(CS)^3: Hormones

Nicole showing us foam rolling can be fun

In case anybody doesn’t believe Remy yet on eating good foods is good for you. In this science article we’ll go into why eating goods foods is good for you, and it has to do with hormones in the body and regulating them.

Ever heard of Tony Sinclair? He’s that guy who says: “Everything in moderation- and that’s how you Tanqueray”. Well Tanqueray is grose imo, however he was right about the moderation part.

Late Greg says he puts the moan in hormones. Giggity!

There are three hormones which I want to touch on. These are insulin, glucagon, and eicosanoids. The major point of the first two hormones is to regulate blood sugar levels. I’m sure you’ve heard of what insulin is, but maybe you’re not quite sure exactly how it reacts or what the problems with it are. Insulin is like a syringe that is injecting carbohydrates in the form of glucose into the cells of the body (the liver, the muscles, and fat tissue) where it is then stored as glycogen. This is fuel for the body. Glycogen is necessary and it’s AWESOME. This is what gives us our energy to perform a high percentage of the work. When insulin levels are high, this hormone released from the pancreas the body stores energy, stops using fat as an energy source, and attempts to ‘regulate’ the blood sugar levels, usually by lowering it since blood sugar levels would be high if lots of insulin is released. When we eat high glycemic load carbs such as refined sugars, insulin levels spike and it’s like this hypothetical syringe is being pushed way too fast and jamming glucose into the cells of the body. This becomes a big problem when this is repeated and happens frequently. The cells of the body start to become insulin resistant and they say “no please thank you I’ve had enough” and the hormone is like “but take more I have much more to give” and the cells are like “but I don’t want any more I’m stuffed leave me alone.” (If you get the Madagascar 2 reference here I give you props) Anyways, the pancreas only knows that blood sugar is too high still, so it releases even more insulin. See a really bad cycle starting here? This is where we get slammed with type 2 diabetes, and it’s very difficult to get out of this cycle once it’s started. By eating veggies and fruits with fiber and lower glycemic load carbohydrates, we don’t spike our insulin levels as much and we stay far far away from this cycle!

Kellie: "I saw you try to slip this on my bar" Girl Ryan: "Um, I don't know what you're talking about."

Glucagon on the other hand is released when blood sugar levels drop. It’s ultimate role is to prevent hypoglycemia , and it does this in a fairly complicated way. It first tells the pancreas “hey we need to make a sacrifice to the sugar god”,  and the pancreas decides ok we must start glucogenesis and release glucose into the blood stream. It also tells the pancreas to release small levels of insulin so that this newly released glucose can be utilized in the muscles. To some degree large proteins (mmm protein) active the production of glucagon through the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and that’s a whole other story. Just remember that when we eat protein, glucagon is produced.

If you balance the levels of glucagon and insulin, blood sugar levels stay relatively the same as they were before you ate, but now all the sudden your muscles and liver are full of energy again. WHOA I know that just blew your mind. Zone-diet eating ring a bell here?

Lil' Ryan taking fashion faux pas to a new level.

The last hormone to talk about is eicosanoids. These fast acting signaling hormones are super powerful and control inflammatory levels in the body, and are created from omega-3 and omega-6 fats (oils, nuts, seeds, avocado, etc). They act upon and control the immune system, inflammation system, vasodilatation, vasoconstriction, sleep patterns, adipose tissue differentiation, and the list goes on. This means that eating a good ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats and the right levels of insulin and glucagon will give you better sleep, less body fat, a better working blood delivery system, reduced inflammation after a workout, you’ll get sick less, and you’ll have more energy. I know it’s crazy, and the system is so complex it’s not fully understood. But the discovery of these signaling hormones won the Nobel Prize. So this stuff is legit, and most doctors are completely unfamiliar with them. Next week we’re going to discuss eicosanoids in more depth. Enjoy your Friday! And cheers from Antarctica!

WOD 1/15/2010

Hang Snatch 2-2-2-2 90% 1RM

6 Rounds
5 Clusters (155/95)
10 Toes 2 Bar
This is a variation of the Orange County Throwdown WOD Exponential.

Optional:
Bench Press 2-2-2 90% 1RM
Romanian Deadlift 5-5-5 65% 1RM
Shoulder Press 4-4-4 65% 1RM
500M Row Max Effort x 2