Thread: 10 Hypertrophy Tips from Charles Poliquin

I concur with the pwo/shake or meal. Even intra and pre workout nutrition plays a role in his. Basically, you want an elevation in insulin around workout time. Insulin trumps cortisol.

Originally Posted by Mattymoo

Back in the day weed would cause me to eat like its my last meal

Use to use it for bulking!. haha!

Originally Posted by jrock645

I concur with the pwo/shake or meal. Even intra and pre workout nutrition plays a role in his. Basically, you want an elevation in insulin around workout time. Insulin trumps cortisol.

Interesting!. When u say insulin trumps cortisol, do mean it (insulin) binds to the same receptors that cortisol would have bound to? Thereby not allowing the existing cortisol to have an effect? Similar to an AI that would bind to the receptor instead of the E doing so?

Originally Posted by NewMember

Interesting!. When u say insulin trumps cortisol, do mean it (insulin) binds to the same receptors that cortisol would have bound to? Thereby not allowing the existing cortisol to have an effect? Similar to an AI that would bind to the receptor instead of the E doing so?

I can't recall the specific mechanisms but they speak about this in the book Nutrient Timing a good bit. Basically, hormones are interrelated and when one rises, certain ones fall- antagonistic relationship as they call it. Insulin the the king of all hormones but it's antagonistic with both growth hormone and cortisol. Natural growth hormone release is generally highest when blood sugar, and therefore insulin, is low. Stimulating insulin also blunts the cortisol response. Remember, cortisol isn't inherently evil- in times of stress and in a lack of energy(from food), cortisol mobilizes energy-> i.e. cortisol can burn fat, though by the same mechanism it can eat at muscle: it is non-discriminantly catabolic. Also remember that growth hormone, despite it's awesomeness, is not inherently anabolic-> it is primarily released for anti-catabolic effect.

Originally Posted by NewMember

Interesting!. When u say insulin trumps cortisol, do mean it (insulin) binds to the same receptors that cortisol would have bound to? Thereby not allowing the existing cortisol to have an effect? Similar to an AI that would bind to the receptor instead of the E doing so?

Antagonistic. When sugar is regulated, so are glucocorticoids.

Originally Posted by jrock645

I can't recall the specific mechanisms but they speak about this in the book Nutrient Timing a good bit. Basically, hormones are interrelated and when one rises, certain ones fall- antagonistic relationship as they call it. Insulin the the king of all hormones but it's antagonistic with both growth hormone and cortisol. Natural growth hormone release is generally highest when blood sugar, and therefore insulin, is low. Stimulating insulin also blunts the cortisol response. Remember, cortisol isn't inherently evil- in times of stress and in a lack of energy(from food), cortisol mobilizes energy-> i.e. cortisol can burn fat, though by the same mechanism it can eat at muscle: it is non-discriminantly catabolic. Also remember that growth hormone, despite it's awesomeness, is not inherently anabolic-> it is primarily released for anti-catabolic effect.

I think I understand what u posted, jrock645. I did not know that cortisol was able to burn fat. Always thought it was strictly catabolic to muscle tissue. I did know that we need it though.

If i'm understanding this correctly, what u are saying is that if we spike our insulin then we will control our cortisol production? So, when we work out if we spiked our insulin pre-workout then we should get an minimal release of cortisol during the workout? Correct? Thank you for the response, bro! What a game we play, eh?

Originally Posted by thebear

Antagonistic. When sugar is regulated, so are glucocorticoids.

I was thinking we could use sugar to spike our insulin pre-workout? Wouldn't that keep the cortisol at bay?