You Are Your Hormones - A Lesson In Endocrinology (Insulin)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20TH, 2011

All Classes 5:30pm OR 6:30pm

NOTE: I will be covering the group classes for CrossFit Redding's group class coaches so please come at either of the listed times and join the group class.

ENDOCRINOLOGY

You Are Your Hormones

A disease due to a disorder of the endocrine system is often called a "hormone imbalance", but is technically known as an endocrinopathy or endocrinosis. Such diseases can be treated by reducing the hormone which has become imbalanced. THIS CAN BE DONE THROUGH FOOD!


For our purposes we mainly need to understand that the primary concern of endocrinology is energy storage and utilization.


I'll begin with what I consider the most important hormone in our body, Insulin. Insulin can be thought of as the "Master Hormone". It is a storage hormone that sticks "stuff", like glucose, sugars, fats, proteins, etc. inside cells. It is also the hormone that we have the most control over. Insulin is what I like to call a "lifestyle-controlled" hormone. Each of us has the ability to strongly control insulin release through proper nutritional, exercise and lifestyle choices. This is not true of any other hormone.


Insulin has an unmeasurable affect on the human body ranging from changes in body fat to neurological function, fertility, disease formation and SO MUCH MORE! (See yesterday's post for a list of some of the affects of insulin)


Insulin is released in response mainly to carbohydrate intake and a little to protein intake.

• It is worth noting here that dairy relases a TON of insulin into the body. Dairy is literally a growth promoter for EVERYTHING! Some people hear this and their immediate reaction is, "growth is good". The problem is that dairy, in all forms and processes, causes uncontrolled, abnormal and, albeit, excessive growth. If we look at the fundamental definition of cancer what do we find? A definition that gives, "uncontrolled, abnormal, excessive cellular growth. Not good. (I'll follow this up in detail later as it deserves its own post or two...especially considering that, even with this information, I put some athletes on unheard of amounts of milk as a nutritional supplement. That deserves explanation).

Carbohydrates, when consumed, are stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate used for energy during bouts of exercise and intensity. It is this fact that leads endurance athletes as well as a number of athletes from other sports (even non-endurance athletes) to "carb-load" before races or games. (I was told to carb-load the night before basketball games or volleyball matches when I was a competitive high school and collegiate athlete, and my teams would actually meet at a player's or coache's house the night before and have a HUGE pasta feed with lots of bread. Typically there were very few vegetable and meat options at these gatherings.)


They, and we, are/were operating on what I call the "more-is-always-better" principle. This is a principle that seems to be the trend when it comes to more than nutrition, however; more often than not, should not be.


The problem...once liver glycogen is full (doesn't take that much carbohydrate to accomplish), excess carbohydrates are stored as fat, or triglycerides (TAG's). While circulating through the blood stream TAG's are "blood fat". Once done circulating through the system however, they turn into adipose or body fat. Keep reading as I bring this all together...


This brings us full-circle to the beginning of the post when I mentioned that insulin is the storage hormone that sticks "stuff" inside cells. The other part to this is that when insulin is high, it also allows nothing to get out of cells. That means that it sticks fat in your cells and holds it prisoner there. This is because insulin stops the use of fat as an energy source by inhibiting the release of glucagon, which works in opposition to insulin as it raises blood glucose levels (insulin lowers blood glucose levels) and is primarily released in response to protein consumption.


Are you beginning to see how eating breads, pastas, cereals, grains, wheat, flour, dairy, and other foods that carry a high glycemic load and cause large insulin spikes are making us fat? Good.


So, no insulin is good right?


Check back tomorrow for the (what's gotta' be seemingly obvious) answer and why.


Coach Justin
PerformanceQuestFitness@gmail.com