Insulin

Insulin is a powerful hormone in the human body, responsible for regulating glucose levels in the blood. This is a function that your life constantly depends on. Before going any further I must stress that insulin use by those who do not medically require it can be a very risky endeavor. It is important not only to research and understand the risks involved, but to really give some thought to just how important a little extra boost is to you. Misusing insulin can have tragic results. Immediate death, coma or the possible development of insulin dependent diabetes in a previously healthy athlete are all possible, be extremely careful.

In the human body insulin is secreted by the pancreas. The release of this hormone is most closely tied to glucose, although a number of other factors including pancreatic & gastrointestinal hormones, amino acids, fatty acids and ketone bodies are also involved. Its role in the body is to control the uptake, utilization and storage of amino acids, carbohydrates and fatty acids by various cells of your body. The activity of insulin is both anabolic and anti-catabolic, the hormone stimulating the use and retention cellular nutrients while inhibiting their breakdown. Skeletal muscle cells are among the many targets of this hormone’s action, and the reason pharmaceutical insulin has made its way into the realm of athletics. But this is a little tricky because insulin can also promote nutrient storage in fat cells, obviously an unwanted result. Athletes have found however, that a strict regimen of intense weight training and a diet without excess caloric intake can result in insulin showing a much higher affinity for protein and carbohydrate storage in muscle cells. This could produce rapid and noticeable growth, the muscles beginning to look fuller (and sometimes more defined) almost immediately after starting insulin therapy.