Here's an article that makes sense writtien by Chris Aceto.
Question: Do you know if diet sodas affect insulin? I always feel somewhat bloated and watery after drinking diet coke.
Answer: This is another one of those questions that doesn’t have a “Yes or No” answer because it deals with hormone levels – insulin – and hormones can be influenced by everything from food, stress, training, sleep and sex.
Diet soda’s are ok in my book. Because they yield zero calories, I always recommend dieters drink them – and as much as they want. In fact, bodybuilders are always asking me “Do I have to cut out diet soda before competition?” Typically, I answer no. Why cut out something that doesn’t add any calories? On the flip side, diet soda is sweat and sweat things have the potential to increase the secretion of insulin. Generally, we think of carbohydrates as the chief inducer of insulin. When you eat carbohydrate foods, they dissolve into glucose – the most basic unit of carbohydrates – and the amount of glucose in your blood is correlated with the amount of insulin you produce. So; 2 bagels would, in theory, produce an insulin surge twice that of one bagel. The importance: insulin is a fat storing hormone. It shuts off the burning of body fat and increases the fat storing machinery in the body. The other downside to excessive insulin for dieters and bodybuilders: it increases the amount of aldosterone in the body, the body’s main water retaining hormone. When you gouge on tons of carbs, expect to experience an insulin burst which can not only make you fatter but force the body to hold onto excess body water which can hinder and hide crisp muscle definition.
Though glucose from carbohydrates is the main mechanism for increasing insulin, it turns out things that taste sweat can also increase insulin levels. It’s also postulated just thinking about sweat foods can also increase insulin. Before you poo-poo that idea, we know imagining fear and internalizing fearful situations can cause a massive amount of stress hormone secretion in the body. You can dream of being killed and the reality is – the body reacts on a hormonal basis equal to that of the real thing; extreme fear! That idea carries over into your situation. Even though diet soda does not have calories, it can trigger in some – an insulin release that could blur definition. Keep in mind, two important concepts in regard to gaining body fat. Calories count. When you eat more than the body needs, you gain body fat. However, hormones also count. When you eat what you believe to be close to maintenance levels of calories – you’re not over eating, but insulin levels (hormones) are continuously elevated due to drinking 2 liters of diet soda a day, it’s possible that sweat sensation could undermine your success at getting leaner.
One important point I make in my book Everything You need To Know About Fat Loss; not everyone produces the same amount of insulin. If you are fat you produce more than a lean counterpart. For example, the 200 pounder with 20% body fat releases more insulin than the 200 pounder with only 10% body fat – even eating the same food. So two people, both weighing 200 pounds and eating a large potato, can experience very different levels of insulin secretion which ultimately influences body fat levels and water retention. Other factors besides body fat, also influence insulin secretion, I just wanted to point out that hormone levels can vary greatly and in your situation, it just may be that the diet soda you are consuming is sufficient to keep your own insulin levels elevated enough to interfere with fat loss and blur muscle definition.
Of course, there are several studies showing hydrating the body can increase the metabolism. One study showed diuretic pills (pills that help make you go to the bathroom) given to women decreases the metabolism by 2% while other studies have shown fully hydrating the body can increase the metabolism anywhere from 2-3%. So drinking a lot of fluid from diet soda might just “cancel the pro’s and cons out.” By that, I mean the sweat taste could increase insulin levels which is technically a bad thing for fat loss and water retention, while drinking a lot of fluid could slightly increase the metabolism and help shed water sitting beneath the skin and blurring definition. Net gains for most: zero. However, if you really struggle with losing weight and water retention, you might want to skip the diet soda or at the very least reduce your intake
