Hormonal
At physiological concentrations, insulin has a negligible thermic effect on its own; the majority of the thermic response to glucose/insulin infusions is driven by glucose metabolism (uptake, oxidation, and storage).
When you eat carbohydrates, the energy cost of processing them (thermic effect) is mostly due to the glucose being stored or oxidized, not the insulin released. While high insulin levels can slightly boost metabolism via the sympathetic nervous system, this effect is small at normal physiological levels. Focus on the total energy cost of nutrient processing rather than blaming insulin alone for metabolic inefficiency.
It is concluded that a large proportion of the thermic response to glucose/insulin infusions is due to glucose metabolism alone. The thermic effect of insulin is small and appears to be mediated by the sympathetic nervous system; thus at physiological insulin concentrations, the thermic effect of insulin per se is negligible.
Why this rating
Controlled clinical trial with rigorous clamping techniques and indirect calorimetry.
Source
Insulin. Its role in the thermic effect of glucose.
Laurent Christin et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 1986
DOI 10.1172/jci112497
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