How meal composition affects fat loss

Insulin and glucagon – the unsuspected keys to successful fat loss

Insulin and glucagon play important metabolic roles.

Insulin is a storage hormone, promoting the storage of glucose as muscle and liver glycogen and the storage of dietary fat as triglycerides in the adipose tissue.

Glucagon is a release hormone. It triggers the release of stored fat and the breakdown of glycogen into glucose.

Insulin and glucagon are inversely pared hormones – when one is high the other is low. For this reason storage and release do not occur at the same time. Which process occurs at any given time depends on the insulin to glucagon ratio:

• insulin levels are higher then glucagon levels => glucose and fatty acid storage occurs
  
• glucagon levels are higher the insulin levels =>triglyceride release and glycogen breakdown occurs

For optimum fat loss glucagon levels must be, most of the time, higher then insulin levels so as to maximize the amount of triglycerides “broken down” and used for energy production.

The exception to this rule is the post workout state. Engaging in demanding physical activities leads to the depletion of glycogen stores. The aim of your post workout meal should be to increase insulin levels so as to promote the storage of dietary glucose as glycogen (replenish glycogen stores).

How does meal composition affect the insulin to glucagon ratio?

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Insulin is secreted as a response to increased blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels are increased after carbohydrate consumption so insulin is super sensitive to carbohydrates.

Glucagon is secreted as a response to a decrease in blood sugar levels. Also, glucagon production is stimulated by protein intake.

Studies made on how meal composition affects the insulin to glucagon ratio have concluded that:

• After a mixed meal containing carbohydrates, protein and fats both insulin and glucagon levels rise but the insulin raise exceeds that of glucagon.
  
  
• After a protein and fat rich meal containing little or no carbohydrates, glucagon raises much more then insulin.

Based on these conclusions, you should make the following optimization

Include protein with every meal and limit the amount of carbohydrates eaten at every non post workout meal.

to make sure that a good amount of body fat is mobilized and "used for fuel".