Insulin is a "storage" hormone that allows glucose to enter cells. More precisely, by binding to its membrane receptors, it allows glucose transporters (GLUT proteins) to cross the cell membrane. This occurs mainly in the muscle and adipose tissue which have the highest concentration of GLUT-4 proteins (glucose transporters dependent on insulin); other tissues, such as the brain, pancreas and liver do not need any hormone to get hold of it. as they possess transporters activated only in response to the blood glucose level.
pathological insulin, which occurs, for example, in those with prediabetes and / or often in the obese. For them, insulin resistance is the cause of very serious metabolic decompensations.
Given a diet with a reduced intake of carbohydrates and a high percentage of free fatty acids in the blood, there is less sensitivity to insulin (hence, for simplicity, some speak improperly of insulin resistance).
It leads to a greater release of this hormone in order to counteract the low concentration of GLUT-4 transporters (the low expression and poor sensitivity of its receptors). Those with a certain degree of low sensitivity release higher concentrations of insulin in response to an equal glycemic level than those with greater sensitivity.
for energy purposesMaintaining a certain degree of insulin resistance is beneficial during both the low calorie phase and the refeed period.
plays a primary role in this phase; proteins, fats, fructose and alcohol have little or almost no value; therefore let's focus only on glucose.
Fast-absorbing foods such as maltodextrin, white rice, pasta, bread and other not too rich in fiber (which slow down the absorption) will be used. A caloric quota of 20 or 50% over your daily requirement, if the phase diet was not too extreme, it might be enough to give leptin a good surge.
The duration of the refeed should be limited, in this case, to only 24/36 hours. A more extreme cutting approach, for example 4 or 5 days with a calorie deficit of 50% or more, should approach a refeed phase or more "intense" than the previous one or of a longer duration.
The general rule of the recharge phase is: "the higher the calories in the cut period, the shorter the recharge will be". This also applies to the refeed phase itself; if you decide to keep a caloric surplus greater than 50% of your normal daily caloric consumption, it is good to limit it to only 24 hours.
Another point to touch concerns the "set point". The closer you are to this "limit" the more intense and frequent the refeed periods should be.
during the first few weeks of a low-calorie diet. Continuing with the caloric restriction, however, there is a slowdown or almost a stall in the disposal of unnecessary kilos. There are three factors causing this "adaptation":
- Decrease in basal energy expenditure
- Decrease in the amount of calories consumed during training and daily activities
- Especially when the diet goes on too long, less strictness in compliance with the scheme.
