JayMac15
Iron
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Todays topic is going to be consisting of a new approach to dieting, specifically carb cycling and its importance to hormones such as IGF-1 strictly for the purpose of building a better overall attractiveness.
What is IGF-1 & why is it important
IGF-1 is what the downstream production of GH is made to be, it increases amino acid transport and stimulates the production of new muscle nuclei also known as hyperplasia. As far as I'm concerned it is the strongest MPS activator since it directly increases mTOR, increases insulin sensitivity in muscles to a great extent and increases GLUT4 which means more nutrients will be stored in muscle rather than fat.
So how can we increase IGF-1 production and insulin sensitivity?
Firstly we need to know that carbs = insulin, more insulin = more IGF-1 production. This is important because insulin increases GH signalling and drives better production of IGF-1 from GH in the liver and also increases IGF-1 binding proteins. For facial attractiveness and height potential in younger individuals this is crucial because elevated levels of IGF-1 causes an anabolic affect which is the one of the primary drivers for osteoblastic activity which is essential for stimulating bone formation and remodelling. Furthermore carbs are also protein sparing, simply meaning that adequate carb intake allows us to use them as our main body fuel which prevents the breakdown of our proteins for fuel. Other reasons carbs are important is because they stop amino acids being burned as energy (gluconeogenesis), our bodies uses glucose for ATP and finally the rise in insulin inhibits and reduces amino acid oxidation.
To summarise the overall benefits we can expect cortisol suppression, increased MPS and mTOR which IGF1 actually has a feedback loop on these mechanisms which help amplify them, keep them self regulated and balanced. Finally, the thyroid gets support since the thyroid is responsible for controlling IGF-1 expression.
How to put the information into practise
It is all good and well having a brief introduction into what carbs, insulin and IGF-1 can do for us but real world application is where it matters most, I feel that most courses don't fully break down how we can use this information to benefit ourselves. Although we are all physiologically alike different people will have different starting points and end goals which is why some people are tall and skinny whereas other are still short and obese.
1. Body composition
I can not stress enough that being lean is crucial and cannot be done without this, you've probably heard it a thousand times and its because its true "Lean is law". Before we can make a start on getting results we must get lean. Start implementing a workout routine with an active cardio routine as well in order to get better insulin sensitivity straight away and have less fat cells for energy storage. Daily you must aim for 8 thousand - 10 thousand steps a day and get into the habit of walking after every meal because this significantly increases GLUT4. To conclude this section I will say that it is important to maintain fitness and support metabolic functions while minimising cortisol.
2. Getting lean
For the due fact that we are not stupid I am just going to create a list for this section
- Fasting
- Cardio, preferably Stairmaster or incline walk
- Calorie deficit, work it out yourself
- Supplementation, caffeine from coffee, energy drinks (lets go for zero sugar only considering todays topic) and preworkouts can all help increase metabolic rate, energy and focus during lethargic periods when cutting.
- I don't recommend this but smoking for nicotine and other stimulants can act as suppressants.
- Sleep well
- Stay hydrated, try stick to water, coconut water, black coffee or energy drinks in extreme cases.
- Eat clean (non-negotiable)
3. Carb cycling
Very simply put, carb cycling is the pivotal timing of the consumption of carbohydrates. This is important because you want to be able to use carbs as a tool to actively fuel your day and intense workouts while being able to disperse of them during these periods. Depending on where you are right now and where you want to be you will carb cycle accordingly and adjust your diet when needed, I always suggest eating clean food in order to get the best results but if done sensibly then some leniency can be applied. I wont go into detail here but I found a great site which explains everything I was going to say so take a look for yourself.
Carb Cycling
4. What next?
Once you've reached peak aesthetics you're now mirin brah. Seriously after you're lean you can take your ascension as you will because you will have accomplished something not many people in the modern day can do and that is to be shredded, being shredded alone will ascend you to fuck but now you can implement other techniques and use them in confluence with each other to further make progress. Make sure to maintain a clean diet and only 'lean bulk' in the future if that's what you want to do and not to resort to junk food because your body will now use it as fuel. Overall not much more needs to be said because this isn't a topic that can be expanded unless we talk more on the science side of things, however I may leave that for a later date. By no means am I overly educated on anything I preach and neither do I do them myself.
What is IGF-1 & why is it important
IGF-1 is what the downstream production of GH is made to be, it increases amino acid transport and stimulates the production of new muscle nuclei also known as hyperplasia. As far as I'm concerned it is the strongest MPS activator since it directly increases mTOR, increases insulin sensitivity in muscles to a great extent and increases GLUT4 which means more nutrients will be stored in muscle rather than fat.
So how can we increase IGF-1 production and insulin sensitivity?
Firstly we need to know that carbs = insulin, more insulin = more IGF-1 production. This is important because insulin increases GH signalling and drives better production of IGF-1 from GH in the liver and also increases IGF-1 binding proteins. For facial attractiveness and height potential in younger individuals this is crucial because elevated levels of IGF-1 causes an anabolic affect which is the one of the primary drivers for osteoblastic activity which is essential for stimulating bone formation and remodelling. Furthermore carbs are also protein sparing, simply meaning that adequate carb intake allows us to use them as our main body fuel which prevents the breakdown of our proteins for fuel. Other reasons carbs are important is because they stop amino acids being burned as energy (gluconeogenesis), our bodies uses glucose for ATP and finally the rise in insulin inhibits and reduces amino acid oxidation.
To summarise the overall benefits we can expect cortisol suppression, increased MPS and mTOR which IGF1 actually has a feedback loop on these mechanisms which help amplify them, keep them self regulated and balanced. Finally, the thyroid gets support since the thyroid is responsible for controlling IGF-1 expression.
How to put the information into practise
It is all good and well having a brief introduction into what carbs, insulin and IGF-1 can do for us but real world application is where it matters most, I feel that most courses don't fully break down how we can use this information to benefit ourselves. Although we are all physiologically alike different people will have different starting points and end goals which is why some people are tall and skinny whereas other are still short and obese.
1. Body composition
I can not stress enough that being lean is crucial and cannot be done without this, you've probably heard it a thousand times and its because its true "Lean is law". Before we can make a start on getting results we must get lean. Start implementing a workout routine with an active cardio routine as well in order to get better insulin sensitivity straight away and have less fat cells for energy storage. Daily you must aim for 8 thousand - 10 thousand steps a day and get into the habit of walking after every meal because this significantly increases GLUT4. To conclude this section I will say that it is important to maintain fitness and support metabolic functions while minimising cortisol.
2. Getting lean
For the due fact that we are not stupid I am just going to create a list for this section
- Fasting
- Cardio, preferably Stairmaster or incline walk
- Calorie deficit, work it out yourself
- Supplementation, caffeine from coffee, energy drinks (lets go for zero sugar only considering todays topic) and preworkouts can all help increase metabolic rate, energy and focus during lethargic periods when cutting.
- I don't recommend this but smoking for nicotine and other stimulants can act as suppressants.
- Sleep well
- Stay hydrated, try stick to water, coconut water, black coffee or energy drinks in extreme cases.
- Eat clean (non-negotiable)
3. Carb cycling
Very simply put, carb cycling is the pivotal timing of the consumption of carbohydrates. This is important because you want to be able to use carbs as a tool to actively fuel your day and intense workouts while being able to disperse of them during these periods. Depending on where you are right now and where you want to be you will carb cycle accordingly and adjust your diet when needed, I always suggest eating clean food in order to get the best results but if done sensibly then some leniency can be applied. I wont go into detail here but I found a great site which explains everything I was going to say so take a look for yourself.
Carb Cycling
4. What next?
Once you've reached peak aesthetics you're now mirin brah. Seriously after you're lean you can take your ascension as you will because you will have accomplished something not many people in the modern day can do and that is to be shredded, being shredded alone will ascend you to fuck but now you can implement other techniques and use them in confluence with each other to further make progress. Make sure to maintain a clean diet and only 'lean bulk' in the future if that's what you want to do and not to resort to junk food because your body will now use it as fuel. Overall not much more needs to be said because this isn't a topic that can be expanded unless we talk more on the science side of things, however I may leave that for a later date. By no means am I overly educated on anything I preach and neither do I do them myself.
