DJ Delorie wrote:
I'm adding this to my web site for future reference:
http://www.delorie.com/health/muscle-glycogen.html

"Jim Bard" writes:

What is 'muscle glycogen'?


Glycogen stored in muscle. For LCers, this is "good" glycogen,
compared to liver glycogen which effects hormone levels relating to
ketosis and fat metabolism.


How is it different from glycogen in general?


It's not. It's the same type of glycogen as liver glycogen, for
example, just stored in muscles. Once in the muscle, though, it can
only be used for muscle activity, unlike livery glycogen which can be
released back into the bloodstream for use elsewhere.

The term "partitioning" is common among body builders, it means
deciding where nutrients go inside the body. Mostly, it's genetic - a
certain percent goes to muscle, a certain percent goes to fat stores,
a certain percent goes to metabolism, etc. Changing partitioning is a
common pursuit, using techniques ranging from exercise and diet to
prescription performance drugs.


Why would muscles be more sensitive to insulin than the rest of your
body?


Mostly that's genetic - each component of your body (it even varies
between muscles) has a certain sensitivity threshold. Most of the
effort "we" put into insulin sensitivity is to move the balance point
as much as we can towards muscle and away from fat.

There are a few factors that can influence partitioning by changing
insulin sensitivity for muscles, fat, and liver in different
(i.e. unequal) ways. Just the fact that muscle glycogen stores are
low will make muscles more insulin sensitive. That's why long-term
LCers will "bloat" by many pounds if they eat carbs - most of it goes
to muscle stores, and the water required to store it can add 5-10 lbs
very quickly. Liver storage alone can only account for about 1 lb.

Exercise can also make muscles more sensitive, both by depleting
glycogen stores even more, and by enzyme changes due to the exercise
itself causing cell stress (i.e. strength training does this more than
cardio).

Fish oil is a common dietary aid that increases muscle sensitivity and
reduces fat cell sensitivity. Various performance drugs also do this,
but with much more "interesting" side effects.

So, in a cyclic diet, you commonly two two phases: First, you LC and
low calorie diet, while doing high-rep medium-weight workouts to fully
deplete muscle glycogen, and stay there for a few days to really boost
insulin sensitivity. Then, one more workout to get the enzymes going
so muscles are REALLY sensitive and the liver is way into ketosis,
then WHAM eat a big load of carbs and the muscles just suck them up so
fast the liver and fat cells don't have time to react.

For more information, google for "CKD", "bodyopus", or "UD2", or see
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/ for the "The Ketogenic Diet" and
"Ultimate Diet 2.0" books.
Isn't this the same as a bodybuilders 'carb loading' phase but instead
of taking twelve weeks you LC aprox. 5-6 days then carb load for 48 hours?