This is the most relevant topic to discuss when it comes to fat loss & weight loss. Glucose is of special interest for most us given that we all want to learn how the food we eat is processed in our body.
Glucose is simple sugar (monosaccharide) that comes from the breakdown of carbohydrates. Through cell respiration (we must have studied this in our high school), the cell converts glucose to generate energy in the form of a molecule known as ATP- adenosine triphosphate. ATP is required for muscle growth, contraction & almost all cellular processes to sustain life.
Glucose is absorbed in the bloodstream by the small intestine once it has been broken down from larger carbohydrate molecules-polysaccharides (long chain sugars such as starch) & disaccharides (two chain sugars such as sucrose). Glucose is then delivered to other tissues such as liver & skeletal muscles where it is used to generate ATP or be built into energy storage molecules called glycogen.
Insulin is an important hormone which allows various tissues including muscles & fats to use glucose from the bloodstream. Without this, tissues would be deprived of important energy sources. Insulin is made in Pancreas by combining precursor molecule pro-insulin with zinc & calcium. Insulin acts as a transport hormone for transporting glucose from the bloodstream to various tissues. When insulin binds to special insulin receptors on the surface membrane of the cells, glucose transporter proteins fuse with the membrane allowing glucose to enter. Most abundant of these transporter proteins in muscle & fat tissue is GLUT4.
If you consume food in excess, the glucose (made in pancreas) in bloodstream is transported by insulin to fat tissues since your muscle tissues are already filled with glucose through food you consumed earlier & this excess glucose gets stored as fat in fat tissues. If you continue eating in excess regularly, the size of fat tissue starts increasing & you become fat. Our body has to produce more insulin & as a result our efficiency to produce insulin falls over a period of time.
Elevated sugar levels are primarily attributed to :
- Insulin deficiency: low production of insulin
- Insulin resistance: tissues not responding to effects of insulin
Fasting blood glucose refers to the level of glucose after you had nothing to eat or drink for at least 8 hours. Impaired insulin function can result in high fasting glucose levels. This is attributed to:
- Cell Damage: High amount of glucose in blood stream (due to low insulin production/insulin resistance) can bind to molecules in the cells by a process known as glycation. Glycation can directly impair functions of cells & also lead to production of harmful molecules known as advanced glycation end products which can damage blood vessels, nerves and organs & increase the risk of harmful diseases.
- Metabolic diseases: Insulin resistance may cause pancreas to produce a high amount of insulin to compensate for its reduced effects. Pancreas may not be able to keep up the body’s demand for insulin & may result in type II diabetes.
- Impaired exercise performance: If glucose cannot enter the cell due to insulin dysfunction, less energy would be available for muscle contraction. This may lead to reduced exercise performance.
Analysis of following genetic variants can help us predict our fasting blood glucose levels:
- SL30A8: This gene encodes a transporter protein that moves zinc during formation of insulin. Variants of this gene influence how effectively your body secretes insulin.
- TCF7L2: This gene encodes a protein which is activated when insulin binds to an insulin receptor. Variants of this gene impact your tissue sensitivity to insulin.
- MTNR1B: We have discussed this in our earlier blog. Sleep hormone, Melatonin, regulates insulin release during the day/night cycle. Melatonin exerts influence by binding itself to the melatonin receptor which is coded by the MTNR1B gene. A variant of this gene causes your body to produce less insulin during night time which can be the reason for elevation of your sugar level at night.
Your lifestyle- sleeping pattern, your diet/nutrition, body composition & physical activity combined with your genetic traits plays an important role in predicting your fasting blood glucose levels. For those with high predicted fasting blood glucose levels, replacing high Glycaemic Index (GI) carbohydrates with insoluble fibre & increasing sleep quality goes a long way in controlling the elevated blood glucose levels.
Discover your personal traits & learn about your specific genetic predisposition to high fasting blood glucose levels with our genetics based personalised fitness program. Whether you are a busy professional, homemaker or a sportsperson/athlete, by subscribing to our Transformation, Pro-Athlete, Get that X-factor or Get Toned personalised fitness programs, you will not only receive information about genetic response to various aspects of nutrition & fitness but also be coached by an international fitness coach who will cover both genetic powered nutrition & exercise aspects of the program. Sign up here:
