Hormones and Exercise
By: Charles DeFrancesco
http://www.fitandfunctional.com
Your body is more than an bank account and weight loss is much more than a calories-in, calories out game. Your body is a chemistry lab and the type of food you choose, when you eat them, and the amounts you consume have a dramatic effect on your metabolism. Similarly, exercise is more than just a way to burn calories. By understanding the hormonal effects of exercise you can ensure that your program is set up to give you the results you are looking for.
One of the biggest misconceptions people have is that cardiovascular training is the number one way to lose weight. This old time idea is false. Cardiovascular training can burn calories and definitely benefit the heart and lungs. Done correctly it can be a beneficial part of a complete exercise program. Done incorrectly, due to excess intensity or duration it can raise stress hormones and cause the body to break down. This causes the body to lose muscle, the very thing you want to maintain and even increase when you want to lose body fat since muscle is where you burn fat and muscle is what keeps your metabolism up. Also, when stress hormone breaks you down they do so by breaking down muscle to release sugar in the bloodstream, this in turn can raise insulin. Over time this can lead to insulin resistance even if you are not overeating or eating sugar.
To avoid this vicious cycle in cardiovascular training first get assessed by a qualified health professional and lifestyle coach to make sure your adrenal system can handle cardiovascular training at this time. You may need to make efforts to heal your adrenal system before you embark on a cardiovascular program. If you are approved to start, then wear a heart rate monitor to ensure you are training in your proper heart rate zone. Vary your intensity throughout the workout cycle by performing higher intensity bouts of aerobic activity followed by lower intensity recovery bouts. Another reason for controlling stress hormones is that excess stress hormone known as cortisol actually inhibits the conversion of the inactive form of thyroid hormone T4 to the active T3 form. Thyroid hormone is one of the key hormones in regulating your bodies basal metabolic rate and without proper conversion your metabolism slows down.
The true champion of the fat loss game is resistance training. This is because resistance training raises growth hormone which helps the body build itself up. More muscle mass means a better metabolism, better insulin sensitivity, better use of blood sugar, and better fat burning. For long term weight management resistance training is a key essential component. The right program will increase growth hormone release and minimize stress hormone release. This is done with the right amounts of sets and repetitions, the appropriate amount of rest and the proper nutrition. You want to stimulate as many muscle groups and as many muscle fibers as possible for maximal benefit.
Supplements can help you get the most out of your workout. To lower the stress effect of exercise, Phoshatidyl serine 100mg pre and post workout can help lower the cortisol response and one capsule of zinc supreme can help lower the adrenaline response to exercise. 1 gram of L-carnitine tartrate powder(or liquid form) before and after exercise can raise the lactic acid threshold and increase the use of fat for fuel by the mitochondria “the powerhouse of the cell”. 1 gram of glutamine before and after workout can help raise growth hormone and raise glycogen stores. Lastly, an adequate amount of antioxidants should be included in your daily supplements including CoQ10, vitamins A,C, and E, and Lipoic acid to help protect you from the oxidative stress incurred from exercise.
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