Insulin: description, functions in the body, use in sports and diabetes * Crossfit

Insulin is one of the most studied hormones in medicine. It is formed in the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas, and affects the intracellular metabolism of almost all tissues.

The main property of the peptide hormone is the ability to control blood glucose levels without exceeding the maximum limiting concentration. Insulin is actively involved in the synthesis of proteins and fats, activates glycolysis enzymes, and also promotes the regeneration of glycogen in the liver and muscles.

The value of insulin for the body

The main task of insulin in the human body is to increase the permeability of the membranes of myocytes and adipocytes for glucose, which improves its transport into cells. Thanks to this, the utilization of glucose from the body is realized, the process of glycogen formation and its accumulation in the muscles is started. Also, insulin has the ability to stimulate intracellular protein production, increasing the permeability of the cell walls for amino acids (source - Wikipedia).

The thesis of the function of insulin in the body can be expressed as follows:

Thanks to the action of the hormone, the sugar obtained from food enters the cell due to the fact that the permeability of the membrane improves.
Under its action, the process of transformation of glycogen from glucose takes place in liver cells, as well as in muscle fibers.
Insulin affects the accumulation, synthesis and maintenance of the integrity of proteins that have entered the body.
The hormone promotes fat storage by helping fat cells take up glucose and synthesize it into adipose tissue. That is why when eating foods rich in carbohydrates, you should be aware of the risk of unnecessary body fat.
Activates the action of enzymes that accelerate the breakdown of glucose (anabolic property).
Suppresses the activity of enzymes that dissolve fat and glycogen (anti-catabolic effect).

Insulin is a unique hormone that takes part in all metabolic processes of internal organs and systems. It plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism.

After food enters the stomach, the level of carbohydrates rises. This happens even with low dietary or sports nutrition.

As a result, the pancreas receives the appropriate signal from the brain and begins to intensively produce insulin, which, in turn, begins to break down carbohydrates. Hence the dependence of insulin levels on food intake. If a person sits on an exhausting diet and is constantly starving, then the concentration of this hormone in the blood will also be minimal (source in English - the book "Insulin and Proteins are Related - Structure, Functions, Pharmacology").

It is the only hormone that works to lower blood sugar levels, unlike all other hormones that only increase this indicator, such as adrenaline, growth hormone or glucagon.

With a high content of calcium, potassium in the blood, as well as with an increased concentration of fatty acids, the process of insulin production is accelerated. And growth hormone and somatostatin have the opposite effect, lowering the concentration of insulin and slowing down its synthesis.

Causes of high insulin levels

Insulinomas are small tumors. They are composed of the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans. Less commonly, they arise from intestinal enterochromaffin cells. Insulinomas serve as insulin generators in high quantities. To diagnose tumors, the ratio of hormone and glucose is used, and all studies are carried out strictly on an empty stomach.
Diabetes mellitus type 2. It is characterized by a sharp decrease in insulin levels and, accordingly, an increase in sugar concentration. Later, as the disease progresses, tissues will increasingly lose insulin sensitivity, which leads to the progression of the pathology.
Overweight. If the problem is associated with heavy meals of carbohydrate-containing foods, the amount of insulin in the blood increases significantly. It is he who synthesizes sugar into fat. Therefore, a vicious circle arises, which is not easy to open - the more hormone, the more fat, and vice versa.
Acromegaly is a tumor in the pituitary gland that leads to a reduction in the amount of growth hormone produced. Its concentration is the most important tool for diagnosing the presence of a tumor, if insulin is administered to a person, the glucose level drops, which should lead to an increase in the content of somatotropin in the blood, if this does not happen, the likelihood of this type of tumor is high.
Hypercortisolism is a disease that occurs when the adrenal cortex produces excessive hormones. They interfere with the breakdown of glucose, its level remains high, reaching critical levels.
Muscular dystrophy - occurs due to the fact that there is a violation of metabolic processes in the body, against the background of which the insulin content in the blood rises.
With an unbalanced diet during pregnancy, a woman is under the threat of a sharp increase in hormone levels.
Hereditary factors that prevent the absorption of galactose and fructose.

With a critical increase in glucose levels, a person may fall into a hyperglycemic coma. An insulin injection helps to get out of this state.

Diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2 are also characterized by a change in insulin concentration. It is of two types:

non-insulin dependent (type 2 diabetes) - characterized by tissue insensitivity to insulin, while the hormone level can be normal or elevated;
insulin-dependent (type 1 diabetes) - causes a critical drop in insulin levels.

Reduce the content of this substance and intense physical activity, regular exercise and stressful conditions.

Features of donating blood to determine the level of insulin in the blood

In order to determine the level of insulin in the blood, a laboratory test should be taken. For this, blood is taken from a vein and placed in a special tube.

In order for the results of the analysis to be as accurate as possible, people are strictly forbidden to eat food, medicine, alcohol 12 hours before blood sampling. It is also recommended to give up all types of physical activity. If a person takes vital drugs and cannot be canceled in any way, this fact is displayed when taking an analysis in a special form.

Half an hour before the delivery of insulin samples, the patient needs complete peace of mind!

An isolated assessment of blood insulin levels is not medically relevant. To determine the type of disorder in the body, it is recommended to determine the ratio of insulin and glucose. The optimal research option is a stress test, which allows you to determine the level of insulin synthesis after glucose loading.

Thanks to the stress test, the latent course of diabetes mellitus can be determined.

With the development of pathology, the reaction to the release of insulin will be later than in the case of the norm. The hormone levels in the blood build up slowly, and later rise to high values. In healthy people, insulin in the blood will rise smoothly and drop to normal values without sharp jumps.

Monitoring of test results

There are many ways to monitor and store analysis data in order to track the dynamics of changes in results. We recommend checking out the free Ornament app.

It will help to store and organize the results of medical tests. Ornament allows you to track changes in insulin levels and other health indicators. Ornament displays the dynamics of analysis results on graphs. The graphs immediately show when the indicator has gone beyond the norm - in this case, Ornament will color the corresponding part of the graph in bright yellow. This will be a signal that, probably, there are problems in the body and you need to visit a doctor. Green marking is used in the application to indicate normal values of indicators - everything is fine, you don't have to worry.

To transfer the test results from the paper form to the Ornament application, it is enough to photograph it (that is, the form with the results). Ornament will automatically "scan" all data. And to enter the analysis results into the application from a pdf file sent from the laboratory, you just need to load this file into Ornament.

On the basis of the obtained data, Ornament evaluates the main organs and systems of the body on a five-point scale. A score of less than 4 may indicate a health problem that may require medical advice. By the way, you can ask for advice right in the application - there are doctors among Ornament users who will give you competent recommendations.

You can download the Ornament app for free from the Google Play Market and App Store.

Insulin injections

Most often, insulin injections are given to people with diabetes. The doctor explains in detail the rules for using the syringe, the features of antibacterial treatment, and the dosage.

In type 1 diabetes, people regularly self-inject themselves to maintain their ability to live well. In such people, it is not uncommon for an emergency administration of insulin to be required in case of high hyperglycemia.
Diabetes mellitus type 2 allows replacing injections with pills. Timely diagnosed diabetes mellitus, adequately prescribed treatment in the form of tablet forms in combination with a diet can quite successfully compensate for the condition.

The drug used for injection is insulin, which is obtained from the pancreas of a pig. It has a biochemical composition similar to that of a human hormone and produces a minimum of side effects. Medicine is constantly evolving and today offers patients genetically engineered insulin - human recombinant. For insulin therapy in childhood, only human insulin is used.

The required dose is selected by the doctor individually, depending on the general condition of the patient. The specialist conducts full instruction, teaching him how to inject correctly.

In diseases that are characterized by insulin drops, it is necessary to adhere to a balanced diet, observe the daily routine, regulate the level of physical activity, and minimize the occurrence of stressful situations.

Insulin varieties

Depending on the type, insulin is taken at different times of the day and in different doses:

Humalog and Novorapid act very quickly, after an hour the insulin level rises and reaches the maximum level required by the body. But after 4 hours, its effect ends, and the level of insulin decreases again.

Humulin Regulator, Insuman Rapid, Actrapid are characterized by a rapid increase in the level of insulin in the blood after half an hour, after a maximum of 4 hours its maximum concentration is reached, which then begins to gradually decrease. The drug works for 8 hours.

Insuman Bazal, Humulin NPH, Protafan NM have an average duration of exposure from 10 to 20 hours. After a maximum of three hours, they begin to show activity, and after 6-8 hours the level of insulin in the blood reaches its maximum values.

Glargin has a long-lasting effect from 20 to 30 hours, during which an even insulin background is maintained without peak values.

Degludek Tresiba is produced in Denmark and has the maximum effect in terms of duration of action, which can persist for 42 hours.

The patient must receive all instructions on the rules for administering insulin strictly from the attending physician, as well as on the methods of administration (subcutaneous or intramuscular). There is no fixed dose or frequency of administration for any insulin-based drug! The selection and adjustment of doses is carried out strictly individually in each clinical case!

Insulin Applications for Sports and Muscle Building

Athletes who train intensively and are trying to build muscle mass use protein in their diet. Insulin, in turn, regulates protein synthesis, which leads to the build-up of muscle fibers. This hormone affects not only the metabolism of proteins, but also carbohydrates and fats, creating the preconditions for the creation of relief muscle mass.

Despite the fact that insulin is a doping drug banned for use by professional athletes, it is impossible to detect its additional use, and not natural production. This is used by many athletes whose results depend on muscle mass.

By itself, the hormone does not increase muscle volume, but actively influences the processes that ultimately lead to the desired result - it controls the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, due to which:

Synthesizes muscle protein. Proteins are the main constituents of muscle fibers, synthesized by ribosomes. It is insulin that activates the production of ribosomes, which lead to an increase in the amount of protein and, accordingly, to build muscle mass.
Reduces the intensity of catabolism. Catabolism is a process that all professional athletes struggle with in various ways. By increasing the level of insulin, the process of decomposition of complex substances slows down, the protein is produced many times more than is destroyed.
Increases the permeability of amino acids into the intracellular space. The hormone increases the permeability of the cell membrane, thanks to this important property, amino acids necessary for increasing muscle mass penetrate into muscle fibers without problems and are easily absorbed
Influences the intensity of glycogen synthesis, which is necessary to increase the density and volume of muscles due to its ability to retain moisture, like a sponge. Under the influence of insulin, an intensive synthesis of glycogen occurs, which allows glucose to remain in muscle fibers for a long time, increasing their stability, accelerating the rate of recovery and improving nutrition.

Insulin side effects

In a large number of sources, one of the first reported side effects of insulin is the accumulation of fat mass - and this is true. But it is far from this phenomenon that makes the uncontrolled use of insulin dangerous. The first and worst side effect of insulin is hypoglycemia, an urgent condition that requires emergency treatment. Signs of a drop in blood sugar include:

severe weakness, dizziness and headache, transient visual impairment, lethargy, nausea / vomiting, convulsions are possible;
tachycardia, tremor, impaired coordination of movements, impaired sensitivity, light-headedness with frequent loss of consciousness.

If the glycemia in the blood drops to 2.5 mmol / L and below, these are signs of hypoglycemic coma, which without emergency specialized care can be fatal. Death as a result of this condition is due to a gross violation of the functions of blood circulation and respiration, which is accompanied by a deep depression of the central nervous system. There is a total deficiency of glucose to ensure the activity of enzymes that control the usefulness of homeostasis.

Also, when using insulin, you may:

irritation, itching at the injection sites;
individual intolerance;
decrease in endogenous hormone production with prolonged use or in case of overdose.

Long-term and uncontrolled intake of the drug leads to the development of diabetes mellitus (source - Clinical Pharmacology according to Goodman and Gilman - G. Gilman - A Practical Guide).

Insulin rules

Athletes know that the process of building muscle relief is impossible without increased fat formation. That is why professionals alternate the stages of body drying and weight gain.