ALA results w/ Glucometer... The Real Test

[akrama]

Can of you brainers explain this one....

I am really puzzled over this. I have been really interested in assessing if ALA is what people have been describing it to be. I am especially interested in the ketosis factor by ALA's ability to clear the glucose from blood as the claims seem to be.

Therefore, I have bought a glucometer in order to monitor how effective ALA is at clearing blood sugar to get into ketosis faster.

This morning upon waking, I have measured my blood sugar and it read 80... Cool !!!!

I took creatine made by MetRx that has ALA mixed in already. My total sugar intake is 31g of simple sugars.

25 mins. later, I had an egg white omlet with 1tbs of flax. This should have no impact on blood sugar.

About an hour later I measure my bood sugar, it read 57 exactly. I got all excited.....But....

Immediately, I have injested 600mg of ALA with a lot of water and NO carbs what so ever.

An hour later. I measured my blood sugar. My glucometer read 88 exactly. What?????

I am really really puzzled here. I thought for sure the 600mg of ALA will drive me down even further than 57. Instead my blood sugar rose to 88. ????????

Can someone explain this one PLEASE.....

Regards,
Akram

 

[SirWanksalot]

No I can't explain it....

What i can explain is if you want to undertake a study on ALA's effects on blood sugar then you need to set up some criteria and follow it to the letter, then repeat criteria without ALA for placebo comparison.

Try this test

daily intake

2500 Kcals divided into 4 meals over a 16 hour waking period

each meal should contain 75 grams of carbs (300 carbs total)

Take 1 gram of ALA 15 minutes before each meal (4 grams total)

Check blood upon wakening and 90 minutes after each meal

Repeat process without ALA making sure to keep all other parameters the same (carbs and blood tests)
-----------
Please report your fndings - this will go a long way in helping people ascertain correct ala dose versus carb intake.

 

[BackDoc]

Can of you brainers explain this one....

I am really puzzled over this. I have been really interested in assessing if ALA is what people have been describing it to be. I am especially interested in the ketosis factor by ALA's ability to clear the glucose from blood as the claims seem to be.

Therefore, I have bought a glucometer in order to monitor how effective ALA is at clearing blood sugar to get into ketosis faster.

This morning upon waking, I have measured my blood sugar and it read 80... Cool !!!!

I took creatine made by MetRx that has ALA mixed in already. My total sugar intake is 31g of simple sugars.

25 mins. later, I had an egg white omlet with 1tbs of flax. This should have no impact on blood sugar.

About an hour later I measure my bood sugar, it read 57 exactly. I got all excited.....But....

Immediately, I have injested 600mg of ALA with a lot of water and NO carbs what so ever.

An hour later. I measured my blood sugar. My glucometer read 88 exactly. What?????

I am really really puzzled here. I thought for sure the 600mg of ALA will drive me down even further than 57. Instead my blood sugar rose to 88. ????????

Can someone explain this one PLEASE.....

Regards,
Akram

A couple of things:

1)this could be a situation of physiological response to insulin resistance, and is one reason why I believe true hypoglycemia is self-diagnosed prematurely and perhaps inaccurately by some people who go by symptoms alone. However, there IS an impact on blood sugar when it comes to fatty food ingestion. When a meal is high in fat, and the fat survives to the bloodstream, this can create a situation in which blood sugar can seem higher than normal due to blunted insulin response, in which case the sugar levels may go higher than expected. As suggested, you will want to experiment with different meal ratios to see the true effect of ALA. However, I seldom advise people to take ALA without any carbs.

2) keep in mind that your blood sugar levels are not the same throughout the day, it fluctuates according to your normal circadian rhythm, just like it does for all of us. Keeping a journal and developing a baseline will help you determine when your levels are either at their highest or lowest. This way a higher than normal reading will not be so worrisome hopefully in the overall continuum.

3) your baseline should be measured at various times of the day on days when you are not using ALA. Once you get a few readings, then you can move ahead and compare the results.

4) if you still see no change then you might consider purchasing another brand of ALA. Yes, this will mean added expense, but for the best effect it may be necessary.

Good luck.

 

[Flash_75]

I know why. Theres 2 types of ALA. the naturally occurring and synthetic. The synthetic is a good anti-oxidant and the natural is a good glucose disposal agent. most companies use a blend that is less than optimal for glucose disposal.

Your ALA is mostly synthetic.

 

[akrama]

ALA results w/ Glucometer continues...

Thank you all for sharing your information. You all have brought up points that make perfect sense.

SirWanksalot:
You're right and I guess as BackDoc has said also, I have not taken any readings of my blood sugar without the ALA in order to compare fairly. I should do so in order to generate a credible test study. I just can't do so for the next couple of weeks as I am preparing for a show and I don't want to start changing things too much. Can someone out there try these tests on themselves and share the results? I will soon.

BackDoc:
You have pointed out a very interesting point which skipped my thoughts. You're right. I have known that fats will slow down inulin release. But. That still doesn't explain why my readings have shown 57 after I had taken the 1tbs of flax oil....??? There are different processes in the body that I can't explain with my limited biology knowledge. "I'm a computer tech. guy." Again. I will run the test without ALA soon and make sure the factors are the same in order to make a valid assessment. You seem to have a lot of knowledge in the medical field. Please keep on helping me. I need your input on things. Thank you...

Flash_75:
Natural vs. synthetic ALA are news to me !! Well.. Where can I get the best natural ALA with the glucose disposal properties? What kind of ALA do you currently take? Also. Would the dosage be the same 3 to 4 grams?

For all the cool bodybuilders out there:
Let's get some experiments going with some real equipment such as the glucometer. I have done ketostix and was reading a trace but now after my new glucometer experience, I am doubting the ketostix accuracy.

I have thought that maybe ALA depleates the liver from glycogen so quickly that it starts going into ketosis by producing glucagon regardless of what the blood sugar level is ..... Then things go back to normal as the liver borrows glycogen back from the blood until the next ALA dose.....Hmm.... What do you think BackDoc????? How does this process work in the body??

Again... Thank you for your help..

Akram

 

[pact]

bump for what brands are natural and which one's synthetic?
thanks
pact

 

[BackDoc]

Re: ALA results w/ Glucometer continues...

BackDoc:You have pointed out a very interesting point which skipped my thoughts. You're right. I have known that fats will slow down inulin release. But. That still doesn't explain why my readings have shown 57 after I had taken the 1tbs of flax oil....??? There are different processes in the body that I can't explain with my limited biology knowledge. "I'm a computer tech. guy." Again. I will run the test without ALA soon and make sure the factors are the same in order to make a valid assessment. You seem to have a lot of knowledge in the medical field. Please keep on helping me. I need your input on things. Thank you...

The insulin sensitivity blunting would create slightly higher blood sugar readings. Insulin secretion would not be blunted, response and cellular uptake would be. This is likely to be only a slight delay.

I have thought that maybe ALA depleates the liver from glycogen so quickly that it starts going into ketosis by producing glucagon regardless of what the blood sugar level is ..... Then things go back to normal as the liver borrows glycogen back from the blood until the next ALA dose.....Hmm.... What do you think BackDoc????? How does this process work in the body??

Very well could be the case. However, if this was the rule then there would be less chance of coma in cases of insulin overdose. I think glucagon response time is much less rapid than insulin, which in some cases can be so fast that when sugary foods are put in the mouth insulin is already releasing. Glucagon is a feedback issue and may depend on insulin factors as well, although not completely, and in that case it is 2nd order responsive.

Regarding the issue of synthetics vs. natural, I think a bigger issue, which I touched on in my first reply is a higher quality ALA. I prefer the R- enantiomer variety, as opposed to the S and racemic groups. The R- isomers are more expensive, no doubt. I have only been able to find 2 companies in the U.S. that sell ONLY the R- version. I know there are more, but I just haven't looked too closely.

There has been comparison of ALA to some anabolic compound. While I have very little knowledge about anabolics, and have zero experience with them, I can agree that a good ALA can make for some good muscle gains and fat loss somewhat similar to creatine or better. I have used a few dud brands myself. I can attest that a good R-enantiomer ALA takes some getting used to: an equal dose of R- to an equal dose of S- is far from the same thing... the R- will hit you like a ton of bricks...so start off with a low dose with this version!

 

[akrama]

ALA results w/ Glucometer continues...

BackDoc...

You're full of knowledge. I'm glad to have run into you.

Well. Can you explain why bodybuilders are reporting a "Trace" off their ketostix? My ketostix have shown "Trace" also even though I know now that my blood sugar is not below 50.

Would you say that this is true ketosis? I think it's just an illusion and some other mechanics are taking place in the body that's causing these results. Bodybuilders on ALA have been reporting these results all over the place but without looking under the hood to examine why or how.

I have also noticed that after a good lifting session, I take my creatine "31g of simple sugar" that has ALA in it. Immediately my readings are very low in the upper 50's.

I am begining to think that ALA acts very swiftly in a short period of time. That's why it yields low reading results as opposed to taking it with complex carbs that are slow absorbing. What do you think about my theory? If that's the case, a time released ALA would be far effective with complex carbs and straight powdered ALA is ideal for simple sugars. What's your input?

Also... What impact does ALA have on the carbohydrate "Glycerine?"... "the non impact carb." How does Glycerine get shuttled into the muscle without insulin anyway???? Sorry... I have too many questions and no one around me to answer.. I thought you may know this one...

Finally.. I would really appreciate it if you share with me the name of the companies that sells the R- enantiomer version of ALA. Plus, wouldn't the dose be far less than 3-4 grams a day? I don't mind the expense as long as I am getting effective results and not wasting my money with cheap ineffective stuff.

Once more.. Thank you for your time.

[email protected]

 

[Flash_75]

I'm currently out of ALA. I'm waiting for the good stuff to come out. You'll be able to find it in a few weeks. It'll be from the same place you get NYC and Yohimburn.

 

[BackDoc]

Re: ALA results w/ Glucometer continues...

Can you explain why bodybuilders are reporting a "Trace" off their ketostix? My ketostix have shown "Trace" also even though I know now that my blood sugar is not below 50. Would you say that this is true ketosis? I think it's just an illusion and some other mechanics are taking place in the body that's causing these results. Bodybuilders on ALA have been reporting these results all over the place but without looking under the hood to examine why or how.

It will depend on several factors, one of which is product type. With a cheap ALA I stay in "trace" no matter how long or how much I take. With R-enantiomer I stay in moderate or large. This may also have to do with dietary intake of carbs, genetics, etc. Regarding ketosis and results, I do not think that ketosis and insulin activity are either mutally exclusive or completely dependant upon each other. For this reason, I feel a person can be in ketosis, and also have sufficient blood glucose levels. Strange as that may sound, I cannot find a reason why this is not at least plausible for some people. Supporting this is the fact that there is IMHO literally no safe (over the counter) way to deplete muscle and liver glycogen within a few hours without serious additional effects. That lipoic acid creates a condition of ketosis supports that this is perhaps an isolated response with an independant mechanism.

The benefit of taking ALA and measuring urinary ketones as well as blood glucose readings is that there is no real way to inexpensively measure the effects of ALA at home. Glucose readings and ketostix suggest a positive effect that will support the need to take ALA. Neither of the two methods are without flaws. However, when you can take two separate methods and determine that a similar overall goal can be achieved with either of these two results then you are supporting the conclusion that the ALA is having a positive overall effect. The benefit is more financial than practical: taking something for a long time is a blind trust with an unseen goal to be expected. However if it does not happen then all you get is broke and angry. With ketostix and/or glucose measurements you can determine if it working well enough to support additional investment for ALA with less risk. While neither of these tests independantly verifies the ALA is absolutely working it does lend some support to the claim.

I have also noticed that after a good lifting session, I take my creatine "31g of simple sugar" that has ALA in it. Immediately my readings are very low in the upper 50's.

Your muscles are going to be carb depleted after a workout normally. Their need for replenishing carbs is strong enough to temporarily lower blood sugar without addition of ALA...although I prefer ALA post workout because there is normally only so much glucose the muscle tissue can store before it elevates blood sugar. Taking ALA helps increase the amount of glucose entering into muscle cells. Even a small percent would be beneficial.

I am begining to think that ALA acts very swiftly in a short period of time. That's why it yields low reading results as opposed to taking it with complex carbs that are slow absorbing. What do you think about my theory? If that's the case, a time released ALA would be far effective with complex carbs and straight powdered ALA is ideal for simple sugars. What's your input?

I think it's a very good theory. Yes, a time-released ALA might be of some benefit for those not on low carb diets.

Also... What impact does ALA have on the carbohydrate "Glycerine?"... "the non impact carb." How does Glycerine get shuttled into the muscle without insulin anyway???? Sorry... I have too many questions and no one around me to answer.. I thought you may know this one...

Sorry, I can't really help with that as I don't know about ALA and glycerine taken together.

Finally.. I would really appreciate it if you share with me the name of the companies that sells the R- enantiomer version of ALA. Plus, wouldn't the dose be far less than 3-4 grams a day? I don't mind the expense as long as I am getting effective results and not wasting my money with cheap ineffective stuff.

Jarrow, Thorne and Pure Encapsulations. Jarrow is the only one of these companies that sells to non-physicians, although you can find the others on occasion through MLM. Jarrow makes fine products and I would search online to find the best price. Interestingly, Jarrow also makes a time-release ALA.

Yes, a lower dose is going to be the case with the R-enantiomer...especially in the beginning you will need to use a low dose.

Take care