How Sugar Hormones Open Tiny Blood Vessels
GLP-1 and Insulin Recruit Muscle Microvasculature and Dilate Conduit Artery Individually But Not Additively in Healthy Humans
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
GLP-1 and insulin do not have additive effects on muscle blood flow or artery dilation, even though they use different signaling pathways.
Scientists expected complementary mechanisms (NO via PKA for GLP-1, PI3K/Akt for insulin) to stack up—but instead, they seem to max out the same endpoint.
Practical Takeaways
Using GLP-1 medications may help improve nutrient delivery to muscles, potentially aiding metabolic health and exercise recovery.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
GLP-1 and insulin do not have additive effects on muscle blood flow or artery dilation, even though they use different signaling pathways.
Scientists expected complementary mechanisms (NO via PKA for GLP-1, PI3K/Akt for insulin) to stack up—but instead, they seem to max out the same endpoint.
Practical Takeaways
Using GLP-1 medications may help improve nutrient delivery to muscles, potentially aiding metabolic health and exercise recovery.
Publication
Journal
Journal of the Endocrine Society
Year
2018
Authors
Alvin W.K. Tan, S. Subaran, Matthew A Sauder, W. Chai, L. Jahn, D. Fowler, J. Patrie, K. Aylor, A. Basu, Zhenqi Liu
Related Content
Claims (6)
Insulin helps your muscles take in more creatine by making blood flow better and boosting a pump-like system in muscle cells, which helps bring in more nutrients.
When healthy adults get a specific dose of a hormone called GLP-1 through an IV, it quickly boosts blood flow in the small vessels of their heart and muscles, helping deliver more nutrients and hormones where they're needed.
When healthy adults get a controlled dose of insulin for two hours, it boosts blood flow and blood volume in their heart and muscle tissues, helping more nutrients move between blood and muscles.
When healthy adults get both GLP-1 and insulin at the same time, it doesn’t boost blood flow to their heart or muscles any more than using just one of the hormones alone.
Giving healthy adults normal levels of certain hormones like GLP-1 and insulin — either alone or together — doesn't change how stiff their main artery is over about two and a half hours.