Enhancing Glycogen Levels You have a hormone that can enhance glycogen levels in the muscle cells, thereby creating a more favorable environment for growth, not to mention causing cell volumization, or swelling.
Keep in mind that for every gram of glycogen stored in the muscle cell, three grams of water are stored as well.
Insulin's opposing hormone is glucagon, which is activated when blood sugar levels are too low.
Glucagon can break down muscle tissue and reduce glycogen stores, so it's important to control it.
So insulin is anabolic in that it allows for a greater absorption of amino acids into muscle tissue but a problem because it can cause fat storage.
How do you use insulin to your advantage and minimize its fat-storing effects? The answer is to raise and lower insulin levels at different times in the day.
You want to raise insulin levels in the morning and right after a workout - so it's a good idea to take creatine at those two times to maximize absorption.
Spiking Insulin Levels Spiking insulin levels after a workout by taking in simple carbohydrates and protein - preferably in liquid form - can block the catabolic effects of the hormone cortisol and enable key nutrients to replenish muscle cells.
It can also enhance protein breakdown synthesis and lower the breakdown of protein secondary to weight training.
Just are there are times that you want to spike insulin levels to maximize nutrient uptake, there are also times when you want to lower insulin as much as possible to prevent fat storage.
One of those key times is at night, before bedtime.
Since metabolism is generally lower at night, eating carbohydrates or certain amino acids, like the BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids) - leucine, isoleucine and valine - can cause an insulin response, which may lead to greater fat storage.
It's a good idea to lower your carb intake at night and eat more fiber and protein.
Eating fat, fiber or even protein - especially caseinate - along with carbohydrates lowers the rate at which they enter the bloodstream.
This tactic reduces insulin levels and may halt fat storage that can result from eating the carbohydrate by itself.
As you can tell, manipulating insulin levels can be hard, but when the desired results are received, your body (and girlfriend) will thank you.