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Insulin is a hormone produced by the human body in the pancreas, also called the pancreas. Insulin’s function is manifold: it plays a role in metabolism, but also has anabolic and anti-catabolic effects. This means it can promote muscle growth and prevent muscle breakdown. Due to these effects, insulin is often used by bodybuilders, in combination with growth hormones. In this article, we’ll tell you more about insulin and its effects and dangers for athletes.
What is insulin
In the human body, insulin primarily regulates the amount of sugar, or glucose, in the blood. The hormone was discovered by the German pathologist Paul Langerhans (1847 – 1888). At a very young age, Paul Langerhans discovered that the pancreas releases various hormonal substances, including the substance insulin. Because these cells were located together, they were named after him, as the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas.
Insulin is produced in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans and is a polypeptide hormone which are chains of
small amino acids. It consists of a chain of amino acids just like proteins. Proteins consumed are broken down in the stomach before they enter the bloodstream. This is one of the main reasons why patients with diabetes must inject insulin and not ingest it.
Insulin is a hormone and therefore has a messenger function. It gives specific commands to several cells in the body. For example, it gives the command to various cells when we eat
carbohydrates and the amount of glucose in the blood increases. The pancreas is responsible for the production of insulin and then informs the various cells how certain nutrients should be used to provide energy or to be stored as reserves.
In fact, insulin is not an anabolic steroid and it has no androgenic effect. It is a protein-like hormone produced by the pancreas. Production increases when there is a rise in blood sugar. This is also the main purpose: regulating blood sugar levels. If blood sugar levels rise, more is released by the body. This allows more glucose to be stored in the cells, which serve as energy for the body. The form in which these sugars are stored in (muscle) cells is polysaccharide glycogen, often abbreviated to
glycogen.
In addition to regulating blood sugar levels, insulin has another function, namely increasing the uptake of nutrients. This is particularly interesting for bodybuilders, as they increase protein synthesis through the use of anabolics. Insulin can transport broken down proteins, amino acids, to the place where proteins are synthesized.
The functions of insulin
As mentioned, insulin has a number of functions. Below are the main functions, divided into liver, muscles, and fats:
The function on the liver
- Improves glycogen production and supplies it as energy to the cells
- Improves protein synthesis
- Prevents the breakdown of glycogen, which serves as energy for the cells
- Prevents glucose production
The function on the muscles
- Improves glucose uptake in the muscles
- Improves glycogen production
- Improves the uptake of proteins and amino acids
- Prevents and inhibits protein breakdown
The function on the adipose tissue
- Improves glucose uptake
- Prevents fat breakdown
- Improves the production of lipoprotein lipaseand triglycerides
The use as medicine
The medical application of insulin originated for the treatment of diabetes. In diabetes mellitus, the body is no longer able to regulate blood sugar itself. Normally, the body regulates blood sugar levels by releasing this hormone. But people suffering from diabetes can no longer produce this hormone, or the body no longer responds to its release. When this happens, blood sugar levels rise, to very high levels. This results in too much sugar in the blood, which can have serious consequences for health.
