Years of study by top human performance researchers has confirmed that insulin is one of the body’s most powerful musclebuilding hormones. In fact, research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that insulin is so potent it could support protein synthesis in skeletal muscle1! Insulin is also very anti-catabolic and reduces protein degradation and stimulates cellular hydration – causing water retention within the muscle cells that translates into greater protein synthesis.

Early creatine researchers also knew the power of insulin, and in some of the first research published in the American Journal of Physiology, it was discovered that taking creatine along with a high dose of simple carbohydrates could trigger as much as 60% better creatine storage in the muscles2. Researchers reporting on their findings confirmed that insulin was the key to pushing more creatine through muscle cell membranes.

The purpose of insulin in the body is to regulate blood glucose levels. When an elevation of blood glucose occurs, the beta cells of the pancreas secrete insulin into the portal vein (the “spike”). Ultimately, insulin works by triggering the movement of nutrients from the blood to the cells – fortifying your muscles with the ingredients they need to grow while at the same time normalizing your blood glucose levels.