Written by DR. GEORGE TOULIATOS, MD
09 July 2020

 satiety and hunger

 

 

 

Ask Dr. Testosterone
By George Touliatos, MD

 

Satiety and Hunger

 

Hunger is a feeling based on different reasons:

 

1) Stomach fullness, leading to a feeling of satiety. This is mainly achieved by consuming fibrous carbohydrates, such as salads and vegetables. Fiber is capable of binding water, thus preventing the feeling of emptiness.

 

2) Serum glucose (blood sugar levels). This is directly related to insulin levels, released by pancreas. Insulin sensitivity improves the entrance of glucose into cells. In this way, energy production is ensured. Unlike insulin resistance where glucose doesn’t enter cells, thus floating into circulation. As a result, this triggers the pancreas for insulin release, leading to hypoglycemia and fatigue, as well as hunger.

 

In order to keep a steady blood sugar levels, we have to consume fiber, EFAs and lean animal protein. Chromium picolinate can help to stabilize serum glucose levels. On the other hand, we must avoid hyperglycemic carbs and refined sugars, leading to insulin spike and insulin resistance respectively.

 

 

Trans fat also increases insulin resistance by increasing visceral-splanchnic – omental fat. However, the best way to ensure a steady serum glucose level and avoid hunger and cravings is consuming frequent meals composed of basic macronutrients: protein, carbs, fat and fiber.

 

Fasting over four hours will kick in gluconeogenesis, leading to breakdown of contractile muscle from cortisol (hunger is a physical and mental form of stress). Cortisol in the short term is a fat-burning hormone, but when chronic cortisolemia appears, the splanchnic fat accumulation occurs, leading to insulin resistance. Repeated gluconeogenesis will kick insulin release from the pancreas, since glucose production by amino acids has to be balanced by the pancreas.

 

We therefore realize that prolonged fasting may not be a good idea, leading to insulin resistance and increase in the midsection, while breaking down muscle tissue from limbs. This look resembles the classic Cushing syndrome, based on cortisol release from adrenals.

 

We have to understand that eating after several hours of fasting will lead to an insulin spike and lipogenesis (fat storage by LPL enzyme). These fluctuations in blood sugar levels (prior and post-meal) are certainly not healthy for serum glucose homeostasis.new book image

 

Intermittent fasting(IF) may improve insulin sensitivity, as long there isn’t a caloric surplus and poor quality of calories. The bottom line is that it’s not just about the calculation of calories, when our primary goal is body composition (muscles versus fat). Bodyweight and the scale tell half of the truth, while the mirror reflects on reality, as well with midsection measuring (fat stores).

 

Ketogenic diets (KDs) and ketosomes are suppressing hunger and provide satiety. By burning visceral fat, we also improve insulin sensitivity and avoid cravings based on hypoglycemia.

 

Protein diets increase leptin, the satiety anorexic hormone secreted by adipose tissue. In general, leptin is released after a meal, while its concentration is increased a few hours after a meal. Thus, the organism has a homeostatic mechanism by which it regulates feelings of hunger and satiety.

 

After each meal, insulin concentration rises. Basically, carbs provide the feeling of satiety, but this takes place in the short term, through hyperglycemia. Soon after, based on glycemic index (GI) and insulin spike, hypoglycemia or crush of blood sugar levels will occur. We all remember our parents’ advice: “Don’t eat that cookie before lunchtime.” It was an anecdotal advice that eating something rich in glycemic load will stop appetite, at least in the short term – because half an hour later, we'll feel drained and hungrier than before. This is how important is GI and glycemic load factors are for optimizing insulin, glucose and appetite as a result.

 

On the contrary, a protein-rich diet will provide the feeling of satiety. This is not only due to the leptin-protein correlation, but also the fact animal protein is hardly digested. Thus it remains in GIT for several hours, depending on fat content (red meat versus fish).

 

Another reason is that protein doesn’t have such a great impact on the pancreas, based on the fact that animal protein is zero in carbs but also contains fat, known to lower insulin. During a fasting period, insulin (responsible for fat storage) is low, while glucagon (fat-burning hormone) is high. Moreover, somatropin also elevates, responsible for the beta oxidation of adipose tissue. However, the concentration of the hunger hormone ghrelin is also high. Ghrelin is released by the fundus of stomach and actually it is known that ghrelin is related to growth hormone.

 

As a matter of fact, certain secretagogues of GHRH (GH boosters, in other words) are ghrelin’s analogues. This explains the fact that they directly stimulate appetite and hunger. Examples are sermorelin, MK-677, GHRP-6 and GHRP-2.

 

Under viral infections, our appetite drops to zero levels. This is based on the fact that inflammatory cytokines, such as prostaglandins, elevate leptin’s concentration.

 

Another important fact is that the higher levels of adipose tissue, the more leptin there should be. But obese people who already develop insulin resistance (by omental, or visceral fat) also develop resistance to leptin. Therefore, their satiety-hunger mechanism is messed-up.

 

Several bodybuilders that are hard gainers face issues with their appetite, and aren’t big eaters. As is well known, a major factor for muscle growth is caloric load. This situation is really nerve-racking and may lead to plateau. As four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler told us in a seminar, held in Greece (2016): “My biggest concern while I was an Olympian athlete was to constantly eat every one or two hours, day in and day out.”

 

Eating constantly in bodybuilding may be not pleasant, especially when you don’t feel hungry. Bodybuilders try to increase their appetite by using digestive enzymes and try to blend their food into liquid form.

 

George Touliatos, MD is an author, lecturer, champion competitive bodybuilder and expert in medical prevention regarding PED use in sports. Dr. Touliatos specializes in medical biopathology and is the medical associate of Orthobiotiki.gr and Medihall.gr, Age Management and Preventive Clinics in Athens, Greece. Heis the author of four Greek books on bodybuilding, has extensively developed articles for www.anabolic.org and is the medical associate for the book Anabolics, 11th Edition (2017). Dr. Touliatos has been a columnist for the Greek editions of MuscleMag and Muscular Development magazines, and has participated in several seminars across Greece and Cyprus, making numerous TV and radio appearances, doing interviews in print and online. His personal website is https://gtoul.com/

 

 

 

 

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