, Otaduy MC, Sapienza MT, da Costa Leite C, Bonfá E, Lancha Junior AH., (2011). Creatine supplementation does not impair kidney function in type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. European Journal of Applied Physiology.
5. Gualano B, DE Salles Painneli V, Roschel H, Artioli GG, Neves M Jr, De Sá Pinto AL, Da Silva ME, Cunha MR, Otaduy MC, Leite Cda C, Ferreira JC, Pereira RM, Brum PC, Bonfá E, Lancha AH Jr., (2011). Creatine in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

Other References – Benefits of Creatine

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1…

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1…

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti…

https://link.springer.com/article/10….

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/…

https://link.springer.com/article/10….

http://journals.humankinetics.com/doi…

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/anonymous?…

http://jap.physiology.org/content/91/…

This article is suitable for anyone interested in improving the look of their body, from a fitness beginner right through to the professional bodybuilder, and athlete looking to improve performance.

How do you build muscle?

Lift weights?

Consume enough protein?

Get enough rest?

Repeat

Yes, Pretty much!

Everyone has the potential to build muscle over the course of their lifetime.

Some people are happy with the level of muscle mass they have while others desire more for performance and aesthetic reasons.

The ability to gain muscle is highly specific to an individual’s genetics, baseline hormone levels and day to day activity. Many of these factors change as we age, reducing our capacity to gain muscle as we age. In other words, Muscle mass increases as we age up until a certain point.

The effect of age on work capacity and muscle growth is a complex and lengthy subject. In fact, there is an hour long video module on the topic on the member’s site.

Anyhow,

The best way to stimulate muscle growth is regular weights resistance training or loaded body movement.

Even though we perform loaded movements daily, such as

Squatting down to pick up our pets,

Carrying the groceries to the car,

Pushing annoying people ‘out the way.’

Pulling the kids around,

Picking things up (hip-hinge) off the ground.

Day to Day Movement Isn’t Enough. None of these movements load our muscles heavily or frequently enough to stimulate gains in muscle mass.

Weights resistance training is an incredibly useful tool for increasing muscle mass, especially with diabetes.  

The intensity (load) and frequency of training determine the stress placed on the body’s musculature and consequently determine how fast muscle tissue is gained.

Training means nothing without recovery.

For the body to get the best adaption, it must have adequate recovery resources available. These include:

– Appropriate calorific intake (the major determinant of weight loss and muscle gain)

– Essential Nutrients (fats, protein and micronutrients)

– Adequate sleep – 7-8 hours per day including naps

– Adequate rest between training sessions (movements or body parts)

When you add something (training wise), you need to add something (recovery wise) from the list above. You can’t keep increasing the training intensity and frequency all the time. There is a cutoff point!

You also need to respect the fact that stressors, like prolonged emotional trauma and illness, especially uncontrolled diabetes can interfere with your muscle building efforts.

You must minimise outside stressors, and take good care of your diabetes. That’s exactly what I teach everyone in DIABETIC MASS and DIABETIC SHRED,  the two most advanced diabetes bodybuilding diet and training programs in the world.

3 Facts About Building Muscle with Diabetes.

Uncontrolled diabetes reduces your chances of building muscle tissue and increasing physical strength. Here are three important points to consider when trying to build muscle with diabetes.

#1 Diabetes is a catabolic disease.

Uncontrolled diabetes is a state of undernutrition. Lack of insulin reduces the body’s ability to utilise nutrients (fuel) properly.

If nutrients can’t get into cells performance (stimulus) and recovery will be negatively affected, limiting muscle growth,

Hyperglycemia increases muscle protein breakdown and limits the protein synthesis – the process of creating new proteins.

On the other hand, hypoglycemia steals energy and mental focus, making training difficult and in many cases dangerous.

Fix

Obsess over your blood glucose control.

Do all you can to keep blood glucose levels in healthy range. This requires dedicated monitoring of blood glucose levels in response to medication and dietary intake.

Instead of tracking aimlessly, feedback the data to your healthcare team and do your best to identify patterns when blood glucose levels dip or rise into unhealthy ranges.  Anticipate and react appropriately next time round.

#2 Be Mindful of the Side Effects of Injectable Insulin.

People who rely on injectable insulin can run the risk of taking too much and too little.

Too little insulin – hyperglycemia.

Too much insulin – hypoglycemia.

Aerobic exercise poses the greatest risk for experiencing hypoglycemia due to its low-stress nature and reduced capacity to increase glucose-raising hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which are typically produced during higher intensity exercise and responsible for increasing blood glucose.

Hypos during higher intensity exercise are less likely due to increased production of glucose from the liver. However, if there is too much-circulating insulin, hypos are a real possibility.

High levels of insulin (hyperinsulinemia) suppress the action of glucose-raising hormones like glucagon, which normally signal the release of stored glucose from the liver into the bloodstream to rectify low blood glucose levels. This abnormal response doesn’t usually occur in the body of a non-diabetic because insulin production is tightly regulated.

Fix

Learn to dose precisely. Injecting the correct amount of insulin is a fine art and requires constant monitoring. The more consistent you are with diet, training and lifestyle – the easier it is to pinpoint control.

Be mindful of injecting insulin into a trained muscle group. This leads to faster action of the drug and increased risk of hypoglycemia.

#3 Keep your head right.

Living with diabetes can be stressful.

It’s common for people with diabetes to suffer from depression and anxiety. The burden of managing blood glucose levels, injecting in public and complications from poor control (both short and long term) add additional stress to an already stressful modern lifestyle.

It’s difficult to get the most out of training when you’re stressed. As a result, the training stimulus is never as good. Chronic long-term stress is detrimental to health and diabetes management. If left uncontrolled stress can manifest into a host of adverse health problems including:

– Not feeling present or in the moment

– Anxiety

– Fatigue

– Digestive Upset

– Reduced immune function – opening you up to other infections

Not ideal for high-quality living or building a strong muscular physique.

Fix

It’s incredibly important to focus on what you can control and surrender to what you can’t. As I always preach, there is always blessing in adversity.

Being self-aware of stressful situations is important.

Take time away from social media, meditate, journal and surround yourself with as many positive people as possible. Doing so will give you a clear mind, and allow for better decision-making.

Health starts from within! As I say in my book, your psychology becomes your physiology.

Take Home

People with diabetes can build muscle. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Your muscle-building potential depends upon the following;

– Age

– Genetics

– Training intensity

– Training frequency

– Recovery resources

– Blood glucose control.

You must stay motivated to learn all you can about your condition and empower yourself with the knowledge needed to understand why blood glucose levels behave the way they do.

Go out of your way to get accountable to a mixed team of professionals including a diabetes specialist, exercise physiologist, sports nutritionist, psychologist and strength coach.

I’ve incorporated all of these important factors (and more) into DIABETIC MASS and DIABETIC SHRED,  two complete diet and training systems designed for individuals looking to build maximum muscle mass and shred large amounts of body fat. All the hard work is done for you as the diet, workouts and supplements are all planned out for you. All you need to do is follow them.

According to Forbes, ‘There are now 11,000 CrossFit gyms, or “boxes” worldwide, up 22-fold from nine years ago. Its adherents have turned CrossFit into a cult whose brand generates some $4 billion in annual revenue.

CrossFit is also enjoyed by millions of people living with diabetes across the globe. In this article, Michael Geale, Type 1 diabetic and Head Coach at CrossFit Ingleburn in Sydney, Australia, gives his insight into training CrossFit with diabetes.

What Is CrossFit?

CrossFit is a fitness regimen designed to improve physical fitness in a meaningful, measurable way.

CrossFit is grounded on training the core movements and modalities of life at high intensity. These include the best aspects of gymnastics, weightlifting, running, rowing and more.

Each modality and movement brings with it a unique fitness and physiological benefit when trained with intensity. This includes everything from cardiovascular fitness, strength, mobility and muscular endurance.

Intensity is essential for dramatic gains in fitness and is determined by:

Work divided by time. In other words, the more work you do in less time equates to more power and higher intensity.

Key CrossFit terms you need to know

WOD = Workout Of the Day

CrossFit utilises a different workout each day (usually 3 days ON, 1 day OFF) Each day you change not only the exercises you do, but the timeframe, loading and componentry

BOX = A CrossFit gym

Picture CrossFit training like this.

You want to be able to run to catch a bus, carry ALL of the shopping bags, defend yourself against a mugger and maintain speed the whole time. <= Pretty fit, right?

The importance on building a balanced self, through the application of elements from gymnastics, powerlifting, strongman, endurance sports like running and rowing and utilising calisthenic movements, is paramount when looking to be as physically ready for any task life, work or sport may throw at you.

CrossFit programming is very often misunderstood and many assumptions are made simply by comparing what you see most prevalent in social media – “The sport of Fitness”,

CrossFit as a sport is vastly different from CrossFit as a training methodology!

Imagine you are considering boxing as a fitness endeavour (something many people around the world do) and watching the infamous “Rumble in the jungle” where Ali and Foreman fought it out in the African heat for 8 rounds and ended in a knockout, who wants that?

The same goes for CrossFit, if you are watching ESPN and see the “Games” you are seeing CrossFit at its extreme, men and women who have built up their training, capacity and strength to a point that allows them to not only undertake such workouts and progressive overloading of mere weight alone) but to perform multiple WODs each day for 5 days straight.

As an example of programming and to highlight some key concepts, let’s look at today’s programming at my Box.

Part A – Every 2 minutes for 12 minutes (6 sets total)

• 3 Front squat @80-85% or “Heavy”

Each client will be advised on a loading scheme, based on their skill, experience, goals and current fitness (are they returning from injury/long break) Percentage work is generally reserved for intermediate to advanced lifters.

Part B –  For time, 5 Rds with a 30min Time Cap

• 10 Box jump 30/24”
• 10 Kettlebell swing 2/1.5 pood
• 10 HSPU (handstand push-up)

Again every movement, time frame, weight and exercise can be modified (and will be via myself or another coach) to suit the above considerations.

This workout covers multiple bases within our program; there is also linear progression and progressive overload with the reoccurrence of the squat for example, over a predetermined micro-cycle. The micro-cycles within traditional CrossFit programming tend to focus on movements as opposed to strength numbers, e.g. if you want to assist the population in improving their overhead stability over 6 weeks, movements you will increase in WODs and accessory strength work

• Pressing overhead
• Overhead carries
• Heavy Bench presses
• Turkish get-ups
• Jerks and dynamic pressing
• Overhead squat

If and when you start CrossFit, you should be assessed, introduced and slowly trained to develop the following essential physical skills:

• CVE (cardiovascular Endurance),
• Strength,
• Speed,
• Flexibility,
• Power,
• Stamina,
• Accuracy,
• Agility,
• Balance and Co-ordination

Pre-Exercise Considerations

• Age
• Gender
• Training Goals
• Previous Injury
• Medical Conditions

Always ensure the gym you are going to train at has understanding/informed trainers, who are ALL mindful and educated (to their best ability/knowledge) on treating possible problems you will encounter.

CrossFit and Diabetes.

I myself have been actively involved in CrossFit for over 8 years now and train almost daily with undulating (ever-changing) volume and skill, but always at high intensity (defined earlier).

Along with the other clients I have worked with in person and online, we have all noticed benefits that not only come from following each style of training that we use, but also cumulatively as a whole (basically the sum is greater than the parts).

Benefits include:

• Reduced insulin resistance (also very helpful for type 2s)
• Weight control via high-intensity training (in conjunction with diet)
• Increased muscle mass and decreased body fat
• General strength & conditioning increases (which benefit anyone)
• Lower Triglyceride levels and overall risk factors for CVD
• Decreased HBa1c through greater overall control

In order to get the most from CrossFit make use of these 3 super useful tips,

1. Test 10 minutes prior to the WOD.

This will allow you to account for a surge in adrenaline (even if you are an experienced athlete or CrossFitter, the pressure you put on yourself and the excitement of the WOD can create a large spike in the flight or fight hormone). Also, if, like me, you tend to spike after lifting heavy and drop slightly within “Cardio” you will also need to test after, +1hr and even maybe +2hours if you aren’t wearing a Dexcom of some sort (this I highly recommend)

2. Expect blood glucose control to differ from session to session

Managing your BSL might seem tricky to begin with, like any other form of exercise there will be “off” days, anomalies and a time needed to test and pre-empt potential spikes and crashes.

During the first few weeks, I suggest you only really go hard on one aspect of each day’s programming (if your gym has multiple components like strength and conditioning separate) and record the effects both time and intensity have on your particular case of diabetes.

3. Placing your CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor)

I find the best placement for your Dexcom sensor is on your Triceps, almost around the back of the arm, I know this isn’t “recommended” but for everyone I’ve worked with it provides great numbers as well as protection from barbells, ring straps, burpees, running and rowing as well as keeping clean and remaining intact longer. As far as pumps go, what seems to work well is pants/shorts with a tight back pocket and tucking the tubing into your waistband, I will usually just disconnect for short workouts and bolus any missed insulin straight after, and if there are any long runs in the WOD, I will reattach for those.

Hopefully now you have a better idea of what CrossFit is, how it can be done as a Diabetic and how best to manage the logistical and managerial obstructions to becoming the fittest version of a Diabetic you can be.

5 Signs You’re A Member Of A Well Run CrossFit BOX

1. Cleanliness.
2. Ensure the gym has an option to allow you to transition into regular classes either by “Fundamental training” or as we call it, “Elements” and/or Personal training.
3. Dedicated classes (no one wandering around doing their “own thing”)
4. Capped classes (I cannot stress this enough)
5. Knowledgeable, caring staff who pay attention to you and make you feel like the only person in the world when they are engaging you.

About The Author:

Michael Geale is the Head Coach at CrossFit Ingleburn in Sydney, Australia. He is 33 years old and was diagnosed at 8 years old in 1992. He has competed at multiple levels within powerlifting, weightlifting and CrossFit.

Mick’s Website: www.crossfitingleburn.com.au

Contact: mick@crossfitingleburn.com.au

There are many challenges and distractions to getting in shape. The temptation of high-calorie convenience food presents itself everywhere you go and machines are taking your jobs.

It’s becoming easier and easier to overeat, move less and become an obesity statistic.

In this article, I want to highlight 5 useful tips that will help keep you on the straight and narrow with your muscle building and fat loss efforts.

1. Persistence is important, but planned, periodic bouts of “being bad” can actually be a good thing.

This can include everything from holidays, training breaks, sleeping in. right through to portion-controlled food options that lie outside normal ‘clean eating’.

 2. The SMART method is a great way to approach your diabetic body building and fitness goals.

Specific,

Measurable,

Attainable,

Realistic,

Time-Bound

Are your behaviours allowing you to achieve your goals?

If not, what can you do to alter these behaviours or habits?

3. If you keep slipping up (take note)

You either don’t want it bad enough or your diet and training programmes need to be tweaked.

One of the easiest ways to overcome poor dietary adherence is to follow delicious diabetic friendly recipe plans. They remove the stress of thinking ‘what’s safe to eat’ and give you done-for-you meal ideas that can be cooked in a flash.

Thats exactly why I created the Ultra Lean Diabetic Cookbook – it’s loaded with 100 mouth-watering diabetic friendly recipes. They include everything from beef burgers, tortilla pizzas, tacos the whole way through to protein bars and pancakes. All the calories and macronutrients are outlined for you – they even come with a Myfitness pal barcode for easy food tracking

One of the easiest ways to overcome this is to follow simple recipe plans.

4. A rigid, all-or-nothing approach to fitness is self-sabotaging to the majority of individuals, especially those who try to do it long term.

Staying in contest or photo shoot ready shape 365 days a year is not practical for 99% of the population both physiologically (physically) and psychologically (mentally) speaking.

Realise most of the incredibly shaped bodies you see on the fronts of magazines and Instagram eat, sleep and breathe fitness 24/7.

It’s their full-time job to look good. And, they usually have more time, money and effort to dedicate towards their goals than the average member of the public who works a full-time job.

There are various reasons behind an ‘all or nothing’ approach. Most people follow what they deem necessary, largely as a result of media influence, yet they fail to question or critique their approach.

Other reasons include habit, deep-rooted insecurity and even a superiority complex of ‘I’m working harder than you.’

Anxiety, depression and loss of opportunity in life and business can often result from being too fixated on your fitness endeavours.

You must find balance, be patient and realise not everything goes to plan.

5. Enjoyment is often more important than progress.

Building a great looking body is a life long journey – it needs to be enjoyable, manageable and most importantly sustainable.

–       Healthy is enjoying your life.

–       Healthy is being able to eat the food you want and at the time you want.

–       Healthy is not stressing if you missed a training day, especially if it’s because you’re doing something better or more enjoyable with your time.

Take Home

How you look, feel and perform right now is a result of what you do on average. If you can’t stick to your approach over the long term, your results won’t last.

If you want to learn the exact science of how to build a diet that is super easy to stick to, and doesn’t leave you feeling miserable you need to grab a copy of The Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Guide.

With over 400+ pages of evidence-based theory on how to build a stronger, better-looking body with diabetes, this is an absolute must for any dedicated gym goer living with diabetes.

I go into great depth on how you can create your own diet principles, incorporate ‘cheat foods’, even if you crave something every single day.

The only food you ever need to feel guilty about is the food you steal.

If you’re into bodybuilding you’ll be aware that injectable insulin is often used in conjunction with anabolic steroids to maximise muscle growth and recovery.

As a type 1 diabetic, natural bodybuilders and the general public can mistakenly assume you have an unfair bodybuilding and muscle growth advantage due to the fact you administer injectable insulin post workout similarly to non-diabetic bodybuilders using insulin as an anabolic aid to facilitate the delivery of carbohydrate, amino acids and other nutrients like creatine into muscle cells.

TAKING INSULIN AS A DIABETIC (OR NON-DIABETIC) DOES NOT GIVE YOU AN ADVANTAGE IN BODYBUILDING.

Bodybuilders with type 1 diabetes can face an uphill battle when it comes to getting in shape. Exogenous insulin is given as medication to supplement their complete lack of endogenous (internal) insulin production.

Check out the short video below. I discuss the common myth that type 1 diabetic bodybuilders are at a muscle building advantage. I also share with you key strategies I use to increase protein synthesis and reduce the catabolic effect of hyperglycemia  – a common side effect of poorly controlled diabetes.

Insulin and bodybuilding are often considered best friends.

Bodybuilders understand the important role insulin plays in performance and recovery by transporting key nutrients into cells, as well as reducing muscle protein breakdown.

Quite often the man-made form of the drug (injectable insulin) is regularly abused by non-diabetic competitive bodybuilders to boost muscle mass and performance.

In this article, I want to discuss the key roles insulin plays in bodybuilding and also dispel the common myth that people with diabetes who use injectable insulin are at a marked advantage for building muscle and strength.

This article is suitable for anyone who is serious about weight training and building muscle.

Nutrients On The Move.

Carbs, protein, fat and micronutrients flood our digestive system after a meal and increase levels of circulating nutrients in the bloodstream.

Once in the bloodstream, our cells have evolved a number of integrated mechanisms that allow for the immediate use or storage of these nutrients; for example, carbs can be stored as glycogen, amino acids can be used to build new muscle, and fatty acids can be stored as adipose tissue under the skin.

For all of this to happen, nutrients must be sensed both in the blood and in the tissues. This includes depletion and surplus.

There are many different mechanisms and hormones involved, many of which are well beyond the scope of this article. However, I want to focus on one of the main players, insulin.

Insulin: Roles and Functions in Bodybuilding

Insulin is a glucose-storage-stimulating hormone made by the beta cells of the pancreas.

It serves a number of important roles in the use and organisation of nutrients.

Insulin is well-recognised for promoting the absorption of glucose from the blood into fat, liver and skeletal muscle cells. The body’s own production of glucose in the liver is strongly inhibited by insulin. It is also recognised as a key hormone responsible for increasing fat storage and inhibiting fat breakdown.

Its role in protein metabolism is more controversial (1). Insulin has been shown to play a role in the creation of new proteins across the body as well as inhibiting muscle protein breakdown (2). It is considered an anabolic (constructive) hormone.

Insulin Deficiency and Insulin Resistance

Deficiencies in insulin production or action (insulin resistance) can cause problems with the body’s ability to process glucose. When insulin doesn’t do its job properly, carbohydrate, (notably glucose) eaten from the diet or produced by the liver, cannot leave the bloodstream and enter muscle cells for use or storage as muscle glycogen. This results in hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) which has widespread catabolic (destructive) effects across the body.

Prolonged hyperglycemia due to lack of insulin is highly detrimental to health, muscle mass and training performance. The higher the blood glucose, the worse things get.

Injectable Insulin – Pros & Cons

In people with type 1 diabetes and severe cases of type 2 where insulin secretion is nonexistent, injectable insulin is needed to regulate blood glucose levels.

Although life-changing, the use of injectable insulin can bring negative side effects if used inappropriately, jeopardising health, muscle building and fat loss efforts.

The most common side effect is hypoglycemia, which luckily, although annoying, can be treated very rapidly. The biggest problems, however, arise when hypos reoccur. These include:

• The need to eat more food to restore blood glucose, which increases calorie intake and the chances of fat gain.
• Hypoglycemia unawareness from frequent events of hypos, decreases an individual’s awareness to symptoms which increase their chances of running extremely low, going unconscious and being unable to self-treat.
• Impaired mental alertness which increases chances of injury during training especially during complex exercises.

Insulin Use/Abuse In Bodybuilding

Insulin is often used as an ergogenic aid in hardcore competitive bodybuilding (3). For those who don’t know what an ergogenic aid is – it is a performance enhancer that gives you a mental or physical edge while exercising or competing.

The common belief is that spiking insulin levels in and around training, via injection and simultaneous consumption of amino acids, creatine and carbohydrate (in liquid form), will increase muscle gains and strength.

Is there any truth to this?

Apparently not.

Injecting insulin will facilitate and intensify the transfer of nutrients and water into muscle cells. While this may cause a temporary increase in muscle cell size and also help generate that much sought after muscle pump, it appears to do very little for muscle growth.

A recent study by Tommelen et al. in the European Journal of Endocrinology found that exogenous insulin administered systemically does not increase muscle protein synthesis in healthy young adults. (1)

I could sum this up by saying injecting insulin for the purposes of bodybuilding in non-diabetics has the potential to produce artificial short-term gains in muscle mass.

A Dangerous Investment for People without Diabetes

The reality is injectable insulin is a potentially lethal drug when used in the wrong hands without medical supervision. It has serious consequences if misused, particularly when usually used in secret without even the knowledge of loved ones. This puts the user at risk of developing hypoglycemia for prolonged periods away from possible medical assistance, potentially resulting in coma and death (4). Just think crashing the car on the way home from the gym.

The individual also runs the risk of:

– Overeating due to hypoglycemia (hindering fat loss)
– Infection from injection sites
– Abnormal sleep (if woken by a hypo)

The risk to benefit for packing on muscle in non-diabetics? – I think you know the answer already. Avoid!

Please appreciate I’ve only touched on the topic of muscle building and hormones lightly here.  There is so much more to it. If you wish to know more about muscle building, insulin and other important hormones like testosterone, human growth hormone, cortisol and oestrogen.

Check out my book with over 370 pages of in-depth muscle building science. 

References

1. Trommelen J, Groen BB, Hamer HM, de Groot LC, van Loon LJ. MECHANISMS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: Exogenous insulin does not increase muscle protein synthesis rate when administered systemically: a systematic review. Eur J Endocrinol. 2015 Jul;173(1):R25-34. doi: 10.1530/EJE-14-0902. Epub 2015 Feb 2.
2. Frayn KN & Maycock PF. Regulation of protein metabolism by a physiological concentration of insulin in mouse soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles. Effects of starvation and scald injury. Biochemical Journal 1979 184 323.
3. Elkin SL, Brady S, Williams IP. Bodybuilders find it easy to obtain insulin to help them in training [letter]. BMJ1997;314:1280.
4. P J Evans, R M Lynch. Insulin as a drug of abuse in body building. Br J Sports Med 2003;37:356-357 doi:10.1136/bjsm.37.4.356

Straight answer. YES!

However, this is only true when you give diabetes the two fingers and screw controlling your blood sugars.

Building muscle with diabetes takes a little more than normal.

You need to be smart about it. Really smart.

You need to a firm understanding of what to do, and what not to do – especially with diet and lifestyle.

In this video blog, I go into detail on the complications of poorly controlled diabetes and explain why you must obsess over your blood glucose control if you want to build a healthy, strong and great looking body!

This is a must for anyone living with diabetes who wants to get more out of their efforts in the gym! If you’re a diabetic bodybuilder or fitness fanatic – you need to WATCH THIS VIDEO!

Like What You’ve Read? 

If you love reading this kind of stuff and want to know even more about how to build muscle and get as strong as physically possible with diabetes then you’re in the right place.

Right now, you can join many other like minded individuals in the private Diabetic Muscle and Fitness Facebook group who are following my 112 Day Diabetic MASS transformation plan and also save a MASSIVE 85% OFF with this coupon below.

Backed by a full 100% results guarantee you have nothing to lose and, with this coupon, you can access over 112 days of workouts, 7-day meal plans supplement guides and personal support from Phil Graham and the rest of the Diabetic Muscle and Fitness team all for $16 (£14). Get started here and claim your 85% discount now.