Ever wondered why all those hours in the gym is failing to bring you results? Well it’s probably got something to do with Cortisol and after reading this article you should have an understanding of exactly what this hormone does and what you can do to minimise its negative effects.
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol if often referred to as the ‘Stress Hormone’ as although it is produced naturally throughout the day it is released in greater amounts as a response to stress. The adrenal gland is where Cortisol is produced and released by the body in varied levels throughout the day. Cortisol levels are generally higher in the mornings and lower at night time as the amount of Cortisol released drops throughout the day unless of course the body releases more Cortisol as a reaction to Stress.
Benefits Of Cortisol:
Some of the benefits from this hormone include increasing short term memory and helping the liver to remove toxins from the body. The immune system works with the hormone to regulate the blood sugar levels with the body.
Disadvantages Of Cortisol:
Disadvantages include raised blood pressure and lower bone density. This will not be an issue with normal amounts of Cortisol production. It is only when higher amounts of Cortisol are produced by the body usually in relation to stress that these factors become an issue.
How Does Cortisol Affect my Training?
Gaining Muscle:
Now we all know that testosterone helps us to build muscle, well Cortisol does the opposite! It is a catabolic hormone that reduces protein synthesis and prevents tissue growth.
It is after about 1 hour of lifting when testosterone levels begin to drop and Cortisol levels begin to rise. This of course is a bad combination and is why any good muscle building routine can be completed in under an hour. You should have a good warm up and complete your stretches in your own time but as soon as you hit the weights, that’s it – Stay focused… No chatting… Just lift and get your workout routine done in under an hour to prevent the effects of Cortisol from stopping your gains!
Burning Fat:
Too much cardiovascular exercise will cause Cortisol levels to increase and as we know Cortisol will eat away at your muscle fibres and reverse the effects of your training.
Firstly let’s just remember the difference between losing weight and losing fat. The truth is you’re not going to look much better unless its fat you’re burning…. And quite often it’s not! If it were true that cardio just burns fat then you could just get on your bike and cycle all day every day and get ripped. But we all know it’s not that easy, overtraining causes the body to use muscle for fuel and to try and hold on to body fat instead of burning it.
Too much cardiovascular exercise will cause Cortisol levels to increase and as we know Cortisol will eat away at your muscle fibres and reverse the effects of your training. So remember sometimes less is more and limiting cardio sessions to 4-5 per week will be more effective than running for hours every day.
How to Control Your Cortisol Levels
1. Keep Your Weight Training Workouts Less Than 1 Hour
- As stated already, if you workout for longer than 1 hour your testosterone levels will drop and Cortisol levels will rise therefore preventing muscle growth! Keep your workouts short and intense!
2. Limit Your Cardio
- Too much cardio causes more Cortisol to be released by the body so don’t over-do it on the treadmill and remember any cardio should be combined with a good diet.
3. Nutrition
- Try to eat at least 5-6 small meals each day as it has been found that eating more frequently helps to control Cortisol levels keeping them lower than if you were eating larger meals less frequently. The most important meals are breakfast and your Post Workout meal. Make sure you eat in the morning as Cortisol levels are shown to be higher at this time and maintaining a proper diet including protein, carbs and essential fats help to control Cortisol levels.
- A good post workout shake should include around 40-50g of protein (view protein powders) and 50-70g of simple carbs (dextrose) that will provide an insulin spike – this helps to clear Cortisol levels and keep up those muscle gains!
4. Relax
- Well this is a simple one in theory, as I’ve mentioned Cortisol levels are proven to rise dramatically due to the body reacting to stress. Try to chill out and not to let things stress you out!.... take a nice walk… have a bath… read a book, whatever helps you to relax and relieve the stress.
5. Sleep
- 8 Hours sleep is ideal but try to get at least 7! Remember muscle doesn’t grow whilst you’re in the gym – it grows when you’re resting. Cortisol levels are at a low and growth hormones are at a high when sleeping so make sure you’re getting enough of it!
6. Limit Caffeine Intake
- Cortisol levels can be elevated due to the stimulating effect of caffeine and it has been shown that as little as 2-3 cups per day can cause Cortisol levels to rise.
Comments (13)
Add a comment
Posted Fri, 08/06/2010 - 16:50
Great article Shaun. I've struggle with cortisol and lack of sleep for years. Both from work and insomnia. Nothing is more important to the body and mind that good nutrition and good sleep. Thanks for the great information.
Rob
Posted Sat, 09/11/2010 - 23:34
If caffeine causes cortisol levels to rise then is it counter-productive to take pre-workout supplements with a lot of caffeine? I know caffeine will help power you through your workout but how much is too much? I know Jack3d has a smaller amount of caffeine then many other PWO supplements, but will it negatively effect my gains in the hour that I have to work out?
Thanks!
-Brandon
Posted Mon, 09/13/2010 - 10:25
Hi Brandon,
Hard training and a proper diet will never let you down. With these 2 aspects nailed down, I would continue using a pre-workout with caffeine if it is benefiting you. I would simply watch the amount of caffeine you are taking in the rest of the day.
With many things in the realm of lifting, the importance of a minor issue tends to become overblown by members on both sides of the fence. Caffeine does impact cortisol, but will not impact you in any noticeable way if you work hard and eat properly, and aren't overdoing it. The body will respond to the demands of training, and if the raw materials are there, it will grow.
Posted Sat, 11/20/2010 - 13:48
This is very difficult to read but i am proof of it's truth.
I'm one of the many Runners torn between Distance Running and bulking via Weight Training. Needless to say, my 30+miles/week and 3 days tossing Weights were counterproductive and very frustrating. Frustrating at my mass results; my runs were great!
So, I'm having to shave about 15miles/week down. I'll still run; but instead of running for 2 hours on Saturday mornings with my 4 weekday runs, i'm doing harder/shorter bursts.
I hope to see a return on investment over the next few months. I am going to miss losing myself in my Runs though. Argh!! -Michael
Posted Sun, 10/16/2011 - 13:43
My experience is that doing short hard intervals, particularly if you've been off awhile or changed your routine, stimulates more cortisol release and insomnia. Once I get used to the particular difficulty level of the new interval, the physiological response seems to revert to normal. When I crank it up to the next level, I take a cortisol blocker for a week or two then I'm okay without the supplement until the next increase in intensity. Be warned that a number of the so-called cortisol blockers which are oriented toward weight loss (the newest marketing hustle for these products) are loaded with caffeine, which isn't going to help if you're fighting insomnia.
Some literature seems to suggest that C and glutamine are helpful for cortisol control issues for serious athletes. But to my knowledge there are no control group studies that prove that conclusively.
Posted Thu, 11/03/2011 - 11:18
Which cortisol blockers do you use?
Posted Fri, 04/15/2011 - 03:04
Runs? I though we were on to Cortisol effects? why the jump to LBM?
Posted Sat, 05/07/2011 - 11:02
I do training every for more than an hour and my body hasnt got much muscle on it beeing doing it for 20 years I have a stress problem that triggers sometimes in the morning. Wake up at 3 in the morning. I think to much gym dont give my brain enough rest and also to much training to much because I am an active worker in tennis during the day
Do you think I am overtraining plus being active on the tennis court?
Regards
Kim
Posted Mon, 06/20/2011 - 13:22
Your post is based on truth but takes a biased opinion on the negative effects of cortisol.
It is true that it is a catabolic hormone but it is also essential, even in body building. It is responisble for MPB (Muscle Protein Breakdown) but by doing this increases the overall rate of Muscle Protein Turnover, which gets rid of old Proteins and helps the body replace them with fesh Amino Acids.
As long as the Amino Acids are availiable (through diet) cortisol alone should not be enough to prevent muscle growth.
It is about keeping your body in a NET Anabolic State. As long as the rate of Muscle Protein Synthesis is greater than Muscle Protein Breakdown (through good diet) the body remains Anabolic.
I'm not arguing your post, just explaining that Cortisol is not all that bad and it is essential for our body's to work properly.
Posted Sat, 10/15/2011 - 16:52
I cut out coffee / caffeine about a year ago in an effort to regulate my cortisol levels, since it's particularly tied to belly fat. My weight training takes about an hour, 4 days per week, but I'm wondering if it's ok to do 20-30min cardio afterwards. That's what has been recommended to me, for all the various reasons that post-lifting cardio is beneficial, but does the body then consider that to be a 90min work out? Or is that 1-hour mark only for actually lifting weights?
Thanks!
Posted Sun, 10/16/2011 - 14:24
The one hour guideline is for weight training and muscle building.
Posted Thu, 01/12/2012 - 14:22
I really enjoyed this article, but would like the option to save it in favourite articles or something, do you think Muscle and Strength could make that possible for me lol???
Posted Sun, 11/18/2012 - 06:33
How I eat after gym. My wheat 70 kg.
Add new comment