This question is specifically about a muscle cell.
When do you think it’s most insulin receptive? Shortly after a glycogen depleting exercise (high reps) vs. shortly after a trauma inducing exercise (negatives)?
I’m asking because I’m designing a training system that will take advantage of a muscles anabolic stage 24hrs post-workout. Berardi does an excellent job driving the muscle to anabolism shortly after the workout, but I think we might be missing a further part of the puzzle - why the cell decides to go catabolic after a workout.
Less responsive following the injurious exercise. What you typically call “anabolism” would be considered myogenic response (e.g. synthesis of muscle specific contractile proteins). Injury on the other initiates a generalized “immediate early” response. This would a bit like pulling the fire alarm at school. Not much work gets done because all of the emergency measures that are occuring. The emergency response is antagonistic to insulin action, although insulin may attenuate some of the negative aspects of the emergency response. OTOH, the injurious exercise is more likely to activate satellite cells that will ultimately contribute to muscle growth down the road. Unfortunately, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Typically you either have anabolism, or the emergency response.
Don’t know why you say the muscle goes catabolic after the workout. If you keep feeding it, it will continue to be anabolic.
I agree 100% with Steve. I’ve read many sources which state just what Steve said - after high rep, glycogen depleting type indurance WO, Insulin sensitivity is heightened to replace glycogen. A cardio session would be the ultimate example of a insulin sensitivity stimulating exercise and I think Jason N. also mentioned this in a recent post, but heavy, low rep work traumatizes the muscle and studies have shown this exercise induce trauma reduces insulin sensitivity for up to several days. I think this is also one of the reasons recent studies have shown better gains with pre WO nutrition as opposed to post WO nutrition (drink your surge before/during WO) because as you progress through the WO, insulin sensitivity decreases as trauma increases. Of course the traumatized muscle, with recovery, will come back bigger and stronger due to the reasons Steve mentioned but initially, insulin sensitivity is impaired. Aerobic type work is the best glycogen depleting and insulin sensitivity enhancing WO. I used to wrestle when I was younger and remember in those days some of the top nationally ranked wrestlers at some of the clinics I used to attend would strictly reccomend no weight training but would do 100’s of pushups, pullups, situps, etc to increase muscle indurance without gaining weight(size) and these guys had incrediable muscular indurance. I think the military special forces use the same type WO’s to increase indurance - 100’s of reps of various exercises. I believe the take home message is high reps with minimal muscle trauma to increase insulin sensitivity.
wanted to add - I believe part of the theory of doing a light high rep recovery WO a couple of days after a heavy traumatizing WO is to increase insulin sensetivity in the muscle after recovery has started and is an attempt to, as Steve said, have your cake and eat it too. A heavy, traumatizing, anabolic WO followed 48 hrs later by a light, high rep recovery WO to increase insulin sensitivity in the recovering muscle thereby increasing the gains of the previous heavy WO. An attempt to wring more growth out of one heavy WO.
Thanks very much. Specifically, I’m thinking of an intense workout on a muscle group on Day 1 - but not followed by a high GI protein drink {allow the body to go into shock mode and stay there}, and then follow 24hrs later with a high-rep, concentric only workout (glycogen depleting) for the same muscle group - and follow that with a high GI protein drink.
I think that this will allow the benefits of system-shock to occur separately from the benefits of high insulin post-workout. The body is repairing the damage best 24hrs after the workout, and I’d like to help it out. Two different effects for the muscle-group trained. Of course, you’d need to rest after this!
In regards to your plan, I would recommend to take in Surge before/during the intense heavy WO also as that as been shown to promote recovery. Use the high GI surge before/during intense WO and then use after high rep WO for best of both worlds. Good luck.
The cell goes catabolic due to the depletion of glycogen and circulating blood glutamine levels etc… There are also many others i’m sure you’re aware of. How bout that noise!