When we hit the gym or doing any form of exercise (workout), cortisol is not a common term being described by most people, including fitness professionals. But we have all heard about burning calories, losing weight, building muscles and getting fit. Doesn't matter which commercial gym you visit or join, big or small, it's primarily about weight loss or getting into a better shape, sort of. More then half of the so called personal trainers in these gyms don't even know what they are talking, let alone being examples of a taxed out adrenals with intoxicated gut and perhaps poor posture alignment too. Do you recall your trainer doing bench press and sit ups day in day out as if his life depends on it? Or those trainers who always advocate you to drink as much protein powders and train as often as you can? How many fitness professionals ever listen to their own bodies? The truth, extremely rare. Reason? Bulk up, six pack abs and bigger biceps and arms.
With more gyms opened from time to time, more fitness professionals and trainers are certified or born. We have so many more people wants to be fitness professionals or personal trainers, but how many are actually into really helping their clients and not money driven, and 'walk the talk' type of role model? I have met personally tons of personal trainers who live on toxic commercial protein powders, energy bars, wheat and grains and processed foods. A walking toxic time bomb who advocates his or her clients to eat and live healthy and exercise more?
The fitness industry is blooming, but is it focus more on profit or primarily helping clients to build health, restore better posture and losing fat and maintaining optimal fitness level in a long term sustainable way? With each gym opened, more people are getting fatter and sicker, the statistics should reflect otherwise.
If only losing body fat and achieving good health is as simple as burning more calories then consumed, or 'joining a gym membership', my workplace and shopping malls would not have swamped with obese and seriously overweight, diseased homo sapiens. I recalled a recent banner advertised by a popular slimming centre in my place of stay, it says "Get a free trial kit of anti-obesity". That sums up the health and fitness industry which is evolving globally.
In today's post, I will lay out the so called 'villain' cortisol stress hormone, how it can alter the stress pathway and response, and how it can directly impact your energy levels, brain functions and fitness level too. A certain amount of elevated cortisol and adrenaline enhances the memory and retention of emotionally charged material. However, the adverse effect of too much cortisol, though, is dramatic, particularly in the hippocampus, which is the part of our brain most susceptible to degeneration in the presence of excess cortisol. Other areas of the brain that are especially vulnerable to the ravages of cortisol tsunamis include the amygdala, plus the frontal lobes of the brain. The amygdala is especially affected by stress hormone release, since it's the part of your brain that records your fear response. The amygdala is also very quick to learn and very slow to unlearn. Too much stimulation of the amygdala can kindle unhealthy hypervigilance.
Cortisol tends to have a bad reputation, but in fact, our body needs this hormone for various functions but it's important to recognize that this is all relative and that it;s all about complex interrelationships and balance.
Chronically elevated cortisol secretion can rapidly lead to a situation of diminishing returns. In your body it leads to immune system impairment and tissue breakdown. If you are constantly driving with your pedal to the metal and running your engine too hot, doesn't it make sense that the central computer in your car might just try to adjust the idle by dialing it down? In blood chemistry tests of people with chronically elevated cortisol, it is often seen a functionally or clinically depressed thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) coupled with depressed T3 and T4 thyroid hormones.
SYMPTOMS OF CHRONICALLY ELEVATED CORTISOL
- Feeling tired even after sleeping well
- Difficulty recovering from physical activity
- Abnormal weight loss (through catabolism) or weight gain as a result of insulin resistance
- Fatigue after meals mainly related to insulin resistance
- Having chronically elevated fasting glucose and/or elevated hemoglobin A1C, both possible indications of diabetes/pre-diabetes
- Excessive nervous energy
- Sleeping poorly and feeling not well-rested in the mornings
- Gastrointestinal symptoms related to impaired digestion
- Adverse thyroid effects, such as depressed T3 together with possibly low TSH and/or low T4. One might also find elevated thyroid-binding globulin in cases of secondary low thyroid function. Both of these types of findings are commonly associated with chronic stress.
- Experiencing neurodegenerative changes, such as chronic difficulty learning or remembering things
Now, imagine, if you are constantly feeling tired throughout the day, and hitting the gym after work for some kind long cardio routine or perhaps RPM class, it is just a perfect recipe for shooting your adrenals and suppressing your immune system. With night time of elevated cortisol, your sympathetic nervous system is always switched on, and there is no way your para-sympathetic nervous system could calm down and enable your mind and body for deep REM sleep and proper repair and recovery.
Most people thought that a sudden weight loss after joining the gym or started an exercise program is a good thing. But, there are many cases where weight loss of individuals are due to catabolism, meaning, loss of muscle mass. That's of course is bad news, as your muscles are metabolic tissues, which in a way, determine the state or efficiency of your body's metabolism.
Excess cortisol effectively increases your blood sugar levels, too, even if you are eating a low-carbohydrate diet. It also decreases protein synthesis and increases protein breakdown, which can lead to muscle wasting. Remember, your heart is also a muscle, and muscle loss due to excess cortisol may be one reason why marathon runners are notorious for dropping dead due to heart failure.
Excess cortisol also invariably leads to neurodegenerative changes in the brain. You may notice you seem to be prone to tip-of-the-tongue syndrome, that is, "Now, what was I going to say?" Or you are constantly losing your car keys or you can never find what you did with your cell phone. Or you find yourself forgetting the name of someone you have known for years. This might seem a little bit funny or inconvenient, but if you don't catch these changes early, they may not be reversible. It is no laughing matter.
And, finally, excess cortisol suppresses immune function, interfering with healing and regeneration. It causes lymphatic tissue to shrink, subsequently diminishing lymphocyte numbers and function, and depresses production of the immunoglobulin SIgA, which is the first line of immune defense in your gut and lung tissue.
Now, I would like to bring up the condition called Cushing's Disease. For some people, they may have heard before, especially a member in their family or friends is a sufferer or patient of this health condition. According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), Cushing's disease is a condition in which the pituitary gland releases too much adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
Although Cushing's disease is a pituitary disorder and not a primary adrenal disorder, it is one more way that one may experience significantly elevated cortisol levels in a manner that may require medical intervention. Cushing's disease is caused either by a tumor or other growth that enlarges the pituitary gland, leading to an excess of ACTH. Since ACTH stimulates cortisol production and release, the disease tends to cause pathologically excessive cortisol levels.
The NLM website lists many symptoms associated with Cushing's disease, including:
- Upper body obesity (above the waist) and thin arms and legs
- Round, red, full face (moon face)
- Slow growth rate in children
- Mental changes, such as depression, anxiety, or changes in behavior
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Increased thirst and urination
Skin changes often seen include:
- Acne
- Infections
- Purple marks (1/2 inch or more wide), called striae, on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, and breasts
- Thin skin that bruises easily
Muscle and bone changes may include:
- Backache with routine activities
- Bone pain or tenderness
- Fat accumulation between the shoulders (buffalo hump)
- Thinning of the bones, leading to rib and spine fractures
- Weak muscles
Women often have:
- Little or no sexual desire
- Excess hair growth on the face, neck, chest, abdomen, and thighs
- Menstrual cycle that becomes irregular or stops
Men may have:
- Little or no sexual desire
- Impotence
Treating Cushing's disease typically involves surgery to remove the tumor if possible, which often results in a return to normal pituitary function. (However, it is possible for the tumor to grow back.) Some temporary hormone replacement therapy may be involved to aid recovery following surgery. I mention Cushing's disease here, since it can certainly impact the adrenals and cause pathologically high levels of cortisol production. If the above symptoms relate to you in any way, consult a qualified and knowledgeable licensed health care provider about ruling out Cushing's disease.
Meanwhile, below are some of the tips for tackling high level of cortisol production.
WHAT TO DO FOR SOARING CORTISOL?
The first step is one that you can't ignore, get your life stressors under control! Along with this are some other ways to help bring your cortisol levels back down to earth:
- Make stress management a top priority.
- Follow an exercise plan that allows for high intensity and short duration.
- Consider B vitamin supplements, such as vitamin B5 to help down regulate excessive cortisol secretion.
- Take extra fish/krill oil, plus extra DHA to help modulate cortisol secretion.
- Be sure you are getting enough magnesium. It's absolutely essential for effective physiological stress management. How much you need depends on your symptoms and your level of stress.
- Incorporate drinking Tulsi herb daily/nightly
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