You can read about it on any number of legitimate web sites by just doing a search with the keywords "glycogen depletion insulin sensitivity." One good book is Body By Science, written by Doug McGuff, a lifetime HIT fitness enthusiast and ER doctor. His book gets into the science of it fairly extensively for a lay reader, and covers insulin sensitivity quite nicely starting on page 102.
I think your problem is that whilst you have a lot of muscle, you have a lot of fat as well. Can you see your abs?
Can see the upper abs but with poor definition. Always had small pecs but chest is still (well ?) beyond belly level. Probably 3+ inches wider at the waist than in my twenties. I don t mind this kind of look in even bigger, but yes the extra fat can t help sleep apnea. Still extra weight lean or not seems to make the issue worse, and it s a tough battle to add on significant lean muscle. Managed to find a clinic where they do overnight sleep.analysis around here, i ll sure go for a breathing mask.at night if advisable. That condition seems quite bad in the long term.
I would say to you to lean out more i.e. lose more fat. Don't lose the muscle. It might/might not help the sleep problem but you'll be more healthier.
The one thing I worry about is the effects on blood pressure of lifting what is even in the 8-10 rep set range. I have to start measuring mine during and hours post workout. My BP is 120/80 at rest without meds, but intuition tells me to watch out for this. I would think, but wouldn't know, this is why a good , older runner with excellent cardio , who does not lift weights goes out and shovels heavy weight snow and collapses. I would prefer not to back off workouts more than I already have but.... Anyone with experience and knowlege , specifically about risks of spiking BP during workouts in an older lifter? 60. Talking about deadlifts, squats, bent over barbell rows here...no fufu.
Just referring to genetic potential. . Sub 15% body fat, ripped like Jesus. Takes a toll to reach that level.
@Here4money I don't think that reaching sub 15% body fat takes a toll to reach. Just some determination and patience. Congrats on reaching 2,500 posts.
Body fat is more a function of diet than exercise. Exercise helps, especially the kind that builds muscle, but diet is key. ("You can't outrun a bad diet.") Most people with any reasonable muscle mass would look more "ripped" if they just stayed away from pastry shops and other sources of refined carbs, and didn't overeat. (And there's a difference of hundreds of calories between eating until you're no longer hungry and eating until you're full.) I'm 59 and my body fat was measured at less than 15% in August. But, sadly, it is now in the double digits.
In the book Body By Science, the author, an MD, wrote that weight training is generally safer and better for the heart than conventional "cardio" because of Starling's law of the heart and venous return. Simply stated, and if I understand it correctly, training with weights (resistance training) helps the muscles pump back blood to the heart which it needs to pump out because of increased demands placed on it. "Cardio," on the other hand, does not work the muscles in a manner that produces as much venous return. It is the disparity in venous return during conventional cardio that makes it potentially more risky than resistance training. Two things to keep in mind, though. First, be sure to periodically get your doctor's okay to train vigorously. Second, be sure to breathe (exhale) while exerting. Although any form or intense training will briefly increase your blood pressure, holding your breath while exerting (valsalva maneuver) can unnecessarily raise your blood pressure even higher and potentially to dangerous levels.
I was going to like your post. Until I read the very last sentence. Giving a like to that would send the wrong message.