Diabetes Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding is one of the methods that I had adopted to fight diabetes. I would very strongly say that I am very much successful in doing it. I have earlier wrote about fighting diabetes by bodybuilding and covered a bit on supplements. Diabetes and bodybuilding supplements are confusing for many, so I thought about sharing my 3 years of experience dealing with Diabetes, Supplements and Bodybuilding

Diabetes and Bodybuilding Supplements

There are lots of confusion and lack of proper knowledge about the bodybuilding supplements that are available in the market. I have done a lot of research, evaluation for the past 3 years now. I would very strongly say that every person working out and doing weight training for bodybuilding should have additional supplements along with high protein, low carb, fibrous diet.

Some Common Questions related to Diabetic Person using supplements for bodybuilding

Can bodybuilding supplements cause diabetes?

If supplements are taken under the guidance of a professional trainer / doctor / dietician, there should be no problem. And moreover, most of the supplements are sugar-free and safe. So the answer to the question is a big NO.

Can products line creatine be used by diabetes? Can it cause problems to kidney?

Is creatine safe for Diabetes?

Research by Gualano in 2010 studied a man with one functioning kidney who consumed more than 20g creatine monohydrate per day. His remaining kidney failed to show any signs of damage ³.

Two groups, one consuming a placebo and one consuming 5g of creatine/day, both took part in a mixed exercise plan of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Those who were consuming creatine found a significant reduction in HbA1C compared to the placebo group within a period of 12 weeks. Source

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What are the supplements that are safe for diabetic person to take for body building?

Now these supplements are applicable if you are working out at least 4-5 days a week. Always take advice of your doctor and get training under supervision of a trainer. I have used all the below listed diabetes and bodybuilding supplements as per my Doctor’s advice. Also I do my regular blood tests to check if everything is going fine with me. All these are diabetic friendly bodybuilding supplements.

Whey Protein – safe supplement for diabetic bodybuilding

Whey protein is a very important diabetic friendly supplement which every diabetic bodybuilding person should take. In fact Whey Proteins in low dosage is very good for people who are diabetic even if they are not working out.

I have a scoop of Whey Protein every morning and night.

Reference to Whey protein Diabetes supplement

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Creatine – Good and safe supplement for bodybuilding diabetic

Creatine is another supplement which is proved to have good effect for type 2 diabetes.

Increased muscle mass and frequent muscle contraction in people without diabetes is known to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake into cells.

Creatine has the ability to improve glycemic control, based on its ability to increase training performance. Source

Glutamine – Good diabetes and bodybuilding supplements

Glutamine is a very important supplement for bodybuilding. Glutamine helps in build proteins and an important source of fuel to cells in intestine and immune system.

L-glutamine also helps regulate the release of hormones that control glucose metabolism, an important consideration for diabetics. Under normal circumstances, your body can synthesize enough L-glutamine to meet your needs, but illness, injury and prolonged stress can lower your L-glutamine levels and increase your requirements. – Source

Potential Benefits of Glutamine Supplementation for Type 2 Diabetes. An addition of the amino acid glutamine to the diet may help with weight loss and diabetes management – Source

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BCAA – Branch Chain Amino Acids – Another Safe supplement for Diabetic Bodybuilding

BCAA is again considered to diabetic friendly supplement. BCAA increase the rate of protein synthesis and reduce the amount of protein breakdown. BCAA supplements can help reduce tiredness which is very much significant to power your workouts. Further BCAA also has shown reduction on muscle sourness.

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Source

Beta Alanine – Treatment for diabetes and powerful supplement for bodybuilding

Beta Alanine has proved to be a treatment for type 2 diabetes other than increasing the exercise capacity by 20%.

What exactly is Beta Alanine?

Beta-Alanine is naturally occurring beta amino acid and is thereby classed as a non-essential amino acid. Commonly found in beef, pork, chicken and fish it is predominately used by athletes to improve their exercise capacity. – Source

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Final thoughts on safe diabetes and bodybuilding supplements

I have used all the above supplements, in fact I have been using these safely for years now with breaks periodically for different reasons. I have not found any side effects. I buy all these products from Amazon.

For the start, Whey Protein is the best. How much Whey Protein should you have? I suggest starting with 1 scoop and then increasing it to two scoops. Usually 1 scoop would give you 20-24 grams of protein depending upon the brand you use. MuscleBlaze is really good, it’s a Indian Brand with good quality and low price. For a person who is working out should have at least 1-2 gms of protein per kg of body weight. You will also be getting protein from other food that you eat.

Second would be Creatine which will improve your strength. Creatine is found in our daily food like red meat but in very low quantity. 5 gms of Creatine per day is good. When you have Creatine, you should drink a lot of water.

I would be happy to answer any questions related to these supplements. I highly recommend anybody who wants to take supplements should consult their doctor before starting.

Further Reading – My Transformation – From 63kg to 72kg