S1E2 What is glucagon?
Welcome back! It seems that most people haven’t heard nearly as much about glucagon as they have regarding insulin, including myself. For this week, here is a short introduction to glucagon and its role in mai training blood sugar.
Glucagon is a hormone produced by the alpha cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. ⚛️
Its role is to raise blood glucose levels, (especially during intense exercise and hypoglycaemia bracket low blood sugar levels) - it acts as a counter regulatory insulin, which lowers blood glucose. When the blood glucose levels drop, glucagon is released into the bloodstream ad primarily targets the liver to restore normal glucose levels through several processes:
1. Glycogenolysis – stimulates the breakdown of glycogen into glucose, which is then released into the bloodstream. This occurs in the skeletal muscles and liver.
2. Inhibition of glycogenesis – prevents the liver from storing glucose as glycogen, ensuring most glucose remains available in the blood.
3. Promotes glycogenesis – stimulates the liver to make new glucose from amino acids and glycerol
Insulin and glucagon are seen as the opposites of each other but both are vital for maintaining blood sugar levels.
Glucagon can be taken in through an injection 💉 or nasal spray, diabetes can also relate to the body not being able to produce enough glucagon, alongside insulin, and therefore low blood glucose levels are common on T1 diabetics. This is why many T1 diabetics may carry around glucagon injections or even apple juice, to boost their glucose levels in an emergency. 🚨
An interesting book that I am currently reading regarding living with type 1 diabetes is by comedian and podcaster Ed Gamble, who discuses living with diabetes in a comical yet sincere way:
You can find it here 👇