Insulin Resistance and Bulking

[Gain6]

CLIFFS: Could a very high carb bulk increase insulin resistance if you lift and are active?
My approximate macros are: 440C 89F 160P Calories: 3200 Current BW: 160lbs.

I've been lean bulking (+250cals/day) for about 7 months so far and started at 141lbs I'm planning to bulk/maintain until I'm old enough for cutting to be "safe" (18yrs old)

I'm curious about a possible link between high carb bulking and increased insulin resistance.

A potential cause of increased insulin resistance is having a high-calorie diet, high-carbohydrate or high-sugar diet chronically. A long term, high carb bulk seems to fit this exactly since you are in a constant surplus (hypercaloric) and have a high carb intake. However a sedentary lifestyle is another factor so lifting and doing cardio regularly must offset the risk but surely if you neglect cardio like some choose to (neither wrong or right) that increases the effect on IR if you maintain a relatively high carb intake.

I eat about 2.7-3g/lbs BW of carbs a day and often get under the fat and protein numbers I put above but always stay above the minimums for optimal fat and protein e.g. today: 474C 74F 130P But I do have a somewhat active lifestyle (lift 3x a week full body, high intensity sports training 2x a week and I've thrown in LISS cycling 2+ times a week and I'll play basket/football everyday at school) I want to be more athletic while getting big and strong so I think I need a lot of carbs to fuel that.

Pretty much my whole extended family is overweight or very overweight and I used to be quite fat myself when I was 13 and under so there seems to maybe be a genetic predisposition to being heavy as well (another potential factor).

source: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/insulin-resistance.html

DISCLAIMER: I've not the classic OCD under-eating teen I'm just really interested in learning about stuff like this and I don't stress much about my diet and follow the general guidelines on this board. I appreciate any input

[DanielMera]

If you are 15 years old, I would advise you to not count macronutrients and calories. If I was in your place, I would just make sure to eat plenty of vegetables and some fruit with every meal. Get the vast majority of your food intake from whole unprocessed aliments, but also leave place for eating some treats here and there (I.e.: If after eating your meal you want to eat some icecream, go for it!).
As for your question about insulin resistance, most of the scientific literature I recall reading used untrained sedentary people as subjects of study (so any conclusion would be for the most part irrelevant to an athlete or a very active person who exercise regulary, without mentioning you are very young and still growing and developing).
In conclusion, moderation is the key. Just keep in mind you are young and need a lot more calories than your older and sedentary family members. There is not such a thing as "genetic predisposition to being obese", it is just a matter of living an active life and eat an adequate intake of energy (calories) to balance out the amount you burn through the day. If, for instance, your family member eat a lot of calorie dense foods and live a very sedentary life, it would be very easy to overeat, which leads to weight gain.
If you have any more question, do not hesitate to ask me.
P.S: I take no offense if someone corrects any grammar mistake I would have made. It has been a while since the last time I wrote in english.

[AdamWW]

thats not that many carbs

[Gain6]

If you are 15 years old, I would advise you to not count macronutrients and calories. If I was in your place, I would just make sure to eat plenty of vegetables and some fruit with every meal. Get the vast majority of your food intake from whole unprocessed aliments, but also leave place for eating some treats here and there (I.e.: If after eating your meal you want to eat some icecream, go for it!).
As for your question about insulin resistance, most of the scientific literature I recall reading used untrained sedentary people as subjects of study (so any conclusion would be for the most part irrelevant to an athlete or a very active person who exercise regulary, without mentioning you are very young and still growing and developing).
In conclusion, moderation is the key. Just keep in mind you are young and need a lot more calories than your older and sedentary family members. There is not such a thing as "genetic predisposition to being obese", it is just a matter of living an active life and eat an adequate intake of energy (calories) to balance out the amount you burn through the day. If, for instance, your family member eat a lot of calorie dense foods and live a very sedentary life, it would be very easy to overeat, which leads to weight gain.
If you have any more question, do not hesitate to ask me.
P.S: I take no offense if someone corrects any grammar mistake I would have made. It has been a while since the last time I wrote in english.

Thank you for the advice. I only track calories not macros myfitnesspal calculates those for me. I only track calories so I know I'm eating enough to support my goals I've gained 20lbs while staying fairly lean and I look like a completely different person so it seems to be working plus it only takes 5 minutes a day.

My family already think I'm selfish because I eat lots of lower calorie, unprocessed food like oats, rice,eggs, veg etc instead of the frozen pizzas, chips, chicken nuggets etc. that they eat and we're somewhat "poor" so I can barely afford my gym membership let alone extra money for food (I use the £5 a week from my dad for my school food to buy eggs, chicken etc.) I can't wait til I can get a job...

Tracking is the only way I can justify how much I eat to them because I only eat as much as I need to grow and considering I gave up so much to keep lifting (literally all my money) and I take it seriously and research a lot of literature on it just for fun it seems unwise to me to gamble with my calories which are the most important factor for gaining/losing weight. I literally have 45 eggs stocked up in my cupboard because that is the cheapest source of protein I can find but you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

And there are more than 400 different genes that have been implicated in the development of overweight or obesity, with differing significance.

[Gain6]

thats not that many carbs

You're right, some guys on here eat 4,000cals just to maintain, tbh I think this was a useless thread. As long as I stay active and use the carbs it's not an issue.

[Mrpb]

Loled at a 15 year old worrying about insulin resistance.

Make sure you eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and fiber (>38 gram per day). Make sure to eat at least 0.4 gram fat per lb every day.

As a lean 15 year old active kid you will not have to worry about IR.

[DanielMera]

Thank you for the advice. I only track calories not macros myfitnesspal calculates those for me. I only track calories so I know I'm eating enough to support my goals I've gained 20lbs while staying fairly lean and I look like a completely different person so it seems to be working plus it only takes 5 minutes a day.

My family already think I'm selfish because I eat lots of lower calorie, unprocessed food like oats, rice,eggs, veg etc instead of the frozen pizzas, chips, chicken nuggets etc. that they eat and we're somewhat "poor" so I can barely afford my gym membership let alone extra money for food (I use the £5 a week from my dad for my school food to buy eggs, chicken etc.) I can't wait til I can get a job...

Tracking is the only way I can justify how much I eat to them because I only eat as much as I need to grow and considering I gave up so much to keep lifting (literally all my money) and I take it seriously and research a lot of literature on it just for fun it seems unwise to me to gamble with my calories which are the most important factor for gaining/losing weight. I literally have 45 eggs stocked up in my cupboard because that is the cheapest source of protein I can find but you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

And there are more than 400 different genes that have been implicated in the development of overweight or obesity, with differing significance.

I know how hard it is what you are going through buddy. When I was born me and my parents were very poor (keep in mind that mid-class in my country means poor class in the United States). I did not even have a bed and we had to sleep on the floor until I was 12 or 13 years of age. I also had to work from a very young age (started at 8 helping at the local food market, and I got payed a measly 50 cent an hour). My biggest recommendation for you is to keep studying whatever you happen to like so you can get a degree and get a good job.
Now, changing the subject to food: I recommend you to buy cheap nutrition foods in bulk, such as bags of beans, oats, rice, quinoa, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, etc. Also buy the cheapest fruit and vegetables, you will need lots of micronutrients to grow and develop at your age. Keep in mind this foods are much cheaper that any fast food, the only disadvantage is that they require preparation (you can prepare your meals for the week on Saturday or Sunday).
With all that being said, and as a med. student, I stand on the premise that there is no such a thing as genetic predisposition to being obese. Yes, there are individuals with bigger appetites than other, but their metabolism is not much different than of another person with similar bodyweight, body composition and daily activity. There is however lots of people who underestimate how much they eat (which has been proven again and again, time after time on peer reviewed studies, published in serious and known scientific journals, highly respected by the medical comunity. What you have read about the "obesity genes" is probably made up by a blog or website looking to attract people to read their articles.