Insulin is actively used not only in medicine, but also in sports. Learn about the anabolic and anti-catabolic properties of insulin. Insulin can be injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly. However, if this drug must be used for life, then subcutaneous injections are most often used. At the same time, this method of using insulin is not able to completely recreate the picture of the synthesis of a natural substance. This is due to two reasons:
- The working component is absorbed from the subcutaneous tissues for a long time.
- Insulin, after absorption from fiber, appears in the systemic circulation and cannot affect liver metabolism.
But if you strictly follow the doctor's recommendations, you can achieve the desired effect. Today we will talk about insulin therapy in bodybuilding.
Types of exogenous insulin
Today, drugs are produced that have various origins and duration of exposure to the body. We will not describe all the differences between, say, human and bovine insulin, but will focus on the classification of drugs by their duration.
Short-acting drugs
They are a zinc-insulin solution, which most often has a neutral pH. They are included in the work quickly enough, but the duration of their effect on the body is short. Most often, they are administered 30–45 minutes before a meal.
Short insulin can be administered intramuscularly or intravenously. When using the second method, the maximum rate of decrease in the sugar concentration is achieved. The peak of activity of short insulin occurs approximately 20-30 minutes after administration.
Also, the drug will be quickly removed from the blood and hormones of the contrainsular group will be able to restore the glucose level in a short time. This most often requires no more than a couple of hours.
At the same time, if the normal secretion of hormones of the contrainsular group is disrupted, it will take much longer to restore normal sugar levels. It should also be noted that short-term insulin is often co-administered with long- or medium-term drugs. It is short insulin that is used in insulin therapy in bodybuilding.
Medium-duration drugs
These drugs are absorbed from the subcutaneous tissue much more slowly in comparison with short insulin. This allows you to extend the time of their effect on the body. Today, insulin NPH and insulin tape have found the most widespread use. The first type of drugs is a suspension of Protomin and zinc-insulin, dissolved in sulfate buffer. In turn, insulin tape is a mixture of two types of zinc-insulin: amorphous and crystalline. These substances dissolve in acetate buffer.
Due to the fact that the average insulin is included in the work for a long time, then it must be injected once or twice a day. In the first case, this is done in the morning, and with two administrations - in the morning and in the evening.
Long-acting drugs
These drugs come into play later than others, but their effects are uniform and there are no peaks of activity. They can also be used once or twice a day. Also note that one of the forms of long insulin, namely Protomin-zinc-insulin, is no longer sold in many countries today. This is due to the fact that the effect of this substance on the body is difficult to predict.
While traditional medicine uses mostly medium insulin to treat diabetes, athletes need to drive short. Pharmaceutical companies are now actively seeking the ideal insulin. So far, human proinsulin is considered to be such.
Experiments on animals are currently underway that have shown that proinsulin works in a similar way to average insulin. From a medical point of view, this is the best option, since the most common cause of diabetes is the uncontrolled production of glucose in the body. Since the drug acts on the liver selectively, this fact is a guarantee of reducing the risk of hypoglycemia.
At the moment, studies are showing positive results and the mechanisms of work of pro insulin are very similar to NPH-insulin. At the same time, this drug also has certain drawbacks, which scientists are working to eliminate.
Also, insulin manufacturers are trying to increase its life. Saturated fatty acids are now most commonly used for this. Molecules of this substance attach to the amino group of lysine, which makes it possible to obtain acylated insulin. But research continues, and perhaps a more perfect form of insulin production will soon be obtained.
Interesting information about insulin therapy in the life of Jason Poston - the only performing bodybuilder with the first type of diabetes:
