alpha lipoic acid

[buksoon]

When eating high-glycemic foods (esp. fruit), does taking alpha lipoic acid along with it help to stabilize blood sugar?

Does it do anything?

 

[Enock]

Nope don't believe it would. If I'm correct in remembering how ALA work its upregulates the insulin receptors glucose traonport recepters what ever there called.... At anyrate less insulin is required to illicit an effect thus increasing insulin sensitivity.

Its not a 1 shot along with the ala deal. Ala kept in the system spread througout the day will keep the recepters in higher working order.

 

[buksoon]

Thanks, Enock!

I'll understand what you wrote just as soon as I finish splitting this atom....

 

[riskybizz007]

Bro ALA does make insulin more sensitive, thus you you would use/need less, and you avoid the insulin spikes. It also shuttles carbohydrates primarily into the muscles. This would in fact lower your blood sugar and shuttle more of the nutrients into muscle tissue. If i understood the mechanism of action correctly this is how it would work.

 

[buksoon]

Bro ALA does make insulin more sensitive, thus you you would use/need less, and you avoid the insulin spikes.

Well, I don't want the insulin spikes! (Right? Um, why don't I want the insulin spikes? Except for post-workout, when I need them to restore glycogen?)

But I do want the carbs shuttled to muscle and not flab (I'm a girl, by the way).

So ... do I take it or what? Thanks!

 

[Enock]

Say this is all hypothetical well be cause it is.
Going to give insulin and glycogen replenishing arbitraty numbers.

eat carbs
insulin rise of 100
65 glycogen rushed into muscle

on ala
eat same amount of carbs
insulin rise of 80
70 glycogen rushed into mucle

The amount of insulin needed to rush the same amount of nutrients into the cells is lower since the ALA makes you more sensitive to insulin. Its also suggested that ALA allows you to store more glycogen which would make sense being that what ever recepters are resposible for this action have been upregulated (damnit why can't I remember there name). So that at equal amounts of insulin more glycogen is pushed in. so a lil bit of both happens less insulin is needed and because that bit of insulin is so efficient it may even push in more nutirents than the higher amount. More glycogen is able to be stored.


so ALA

Increases insulin sensitivity (a good thing meaning you need less insulin to do the same amount of work)
Increases the saturation level of glycogen in the muscle.
Then of course theres also all the other wonderfull things ALA does or is supposed to do. I wish this stuff was cheaper.

 

[riskybizz007]

My recommendation is to take ALA when 30min. before you eat carbs, except before post work out shake. This is the only time you should have that insulin spike.

 

[buksoon]

30 minutes? I've been taking it right before my carbs. Why must I wait?

 

[Enock]

My recommendation is to take ALA when 30min. before you eat carbs, except before post work out shake. This is the only time you should have that insulin spike.

I don't think thats true.

It doesn't matter that the insulin spike isn't as high. Its not really the insulin we are concerned w/ its what the insulin does. If ala makes the insulin more effecient, it would mean that you would get better muscle reglycogenation.

People use it to help(supposedly) the effects of creatine and claim an increased pump because it helps shuttle even more nutrients into the cells along w/ the creatine doing the same ect...)

Though now I also remember that when they did that they took it along w/ there ALA meaning it must also have an immediate effect on the upregulation of recepters. Now I wonder if at that point it doesn't help reduce insulin because its upregulated the recepters but the body has yet to realize and tone down insulin amounts in response to the newly more efficient uptake. I would think that musch like you body gets use to ECA by drawing the beta2 further into the cells, the body would somewhat do the same thing by reducing insulin since the recepters for it are more drawn out but not at first since the body takes time to adapt...

GAHHHH at anyrate ALA is good stuff, can't hurt you except for your wallet.