Possible To Add Muscle Avoiding Starch?

Spartan300

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Has anyone successfully managed to add muscle using weight training whilst avoiding starch?

If so please post any tips, meal plans if possible.

Tia..
 

Hans

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Hey @Sergio. The body wants carbs in general, so I don't think it would matter if it's from fruit, starches, milk, etc. Fruit contain more water and don't give the same warming effect that starches do. Fruit replenish liver glycogen better than starches whereas glucose replenish muscle glycogen better than fructose. However, both would be equally effective at replenishing liver and muscle glycogen stores, but just not at the same rate. However, I'm sure the body can adapt over time and speed things up either way.
Milk is pretty anabolic, but hypothyroid people might struggle with large amounts of milk. Would you be able to drink lots of milk? Sugar can be added to the milk to increase the carbs. Cocoa can also be added to increase nutrients and it also contains epicatechin that inhibits myostatin. Maybe you can swallow half a teaspoon of salt with every 500ml of milk to compensate for the increase in fluid and counter the negatives.

I personally have not gone starch free yet, but plan on doing so in the future.
Why would starches be superior for building muscles? Just because it contains more glucose and spikes insulin more, which would be more anabolic?
Fruit also increase insulin, and I think if you consume a certain amount of carbs, be it from fruits or starches, the anabolic response will be the same.
I also think you might just have to eat more fruit than starches for energy purposes, because fructose is burned a bit faster than glucose.

So maybe the most viable could be lots of milk with cocoa and honey/sugar and a bit of salt before drinking the milk.
 
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Spartan300

Spartan300

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Thanks Salmonamb, my curiosity here stems from what I've been reading about starches being estrogenic.

As we've discussed I want to restore my general health & metabolism so that I can resume a reasonably challenging weight training routine to recapture muscle I've lost over the last few years.

This and what I've just read in your reply to the 'getting ripped' thread seem to make sense. Large quantities of milk can be troublesome for me but I'm using lactose free milk which helps.

My waking temps are much lower than they should be: 96.44 - 97.1 and I've always had trouble with cold hands/Raynaud's.
The starches I generally consume are potatoes & white rice & I find it hard to get enough calories in with fruit.

I've had a number of blood tests done over the last couple of years & I should get access to the results sometime this week which may help. It may pay me to start a dedicated thread on where I am & how I got here & seek guidance there.

I believe that most of my issues are stress related & associated insommnia if that provides any help.
 

Hans

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Fruit and vegetables contain some phytoestrogens. Milk also contains estrogen. So I would not be worried about the estrogens in them, but rather endotoxins and starch particle absorption. I'm not saying all estrogenic phytochemicals are not a problem, but things like yams, potatos, rice have very negligible amounts.

Blood tests are good and I think it would be a good idea to start a new thread on that yes.
 

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