Diabetics basically have a disease that is catabolic, which means they are breaking down tissue more than they are regrowing or repairing it.  Thus fat, muscle, organs, and other tissue are breaking down in diabetes and not being rebuilt fast enough to keep up with the catabolic processes.  Exercise can be anabolic.  Anabolic processes stimulate growth.  Therefore anabolic processes can counteract catabolic processes.  Some supplements for diabetics can be anti-catabolic or anabolic or both. 

One supplement that is both anti-catabolic and anabolic is ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate, also named OKG.  It has many benefits that can be anabolic or anti-catabolic.  (1) Ammonia is a byproduct of exercise.  OKG is an ammonia scavenger.  The reduction of ammonia burden is beneficial to the body (2).  OKG can also stimulate growth hormone (an anabolic hormone) (3).  OKG also increases the muscle glutamine pool.  Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in the muscle, and great amounts of it are lost during exercise.  It needs to be replaced or this can become catabolic.  OKG can be used to make glutamine (4).  OKG can also increase insulin secretion, meaning it helps to mediate insulin in getting into the muscle cells, which increases insulin sensitivity (5).  (Optimal Sports Nutrition, Dr. Michael Colgan.)  Thus OKG has many benefits to muscles and the body.  It can enhance anabolic effects

Dr. Bob was a MD internal medicine, orthomolecular doctor, MD psychiatrist, chiropractor, and healer 65 years.  He was a diabetic who lived to 108 years with only 1 side effect 2 years before he passed away

Dr. Bob advised, OKG can be taken in the morning.  He recommended a dose of 1 and 1/2 grams in the morning for diabetics. He said OKG can be beneficial to aid diabetics during exercise. 

Diabetics can consider CoQ10 to increase energy.  Increasing energy will improve workouts.  The dose Dr. Bob advised for diabetics without heart problems, was 60 mg for women and 100 mg for men.  For heart patients he recommended higher doses and this should be in consultation with your doctor. 

Creatine monohydrate is another supplement that increases energy at the cell level, increasing your overall energy.  Providing more energy at your workout will increase the ability to work harder, thereby increasing the benefit of the workout.  You should take creatine supplementation on an empty stomach about 1/2 hour before you workout.  Also it is advised not to drink acidic juices with it.  Creatine should also be cycled.  Dr. Bob advised 6 weeks on it and then break 2 weeks and then continue this cycle. 

Another supplement diabetics should consider is HMB.  HMB has been shown to decrease the amount of breakdown of protein in the body.  Muscles are made of protein, so slowing down the muscle breakdown after a workout will end up putting on more muscle.  Dr. Bob advised 2-3 grams a day, broken up into twice a day.  The first dose he recommended is 1/2 hour after a workout.   It is more effective if protein is eaten along with the HMB.  The second half of the dose he recommended anytime after the workout, and include protein along with the HMB. 

Dr. Bob advised protein shakes as a way to supplement protein for diabetics.  Adequate protein consumption is necessary to maintain anabolic processes, especially in putting on new muscle from workouts.  Diabetics have a difficult time eating enough protein to prevent catabolic processes from gaining control of the body.  “The capacity of muscles to degrade branched chain amino acids (amino acids found abundantly in muscle tissue), increases three-to-five fold during fasting and in diabetes.  (Ref. Robert K. Murray, MD, Ph.D., Daryl K. Granmer, MD, Peter A. Mayes, Ph.D., D.Sc., Victor W. Fodwell, Ph.D., Harper’s Biochemistry, 25^th Edition, Appleton & Lance, Stanford, Connecticut, 2000, Page 73.)”  This is an example of the catabolic processes of diabetes.  Muscle tissue breaks down in a diabetic 3 to 5 times more than a non-diabetic. 

Dr. Bob recommended a protein shake 1 to 3 hours after a workout, containing whey and soy powder.  Dr. Bob advised a ratio of 2:1, whey and soy when combined. The whey-soy protein shake supplies protein to build tissue in the body.  Eating meat protein can be a problem for diabetics, because they are susceptible to protein leaking in the bloodstream and becoming toxic to the kidneys, to the brain, to the heart, to the eyes and so on.  Whey and soy protein supplements are easy on the digestion and usually do not lead to the problems of toxic protein levels in the bloodstream.  Consult with your nutritional specialist on supplementation for exercise

In conclusion, the supplements mentioned in this article can benefit anabolic processes or slow down or stop catabolic processes.  This will result in a faster increase of muscle tissue and other protein structures in the body.  This can benefit a diabetic, especially to help keep pace with the catabolic processes of diabetes.    

Supplements for exercise and diabetics: 

1.      1 and ˝ grams of OKG, in the morning.

2.      60 mg CoQ10 for women and 100 mg for men daily.

3.      HMB 1-1 ˝ grams, twice a day.  First time ˝ hour after exercise and a second time at a meal with protein, anytime after the workout.

4.      Creatine monohydrate ˝ hour before workout, on an empty stomach.

5.      2 parts ion-exchanged whey protein concentrate and 1 part soy powder, mixed together as a shake, 1 to 3 hours after a workout

Note – The supplement OKG results in the production of arginine.  If you are susceptible to herpes, arginine can aggravate and possibly results in herpes.  When you suffer from herpes, consult with your doctor before using supplements OKG or arginine

OKG (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5): Dr. Michael Colgan, Optimum Sports Nutrition, New York: Advanced Research Press 1993. 

Note – In order for these anti-aging ideas to be successful, you must use supplements of the highest quality. Dr. Bob often said, "almost all supplement companies produce poor quality." You can consider the product page of this web site. Almost all the products met Dr. Bob’s approval. Since he passed away we have attempted to keep the same high standards.

WARNING:  DO NOT STOP ANY TREATMENT OR MEDICATION YOU CURRENTLY USE.  CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING THE USE OF SUPPLEMENTS. 

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Page Last Modified: 04FEB02