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Can You Make More Insulin Receptors?!

JessicaLCHF
JessicaLCHF Posts: 1,265 Member
edited December 2024 in Social Groups
My daughter told me that if I exercised more frequently I could make more insulin receptors to help my diabetes/insulin resistance. Is that true? Can you create more? Or do they ones you have just work better?

I know exercise does improve my blood sugars. Even if I take a ten minute walk after eating my glucose goes down 40-50 points immediately. Not even a fast walk! Thots?

Replies

  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I believe every insulin responsive cell in your body has an insulin receptor, so building cell count, such as building muscle cells via exercise, would increase the total available insulin receptors.

    Walking would build muscle cells in the beginning, but not for very long unless you increase weight or distance or speed. Weightlifting with progressive overload is probably the most effective way to build muscle cells.

    Additionally, exercise does increase the uptake of insulin within muscle cells, it increases insulin sensitivity, essentially reversing insulin resistance.

    So, I think the answer is both - if you build muscle cells you are going to have more insulin receptors and even if you don't increase muscle cells you are going to improve the efficiency of the insulin receptors in existing cells.
  • JessicaLCHF
    JessicaLCHF Posts: 1,265 Member
    Interesting! Thanks! I have started with weights just recently. Small ones. Don't laugh. :)
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I'm pretty sure everything I lift qualifies as small to someone, so you won't get any laughing from me!
  • cstehansen
    cstehansen Posts: 1,984 Member
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-h6EcCXad4

    in this video, Bryan Walsh talks about how glucose gets into your cells. Generally, it requires insulin, however, you can force it into muscle cells through exercise. The keto summit led me to this video. The great thing about getting the glucose into the cells this way is it does not require insulin which means you don't need to have elevated levels of insulin which are as bad for you as elevated levels of glucose.

    After watching this, I adjusted my workouts such that the last thing I did was the more intense weight bearing exercise and found that my after workout readings dropped 20-30 points from when I finished my workouts by walking. I used to lift weights and then walk (fairly quickly) for about 30 minutes. I just flipped the two and got these results.

    Both exercises will force your muscles to release glucose by breaking down the stored glucagon in your muscles, but by doing the more strenuous portion last, it seems to help force it into the cells that need it versus having it stay in my blood until enough insulin builds up to force the issue or until it either gets formed back into glucagon or into fat.

    For those of us with insulin resistance, finding things like this that help us deal with BG without insulin (natural or through meds) is a very good thing.
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    Even just walking will increase insulin sensitivity though. When I had gestational diabetes, I could eat a higher carb meal than the plan allowed and as long as I did a brisk walk for at least 20 minutes afterwards, my postprandial numbers would be good.
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