If this is answered in an article then please forgive me, but I haven’t found it yet.
I’ve learned so much from this group about P+C+F, but would love to understand the linkage between carbs and anabolism. Spiking insulin post workout for shuttling I can understand, but what is it’s role at other times? Is it simply that being the preferred energy source, it stops your body from using protein for energy and goes to building instead? I’ve learned first hand that I can’t bulk on low carbs, but understanding this might help stop the self sabotage in believing that “high carbs=get fat”.
Check out Massive Eating Part 2 by John Berardi. You can find it by doing a search of previous issues. It might not answer your question perfectly, but it will definitely point you in the right direction in terms of how to regulate insulin levels, meal timing, and P,F, and C combinations. I know that Massive Eating has worked really well for me so far. Hope this helps.
As you know, high carb diets prevent the body from breaking down proteins as fuel. This includes muscle! They also stimulate the secretion of insulin, which acts as a nutrient shuttle, as you mentioned. But, if memory serves me correctly, insulin also restricts the action of cortisol by occupying space on the receptor site where cortisol would normally set up camp. (Cortisol eats muscle and causes the body to switch modes, from anabolism and into catabolism!) Please, someone correct me on the 2nd to last issue if I’m incorrect on my facts!
P.S. High carbs diets are phenomenal for gaining muscle; they work equally as well for putting on fat!