Im DIABETIC! Am I screwed?

Cantell

Member
Ok, someone help me! I am a type1 diabetic, meaning I take insulin ALOT! Everytime I eat actually. So, what can I do to help me bodybuilding? I mean, should I be taking alot to cram all the nutrients in I can? Is there anything I can do to help me gain, or atleast not start having muscles break down do to the disease? I seen in the insulin sticky that are diabetic
bodybuilders "manipulate" insulin levels to help!

so recap:

1. Can I still gain being a diabetic and will it be harder?

2. Can I use it to my advantage?

3. Does insulin control how much muscle my body will put on?
 
Yea, I know that there are SOME BIG diabetic Bodybuilders, however, I just dont know what I should be doing! I thought by taking alot of insulin would help (I know it sounds stupid) but I just am not sure!
 
What are your goals? Trauma1 will prolly be here soon to help but there are other pathways that help glucose into the cell without insulin. However if your looking to gain I would suggest moderate protein higher fat and moderate carbs. how's your kidney function
 
go to IGF section right above anabolics, there is inulin info inthat section also a threat on top titles insulin, send that creator of that thread a PM
 
I would email dave palumbo. His girlfriend colette is type 1 diabetic. He runs his own site now she may have a Q&A over there
 
crazyfool405 said:
What are your goals? Trauma1 will prolly be here soon to help but there are other pathways that help glucose into the cell without insulin. However if your looking to gain I would suggest moderate protein higher fat and moderate carbs. how's your kidney function
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True, I just didnt know. I eat alot of protien, and what not. Usually some chicken, eggs, protein shakes throught the day. My kiddneys are perfect (knock on wood). Im currently 200lbs about 14% bf. I would like to get to 205 at 10%
 
Good thing about being type one is your body can't use the glucose so a keto diet will work better for you then let's say a type 2 where some glucose can get into the cell and the body can't decide which fuel to use. Keto acidosis is less likely in type one from what I can remember.

If kidney function is ok I would make sure you keep you protein moderate and your fat intake higher. 30/70 protein fat ratio. You can never get zero carbs but u will need much less insulin. I believe its 1cc per 15g carb? So maybe even half that. Plus it also depends on if you have an insulin pump too.
 
I dont have a pump, I just use needles. I thought that insulin took nutrients to muscles! So, i figured, hey lets take more insulin and get more muscles! I guess I was wrong. I usually get 150-200g protein each day. Im on an Upper/Lower done 4x a week.
 
We'll don't assume more insulin is better. Only in presence of carbs. Too much with too little carbs will put u in hypoglycemic shock possible coma and death.

Insulin basically opens the gate for glucose to get in however its not the only key. There are other pathways.

Depending on the insulin u use (fast/short acting) makes u really have to reconstuct the diet to make it more appealing. Also if you choose a lower carb diet less pinning will be the obvious answer and less insulin present more fats are able to be freed and burned
 
I take a long acting at bedtime and a short acting with my meals. I know not to take to much, I usually take my protien then something sugary so I CAN take insulin. I thought that was the only way to deliver the protien and supps.
 
Its not the ONLY way however its the main one we hear about. Shoot a pm over to strategic move or mulletsoldier they can explain the glut4 pathway much better then I can
 
Yea they are both usp reps. Search their forum. Both are supersmart let em know what ur trying to do and just tell them ur trying to gain more knowledge on the other pathways glucose and nurtients enter the cell. I personally think a keto diet is a good idea.
 
will do, what is a keto diet consist of mainly? And how does it compare to a "regular diet" when trying to build muscle
 
Well keto is mainly for dieting you can still gain yes. Much harder to do so tho. Insulon is a very anavolic hormone. Like I said its what's more appealing toi u. A regular diet can.help u cut aswell we just need to feed u the right foods and that's nit a problem we can all help u out.
 
Cantell said:
Ok, someone help me! I am a type1 diabetic, meaning I take insulin ALOT! Everytime I eat actually. So, what can I do to help me bodybuilding? I mean, should I be taking alot to cram all the nutrients in I can? Is there anything I can do to help me gain, or atleast not start having muscles break down do to the disease? I seen in the insulin sticky that are diabetic
bodybuilders "manipulate" insulin levels to help!

so recap:

1. Can I still gain being a diabetic and will it be harder?
Click to expand...

Yes you can still gain. Type 2's actually have limitations because they are trying to make do with compromised insulin function. Type 1's can use synthetic insulin to approximate natural function.

It be will be harder only in the sense that you will have to count carbs and calories and manage blood glucose levels as well.

Cantell said:
2. Can I use it to my advantage?
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As far as restoring your natural potential yes. As far as giving you an advantage over someone who is not on insulin, I doubt it.

Cantell said:
3. Does insulin control how much muscle my body will put on?
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Indirectly yes but I suggest looking at it a different way. Your body will build additional muscle when it has surplus materials (protein) and surplus energy (food calories). Insulin is the hormone that promotes energy metabolism. Without insulin, nutrients just pile up in the bloodstream where the digestive system dumps them.

So the first step is to calculate how many calories you should be eating in order to build muscle. Step two is to make up a meal plan that meets those targets. These first two steps are what anybody who is serious about their gains should be doing. Step 3 is to figure out how much insulin to take to maintain good blood glucose levels on that meal plan.

Once I make up a plan I do a test on each meal. I take a reading before hand, make a conservative estimate and dose the insulin, and take a reading 2-3 hours afterwards. Then I just adjust the 'standard' dosage. That way I can predetermine insulin needs and not have to test after every meal (6 or 7 per day).

Any questions?
 
im a type 1 daibetic, and have noticed the most size and strength gains by takin anywhere from 10-15 units after i work out with a creatine product or something like that. then immediately after the gym eating a good high carb meal to cover the insulin i just took. just a suggestion, i was told by my endocrinologist to experiment with myself.
 
wow ^ lukcy man i neva though i would say this to a diabetic..... but if u just increase ur dose u gain alot of mass huh i am thinkin of maybe next winter going into slin
 
jay21 said:
wow ^ lukcy man i neva though i would say this to a diabetic..... but if u just increase ur dose u gain alot of mass huh i am thinkin of maybe next winter going into slin
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yeah, are you diabetic. if not be very careful you may end up one. and insulin effects people differently. ha. it helps with strength gains too. i put about 15lbs on my bench in 3 weeks
 
wrstlr09 said:
insulin effects people differently. ha. it helps with strength gains too. i put about 15lbs on my bench in 3 weeks
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Be very careful of how you state this because it can give the wrong impression. Diabetics that go on supplemental insulin will probably experience dramatic gains in the gym. This is because they did not have full insulin function to begin with. The gains will likely be comparable to what normal individuals could achieve with similar diets and training.

This does not imply that healthy people who dose insulin will experience the same benefits. Most of the anecdotal evidence on insulin benefits often include steroids used in conjunction.
 
Nitrox said:
Be very careful of how you state this because it can give the wrong impression. Diabetics that go on supplemental insulin will probably experience dramatic gains in the gym. This is because they did not have full insulin function to begin with. The gains will likely be comparable to what normal individuals could achieve with similar diets and training.

This does not imply that healthy people who dose insulin will experience the same benefits. Most of the anecdotal evidence on insulin benefits often include steroids used in conjunction.
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true. i was simply posting for the other diabetic who asked if he was screwed. ha. because my body was not up to a normal persons baseline but diabetics can benefit from their own insulin use. know what i mean??
 
my old workout partner is a type 1. he gained weight faster than i did, because he's an endomorph, and even though he has diabetes, he gains faster than me as an ecto. just hard work, eat right for your body, and calorie overload through proteins and fat.

interesting sidenote - when we started working our legs heavy (20 rep squats DC style) his insulin needs dropped by 30%. just food for thought. again, you've got to train hard, heavy, and don't stress out about diabetes.
 
wrstlr09 said:
true. i was simply posting for the other diabetic who asked if he was screwed. ha. because my body was not up to a normal persons baseline but diabetics can benefit from their own insulin use. know what i mean??
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Good point. I should have directed this to all the non-diabetics who might think that insulin supplementation is the holy grail for mass building.
 
suncloud said:
interesting sidenote - when we started working our legs heavy (20 rep squats DC style) his insulin needs dropped by 30%. just food for thought. again, you've got to train hard, heavy, and don't stress out about diabetes.
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I can confirm this. Intense leg training and high intensity cardio really burn through glucose. Leg training also does the most for increasing sensitivity post exercise. Watch out for hypoglycemia.
 
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