In a nutshell, rapid insulins go to work quickly, peak, and quit rapidly.
Long acting insulins go to work slowly, peak slowly, and quit slowly.  Both
types are available in human insulins.  Both are also available in pork,
beef and pork/beef insulins.  One is not "better" than another.  They are
generally used in combinations to achieve control.  As I haven't been on
pork, beef, nor pork/beef for several years, I will only talk to the human
insulins.

I have been on a Lantus, Humolog, and Humilin N combination for a few years.
My normal schedule is:
-Breakfast = 13u of Lantus with 2 to 6 units of Humolog
-Lunch = 2 to 6 units of Humolog
-Dinner = 2-6 units of Humolog
-Bedtime = 11u of Humilin N plus 1-2 units of Humolog if needed

The Lantus lasts for about 18-24 hours in me.  (It lasts for different times
in defferent people).  So, it gives me a nice, peakless (flat) supply of
insulin.  This type of insulin is called a "background" or "basal" insulin.

The Humolog is a rapid insulin, and is used to work with the foods I eat at
breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I take 1-2 units at night if my sugars are
extremely high, and I need them to drop.  For me, it tends to quit about 4
hours after injection.

The Humilin N is a long acting insulin.  For me, it lasts about 10 to 12
hours, with a peak around the 4 hour mark.  It gets me through the night
when my Lantus is wearing off.

So, one is not really better than another.  They each have their different
place in my regime.

I hope this helps.
Steph

Jupiter wrote in message ...

 There are three "analog" insulins on the market.   Two of them, (Humalog
and Novolog/NovoRapid) are substantially faster than the fastest human
insulin.

One of them (Lantus)  is substantially slower than the slowest human
insulin.

The two fast and the single slow analog insulins were designed to be the
fastest or the slowest of all generally available insulins .  They are more
useful that way.

The fourth analog insulin (Insulin Detemir)  will be on the market soon.
It is about as slow as the slowest human insulin available.  However, it
generates much more reproducible absorbence behavior than the slowest human
insulin and possibly the Lantus analog insulin also.

Therefore, it is expected to be easier to use and generate a more powerful
blood sugar regime if substituted for any of the slow human insulins or
Lantus.  (Or at least the manufacturer brags that this will happen)

None of the "analog" insulins are "Human" insulin.

Nobody knows if any of them are "better".   We won't know for years, perhaps
decades if any of them is even as "good" as human insulin.  However, the
analog insulins are easier to use and generate more powerful blood sugar
control regimes than the human insulins.

Regards
 Old Al
(who uses one analog Insulin [Humalog] and one human insulin [Ultralente])