Glucagon and Aging – Breakfast How Not To Start The Day Part III
A question from one of our readers:
Dr. Mericle,
With respect to burning “fat” energy in the mornings before eating, what if you are not a long distance runner? The average person is not, particularly someone who is overweight. A typical run for me in my current condition is 2-3 miles. Would I still be burning fat with a 25-30 min. jog?
JoLee
Answer: Yes, you would still be burning fat as long as youstay in a glucagon state.
This is a very good question since most people today don’t runat all -much less even 2-3 miles a day. This touches on one ofthe most important aspects of the MericleDiet and exerciseas it relates to weight loss. Exercise for your immune system,but don’t rely on exercise to lose weight and or keep weight off. Even running seven miles a day is not enough to burnany significant calories.
Back to the glucagon state of energy utilization
In the last newsletter I discussed the importance of enteringa glucagon state for some part of every day. For me,running helps as it is a real distraction, something I do every day and I have my own rule of never eating before I run.The reason for not eating is that it is a lot easier to run in a state of energy utilization (glucagon) , not energy storage (insulin). Usually in hot weather I will run first thing in the morning. This actually shortens my glucagon phase ascompared to running in the late afternoon. Usually if it ishot and I run early, I will try not to eat when I get backfrom the run until noon at the earliest. This gives me at least four or five hours in a glucagon state -higher energylevels and I get a lot more done. If you are going to eatearly in the day, it is best to eat low on the glycemic index.Organic fruit, carrot or celery sticks and fresh organicsalads are good choices.
You don’t need to exercise to enter a glucagon state
Exercise can help to get you into a glucagon phase but is not necessary. All you really have to do is not go into an insulinstate by eating. Most of us are going to eat something duringmost days but it is optimal if you can limit the time of foodingestion to the mid-day hours, noon to 6:pm or so. You will have a good glucagon phase in the morning and not goto bed on a large load of insulin in the evening. As mentionedpreviously, hyperinsulinism is implicated in many of our serious lifestyle illnesses.
Dr. Roy Walford and caloric restriction
It may seem hard to believe, but during periods of starvationduring WWII, those who had their caloric intake reduced, had improvement in diseases such as heart disease and cancer.It was also noted that they did not age as much. This hasbeen studied by the late Dr. Roy Walford, who was part of theBiosphere. There is no question that calorically restrictedmice age much more slowly than those who are allowed to eatwhat they want. Dr. Walford also made the point that the calories that are eaten must be “nutritionally dense.” Thisis also one of the premises of the MericleDiet. I don’t want to suggest that one live a life of caloric restriction,but there is no doubt that reducing your caloric intake andnot eating as often or as much will improve your health and slow your aging.
Insulin Glucagon Aging
Somewhere in the basic premise of caloric restriction andretarded aging is the yin and yang of human energy management -Glucagon and Insulin. Too much of either is not good and as noted previously, most people in Americahave way too much insulin. If you want to feel better andlook better while you age more slowly, think glucagon,not insulin. Try to achieve “balance” between them. If you spend four hours a day in an insulin state, try to spend at least as much time in a glucagon state.
Conclusion
Understanding how glucagon and insulin affect your health and your weight is one of the most important concepts one can learn. Not only will you be able to work better, feelbetter and control your weight more easily, there now is impressive evidence that restricting your insulin secretionby reducing your frequency and quantity of feedings willretard aging.
Reference:
Dr. Walford and Caloric Restriction
walford.com
Stryer Biochemistry Fourth Edition
Thanks for your time.
Copyright ? John Mericle M.D. All Rights Reserved
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Spare Muscle Mass and Power, Lose the Fat
The goal of many athletes and exercisers is to "get cut" or to lose excess fat while at the same time retaining muscle mass and power. Unfortunately, it is not possible to lose copious amounts of fat without incurring some loss of muscle mass. The reason for this is because at any given moment during a day and even during exercise, the human body does not exclusively make use of a single substrate or energy-producing substance such as carbohydrate, protein or fat. As mentioned in previous articles, substrate utilization is exercise intensity dependent – that is higher intensity exercise will rely more heavily on carbohydrate but will still metabolize small quantities of protein and fat. Likewise, during low intensity, extended duration exercise the body will rely more heavily on fat utilization yet still receive a percentage of the energy yield from protein and carbohydrate.
The key to fat loss that spares muscle mass and power is to shift energy balance in the favor of increased expenditure. In my opinion, the source of this energy expenditure is irrelevant – as long as a negative caloric intake is achieved. Here’s why: long periods of extended cardiovascular exercise tends to metabolize more fat but a major drawback is that it has a muscle wasting effect (look at the build of any marathoner). This is due to the fact that cortisol (a protein catabolizing hormone) levels are increased for long periods of time. Also, during endurance type exercise, amino acids from muscle tissues are required to keep blood glucose levels normal should liver glycogen (stored carbohydrate) levels deplete. Lastly, during endurance-type exercise, only the low threshold Type I muscle fibers will be activated, resulting in little to no stimulation/training of the larger and more powerful Type IIA and B fibers.
Therefore, the best advice for individuals wanting to "cut" while preserving muscle mass and power is to perform high intensity interval training (HIIT). Interval training is a unique form of training that utilizes short periods (3-5 min.) of intense running (close to maximal capacity/VO2max) separated by rest periods of the 2-3 times the same duration. The intensity of interval training allows for a greater power output (greater energy expenditure in less time) and the activation of the large Type II muscles, thus preserving power and strength gains. Also, since Type IIA fibers exhibit some of the qualities of Type I muscle fibers (endurance muscle), performing interval training will actually lead to greater increases in fitness, since a larger quantity of muscle will be stimulated by the increased power output.
David Petersen is a Personal Trainer/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the owner and founder of B.O.S.S. Fitness Inc. based in Oldsmar, Florida. More articles and information can be found at bossfitness.com
NOTE: You’re free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this note, author information and all LIVE website links as above.
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