Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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I have an 4 egg shake at 6:30 am and then crossfit from 8-9. I am worried if I havea whey shake PWO will cause an insulin spike and negate all the work i just did? Or, does the benefit of whey for muscle recovery out weigh the risk of insulin spike?

flag	asked May 12 2011 at 14:31 Coreu 41●1●2

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Best way to see if whey is too insulinogenic for you is buy a glucometer from walmart and check your blood sugar 30,60, and 90 minutes after eating it. Then you'll know for sure. Me......I won't eat it because of what I found three years ago – The Quilt May 12 2011 at 16:30

@Dr. K- What did you find three years ago?? – Ben May 12 2011 at 16:54

That whey is not good for me.....lots of insulin spikes. Now my insulin is undetectable – The Quilt May 12 2011 at 17:59

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I enthusiastically concur on the glucometer - I got mine from Amazon (goo.gl/oJJmU). This cheap device will definitively answer many questions about insulin and blood sugar - I found out I was probably pre-diabetic and it explained why I needed to take naps after many meals, and was surprised which foods were problems for me (rice gluten - VERY BAD). BTW for the record it won't measure insulin but indicate if your body is producing it appropriately to handle the sugar you just ate. If not - or if you're resistant (the more typical prob) - then your blood will show excess sugar. – CaveRat May 12 2011 at 19:12

Is insulin detection a serum test that is not sky high in cost. I don't see it offered in the online testing services using Quest Lab or Lab Core? – Dexter May 12 2011 at 19:13

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PersonMan · Answer 1 · 2011-05-12 14:37:40Z UTC

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If your goal is fat loss/body composition optimization(min. fat, max. muscle) the whey should be discarded, especially owing to the sweeteners added in most brands.

answered May 12 2011 at 14:37

PersonMan

	I agree with this for weight loss......but whey can help those who want bulk or want to add weight – The Quilt May 12 2011 at 16:31
	What about unsweetened Whey? – Travis Isaacs May 12 2011 at 18:01
	Whey is still processed......there is some unprocessed whey I bought on MasterJohn's recs......but it spiked my insulin so i bailed on it and ate bacon instead. – The Quilt May 13 2011 at 1:53
	I've been chugging Biochem unsweetened vanilla whey PWO. Other than a bit of soy, it's pretty clean. Sounds like I need to find more productive ways to refuel. As always - thanks for the input, Dr. K. – Travis Isaacs May 13 2011 at 3:06

Verena · Answer 2 · 2011-05-12 16:37:59Z UTC

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i would not drink any energy drink...it's processed food, and not good for you...what i would do if i were you is eating a banana or a piece of meat to restore some energy....

answered May 12 2011 at 16:37

Verena
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whoops...i meant protein shake...lol sorry! – Verena May 12 2011 at 16:38

Caveman formally known as Dan · Answer 3 · 2011-05-13 01:19:05Z UTC

I don't have an answer per say but a n equals 1 observation that I would love input on especially from the paleo gurus like Dr. K. Quick background, I'm a 30 year old male w/ Type 1 diabetes who still injects insulin instead of using a pump. I have found an over abundance of success w/ paleo+ crossfit 3x a week. Last year dropped 45 lbs and A1c down from 8 to 6. I've lost so much weight and body fat (now 140) people keep asking me if I'm sick. While I understad "bulking" w/ my condition is not advised, I'd love to add 5-10 lbs max over the next year or so. Now for the observation. I've started eating a little bit more protein than normal and started getting what appeared to be unexplained high glucose readings. I discovered that if I eat enough protein I can produce an elevation in my glucose level, usually 2-3 hours later which I assume is due to gluconeogenisis and normal digestion. So my related question here is, the insulin spike is the effect of a glucose spike correct? If so then does it really matter whether the protein is in shake form, eventually the amount of protein is what will elevate glucose and then cause the insulin spike? I think at times the bodies natural processes are misunderstood until there is a disfunction and then we can see some potentially counterintuitive data. Help me interpret my observation.

Ben · Answer 4 · 2011-05-12 14:55:14Z UTC

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From what I understand, whey will cause an insulin spike. Typically a spike is desired after a hard workout because insulin (among other things) lowers cortisol. Your cortisol level is probably pretty high after a CrossFit wod.

Not everything about an insulin spike is bad, insulin also increases the transfer of amino acids into cells, it stimulates growth, DNA replication and cell reproduction. So, if your whey isn't packed with a bunch of sugar, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

answered May 12 2011 at 14:55

Ben
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	Insulin spikes are not wanted......those who do are looking for bulk. Insulin spikes lead to diseases long term. – The Quilt May 12 2011 at 16:32
	I'm looking to lower my cortisol level after a tough wod. Any other suggestions? – Ben May 12 2011 at 16:55
	good post about insulin not being bad, Ben. Insulin is simply a storage and growth hormone. its not innately bad for an otherwise healthy individual, especially for someone involved in heavy resistance training. For fat people, diabetics, etc insulin is dangerous if uncontrolled but for healthy, athletic individuals its a wholly natural part of who we are and how we metabolize different foods. I don't look for a giant spike PWO but i do indeed eat big lean protein and carb (sweet pot) to get some kind of insulin rise in order to aid macronutrient partitioning. – ben61820 May 12 2011 at 17:35
	Currently I am taking in less than 70 grams of carbs per day, training daily 2 sessions per day at approx. 1 hour per session 5x5 style powerlifing/bodybuilding workouts with 30 second rest interval between sets, ~3200 kcal. per day. I had decided to include starchy carbs but found that it simply made me more lethargic and fatigued after 1-2 hours PWO, whereas on a VLC diet I am energized and can perform the exercise/have energy to spare. I was only including 2 8 oz. servings of carbs(potatoes or sweet potatoes) per day, 1 after each session. I disbelieve the hype that carbs are necessary. – PersonMan May 12 2011 at 17:54
	Insulin is tied to every human chronic condition of aging. It's good for am growing organism but once grown you really don't need much of it around for longevity – The Quilt May 12 2011 at 18:00

stepho95 · Answer 5 · 2011-05-12 16:10:18Z UTC

I am curious about the same thing as well. I use Progenex which they claim is a super duper crazy terrifically REFINED whey protein and shouldn't cause an insulin spike. They provide this Q/A on their website about it. Not sure if these studies might help your decision:

Q: I am interested in increasing my protein intake to 3.0 g/kg of desired LBM but I would need to use protein powder to get there. I am concerned with the insulin spikes that whey protein powders give off. I am also interested in losing body fat.

A: There is a significant additive advantage to consuming mixed carbohydrate and protein supplements immediately post-workout. Your post-workout target should be to both feed existing muscle fibers as well as stimulate satellite muscle cells. (which fuel the greater proportion of muscle growth from exercise). PROGENEX More Muscle does both. Here are a couple of studies that you may be interested in: Disassociation between the effects of amino acids and insulin on signaling, ubiquitin ligases, and protein turnover in human muscle. http://ajpendo.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/295/3/E595 Effect of premeal consumption of whey protein and its hydrolysate on food intake and postmeal glycemia and insulin responses in young adults. http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/ajcn.2009.28406v1

Fx Marino · Answer 6 · 2012-08-01 19:15:19Z UTC

There is a supplement made from Hyperimmune Eggs which is excellent named IgY Recovery Proteins, it is a whole food with the same nutritional value as a regular table egg but better for recovery because all the proteins, vitamins and minerals have been preserved. I learned about it from Kelly Guillory, #6 ranked master woman cross fit.

Whey, if it is digestible is very processed. If it is not processed it is the ultimate non paleo food. As far as a processed Whey that does not cause an insulin spike, thats just crazy it is still Whey no matter how much it is processed. As far as Whey being the only option for people wanting to bulk up, thats crazy!. I do want to congratulate the Dairy industry for making the entire world think Whey is the second coming. They used to dump this stuff in rivers and lakes until the Dairy industry decided they could sell this stuff as the worlds greatest protein. It is protein but the number of protein sources are many.

Whey Protein & insulin Spikes

6 Answers