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Cortisol and overtraining
Whenever you’re exposed to stress, be it physical stress like exercise, or emotional stress such as the kind caused by that guy cutting you off in rush hour traffic, your body begins a complex cascade of events that can alter metabolism in a number of significant ways. Most people have heard of the "fight or flight" mechanism, where stimulatory hormones are secreted to prepare the body for rapid action against (fight) or away from (flight) a particular stressor. In a similar manner, the body also ramps up production of another hormone called cortisol – which plays an important role in energy metabolism and muscle maintenance.
Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands through a complicated series of events that involves both the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. Among cortisol’s many functions are its effects in stimulating the release of glucose, fats and amino acids for energy production. In the liver, cortisol stimulates breakdown of glycogen into glucose. In the adipose tissue, fatty acids are released in response to cortisol stimulation. In the skeletal muscles, cortisol promotes the release of amino acids, which are either used directly by the muscle for energy or sent to the liver for conversion into glucose. The main problem with this last scenario, however, is that if it continues for any prolonged period of time, a significant amount of amino acids may be lost and an overall muscle catabolism (wasting) will be the result.
For obvious reasons, athletes are extremely interested in counteracting the muscle-wasting effects of prolonged cortisol exposure. Luckily, a number of effective dietary approaches have been found to be effective in reducing cortisol levels in athletes exposed to stress. The most important step is to ensure an adequate intake of carbohydrate and protein calories. Individuals on calorie- or protein-restricted diets are likely to experience not only an elevation in cortisol levels, but also a decrease in testosterone levels – both of which would contribute to reduced muscle mass. It may also be helpful to time the ingestion of some of those carb and protein calories to coincide with the recovery period following exercise – a practice which is known to enhance recovery by favoring anabolic over catabolic processes. Other dietary supplements such as hydroxy methylbutyrate (HMB), branched chain amino acids, DHEA, glutamine and creatine have been used as effective adjuncts to enhance recovery from exercise. Recovery claims have also been made for another supplement, phosphatidylserine (PS) due to its apparent effects in suppressing the exercise-induced rise in cortisol levels. In two small studies, 400-800 mg per day of PS reduced cortisol levels by 15-30% and prevented the drop in testosterone in overtrained subjects.
Overtraining syndrome has been linked, by several researchers, to chronic cortisol exposure. Although chronic overtraining is easy to recognize (constant fatigue, reduced exercise performance, depression), it may be difficult to detect in its earlier stages. Some studies propose that the ratio between testosterone and cortisol can be used as an effective marker of overtraining. Because testosterone is anabolic (muscle-building), while cortisol is catabolic (muscle-wasting), a higher testosterone and lower cortisol level would be desirable. Overtraining is not simply the result of training too much. It is the result of too much training with inadequate recovery. Without proper rest and recovery, even low intensity training may result in overtraining. The million dollar question, of course, is how to promote optimal recovery? The answer will differ somewhat for every individual, but important factors such as dietary intake, stress levels and sleep patterns need to be part of the equation just as much as issues regarding your actual training regimen.
Many top-level coaches recommend using a heart rate monitor and charting heart rate response to exercise as an effective way to identify overtraining in its early stages. Read more about using a heart rate monitor by clicking here. Even slight reductions in training volume or intensity at this early stage of overtraining can give your body the rest period that it needs to recover. If recovery continues to be inadequate, further alterations in hormone profile, such as lowered DHEA levels, compromised immune system function and depressed emotional state are likely.
For many athletes the delicate balance of training and recovery poses a significant dilemma – to go fast, you have to train hard, but going too hard without adequate recovery will just make you slow. Push too hard and you end up with the undesirable elevation in cortisol and drop in testosterone outlined above. Back off your training too much and you’ll never progress to your optimal fitness level. Athletes who excel, however, are those who become adept at balancing the three primary components of their program (training, diet, recovery).
References
Fry AC, Kraemer WJ, Ramsey LT. Pituitary-adrenal-gonadal responses to high-intensity resistance exercise overtraining. J Appl Physiol 1998 Dec;85(6):2352-9.
Monteleone P, Beinat L, Tanzillo C, Maj M, Kemali D. Effects of phosphatidylserine on the neuroendocrine response to physical stress in humans. Neuroendocrinology 1990 Sep;52(3):243-8.
Urhausen A, Gabriel H, Kindermann W. Blood hormones as markers of training stress and overtraining. Sports Med 1995 Oct;20(4):251-76.
Urhausen A, Gabriel HH, Kindermann W. Impaired pituitary hormonal response to exhaustive exercise in overtrained endurance athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1998 Mar;30(3):407-14.
Uusitalo AL, Huttunen P, Hanin Y, Uusitalo AJ, Rusko HK. Hormonal responses to endurance training and overtraining in female athletes. Clin J Sport Med 1998 Jul;8(3):178-86.
Walsh NP, Blannin AK, Robson PJ, Gleeson M. Glutamine, exercise and immune function. Links and possible mechanisms. Sports Med 1998 Sep;26(3):177-91.
Whenever you’re exposed to stress, be it physical stress like exercise, or emotional stress such as the kind caused by that guy cutting you off in rush hour traffic, your body begins a complex cascade of events that can alter metabolism in a number of significant ways. Most people have heard of the "fight or flight" mechanism, where stimulatory hormones are secreted to prepare the body for rapid action against (fight) or away from (flight) a particular stressor. In a similar manner, the body also ramps up production of another hormone called cortisol – which plays an important role in energy metabolism and muscle maintenance.
Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands through a complicated series of events that involves both the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. Among cortisol’s many functions are its effects in stimulating the release of glucose, fats and amino acids for energy production. In the liver, cortisol stimulates breakdown of glycogen into glucose. In the adipose tissue, fatty acids are released in response to cortisol stimulation. In the skeletal muscles, cortisol promotes the release of amino acids, which are either used directly by the muscle for energy or sent to the liver for conversion into glucose. The main problem with this last scenario, however, is that if it continues for any prolonged period of time, a significant amount of amino acids may be lost and an overall muscle catabolism (wasting) will be the result.
For obvious reasons, athletes are extremely interested in counteracting the muscle-wasting effects of prolonged cortisol exposure. Luckily, a number of effective dietary approaches have been found to be effective in reducing cortisol levels in athletes exposed to stress. The most important step is to ensure an adequate intake of carbohydrate and protein calories. Individuals on calorie- or protein-restricted diets are likely to experience not only an elevation in cortisol levels, but also a decrease in testosterone levels – both of which would contribute to reduced muscle mass. It may also be helpful to time the ingestion of some of those carb and protein calories to coincide with the recovery period following exercise – a practice which is known to enhance recovery by favoring anabolic over catabolic processes. Other dietary supplements such as hydroxy methylbutyrate (HMB), branched chain amino acids, DHEA, glutamine and creatine have been used as effective adjuncts to enhance recovery from exercise. Recovery claims have also been made for another supplement, phosphatidylserine (PS) due to its apparent effects in suppressing the exercise-induced rise in cortisol levels. In two small studies, 400-800 mg per day of PS reduced cortisol levels by 15-30% and prevented the drop in testosterone in overtrained subjects.
Overtraining syndrome has been linked, by several researchers, to chronic cortisol exposure. Although chronic overtraining is easy to recognize (constant fatigue, reduced exercise performance, depression), it may be difficult to detect in its earlier stages. Some studies propose that the ratio between testosterone and cortisol can be used as an effective marker of overtraining. Because testosterone is anabolic (muscle-building), while cortisol is catabolic (muscle-wasting), a higher testosterone and lower cortisol level would be desirable. Overtraining is not simply the result of training too much. It is the result of too much training with inadequate recovery. Without proper rest and recovery, even low intensity training may result in overtraining. The million dollar question, of course, is how to promote optimal recovery? The answer will differ somewhat for every individual, but important factors such as dietary intake, stress levels and sleep patterns need to be part of the equation just as much as issues regarding your actual training regimen.
Many top-level coaches recommend using a heart rate monitor and charting heart rate response to exercise as an effective way to identify overtraining in its early stages. Read more about using a heart rate monitor by clicking here. Even slight reductions in training volume or intensity at this early stage of overtraining can give your body the rest period that it needs to recover. If recovery continues to be inadequate, further alterations in hormone profile, such as lowered DHEA levels, compromised immune system function and depressed emotional state are likely.
For many athletes the delicate balance of training and recovery poses a significant dilemma – to go fast, you have to train hard, but going too hard without adequate recovery will just make you slow. Push too hard and you end up with the undesirable elevation in cortisol and drop in testosterone outlined above. Back off your training too much and you’ll never progress to your optimal fitness level. Athletes who excel, however, are those who become adept at balancing the three primary components of their program (training, diet, recovery).
References
Fry AC, Kraemer WJ, Ramsey LT. Pituitary-adrenal-gonadal responses to high-intensity resistance exercise overtraining. J Appl Physiol 1998 Dec;85(6):2352-9.
Monteleone P, Beinat L, Tanzillo C, Maj M, Kemali D. Effects of phosphatidylserine on the neuroendocrine response to physical stress in humans. Neuroendocrinology 1990 Sep;52(3):243-8.
Urhausen A, Gabriel H, Kindermann W. Blood hormones as markers of training stress and overtraining. Sports Med 1995 Oct;20(4):251-76.
Urhausen A, Gabriel HH, Kindermann W. Impaired pituitary hormonal response to exhaustive exercise in overtrained endurance athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1998 Mar;30(3):407-14.
Uusitalo AL, Huttunen P, Hanin Y, Uusitalo AJ, Rusko HK. Hormonal responses to endurance training and overtraining in female athletes. Clin J Sport Med 1998 Jul;8(3):178-86.
Walsh NP, Blannin AK, Robson PJ, Gleeson M. Glutamine, exercise and immune function. Links and possible mechanisms. Sports Med 1998 Sep;26(3):177-91.
