Dr. Neil Levin
Chiropractor practicing in East Northport, NY
(631) 651-2929

RESISTANCE TRAINING AND DIETARY PROTEIN

Pubmed

PMID:17413099

Am J Clin Nutr 2007 Apr; 85(4):1005-13

Resistance training and dietary protein: effects on glucose tolerance and contents of skeletal muscle insulin signaling proteins in older persons.

Dr Levin’s comment:

Exercise is probably the most important thing that you can do for your health.  I recommend a combination of weight resistance training to increases strength and total muscle mass along with cardiovascular exercise to enhance your cardiovascular fitness and burn fat.  Unfortunately, not enough of us exercise, and even fewer perform resistance training. 

As this study shows, even older adults can build muscle.  Increased muscle mass speeds up your basal metabolic rate so that you are burning more calories eve when you are at rest.  This helps you to lose weight and makes it easier to keep the fat off your frame.  

Muscle soaks up sugar from your blood stream to increase insulin sensitivity, lower blood glucose levels, and usually lowers insulin levels (important, as insulin is a fat storage hormone as well).  Make sure that you are ingesting adequate protein when you exercise.
Some of the nutrients that have showed promise in promoting healthier blood glucose levels are: Chromium, Fiber and Green Tea. 

I like to eat smaller meals and use a protein powder as a healthy snack between meals. This keeps the body from going into a process called gluconeogenisis when it actually breaks down our lean muscle to supply sugar and protein for ongoing metabolic needs.  This will tend to happen after about 3 hours without food depending upon activity level and type of food eaten.  My favorite protein powder is Purity Product’s, Red Protein.  They use pea protein which is easy to digest with no milk products.  It also contains a nice supply of phytonutrients from high nutrient density berries and vegetables which most of us don’t get enough of.

Dr. Neil Levin
Chiropractor practicing in East Northport, NY
(631) 651-2929