how catabolic is STRESS?? lets explore this one my friends...

[SCOTTY-TWO-HOTTY]

I believe scenario #2 would result in better gains... a lot better IMO.

Stress has such a general and subjective value attached to it... its erroneous to correlate it with Cortisol release without being very specific. Generally speaking... a bad semester at University or girl probelms wouldn't cause a significant release of Cortisol... not enough to cause muscle atrophy. Living for months on end in a war plagued environment would though. That's when you'd see young (otherwise healthy) females having miscarriages due to massive release of stress hormones... shit like that.

 

[GoldenDelicious]

i would say number 2 would make the better gains, almost certainly

of course we are talking about stress very stereotypically (ie with the same shotgun vocabulary that we use when we say things like "eat right" "exercise" and all of those blurry words) but cortisol is known as THE stress hormone - you get an increase on plasma cortisol along the lines of about 20 odd percent above normal physiological range, but clinically you might see similar levels lifelong in someone who has something like Cushings Syndrome, or someone that we are bombing with cortisol or other catabolic hormones for long periods of time - and while these patients certainly are smaller/pudgier than your average person, just going off a guestimation and personal experience/opinion, the 'bigness' (for wont of a better word now that im tired) of a steroid supplementing athlete is much much much more significant compared to the 'smallness' of someone with sky high cortisol or other severely catabolic hormone levels.

its also a bit of common sense - you see some really, really stressed out people (people in jail, people who lose partners/family, people in ultra high stress jobs etc etc and they dont really shrink all that much. then you take a look at a guy putting on 1lb or more per week on a test cycle, and you have to at least suspect that roid doses of anabolics are going to overpower the negative impact of whatever biochemical changes severe stress is likely to cause

i once returned a huge cortisol reading once, and my doc thought i had cushings ( ) so i kinda read up on it. it was quite interesting being in the doctors office after having squatted 400+ lbs for a set and being asked if i had trouble lifting my bodyweight up the stairs (a symptom of cushings) im like "...uh.....yeah.....for the next couple days, sure"

anyway, damn test was out. bastard had me worried too. interesting thread

 

[idcbp]

Yeah, it would be number two. 500 mg of sust. makes a big difference, but your notion of stress as a factor is dead on. If instead they both had the same diet, exercise and drugs, but one had a high degree of stress...I'd say that his gains could be diminished by 10-20% and thats not with diet,exercise the same. Odds are that those two would be both adversely affected by the stress as well. Positive thinking and a focused mental approach is a cornerstone of serious development. It not the only factor, but like good genetics, a confident positive attitude (which contributes to a stress-reduced environment) is present in almost all elite physiques. Stress is catabolic on a physical level and every bit as destructive through its effects on routine, focus and intensity.

 

[Smokescreen]

Karma to the fucking Boogie Man! Great post! Satch..for a natural BB, the whole stress thing would really suck. But I would go with #2. I was in that situation this past summer. I had money problems and worries about it. Worries about my business. Got very little sleep. Probably around 5-3 hours a night. Had some problems with the wife too. But still, while taking gear, I was able to gain 15lbs of muscle and shed fat from 10% down 7.5%. I can only imagine how much more muscle I would have gained and how much more fat I would have shed if I didn't have stress and got more sleep.

 

[Smokescreen]

WTF is going on? I'm trying to give Satch Karma and its not letting me!

 

[Mavy]

i'm sure that every now and then everybody goes through stressful times.
divorce, family death, harsh break up's, financial problems.. the list goes on and on.

but how catabolic is stress for the bodybuilder?

lets take a few scenarios and attempt to explore this:

1) bodybuilder trains naturally and has a perfect life.. no problems whatsoever!

2) bodybuilder trains on 500mg susta per week but is going through a super super stressful time.

which will build more mass????

now i perfectly understand its impossible to answer this question precisely but would love to hear some feedback regarding stress/steroids/catabolism.

Good post Satchy-boy! Stress is a fucking killer .. I am serious. Its basically just wear and tear on your body. I would think that dbol is great to take if you are stressed and on a cycle, do to what it does to reduce cortisone.

Its seems that I am stessed all the fucking time these days. One thing that I am learning is that the older you get ... the more stress you get! lol. I have been sent to a stress management course at my work. I get stressed a lot at work, as I am responsible for a lot of things and people. I am getting quite good at dealling with it now though. Here A few things that I have learned from the book that I have that help....

1. Become aware of your stressors and your emotional and physical reactions.
Notice your distress. Don't ignore it. Don't gloss over your problems.
Determine what events distress you. What are you telling yourself about meaning of these events?
Determine how your body responds to the stress. Do you become nervous or physically upset? If so, in what specific ways?

2. Recognize what you can change.
Can you change your stressors by avoiding or eliminating them completely?
Can you reduce their intensity (manage them over a period of time instead of on a daily or weekly basis)?
Can you shorten your exposure to stress (take a break, leave the physical premises)?
Can you devote the time and energy necessary to making a change (goal setting, time management techniques, and delayed gratification strategies may be helpful here)?

3. Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions to stress.
The stress reaction is triggered by your perception of danger...physical danger and/or emotional danger. Are you viewing your stressors in exaggerated terms and/or taking a difficult situation and making it a disaster?
Are you expecting to please everyone?
Are you overreacting and viewing things as absolutely critical and urgent? Do you feel you must always prevail in every situation?
Work at adopting more moderate views; try to see the stress as something you can cope with rather than something that overpowers you.
Try to temper your excess emotions. Put the situation in perspective. Do not labor on the negative aspects and the "what if's."

4. Learn to moderate your physical reactions to stress.
Slow, deep breathing will bring your heart rate and respiration back to normal.
Relaxation techniques can reduce muscle tension. Electronic biofeedback can help you gain voluntary control over such things as muscle tension, heart reate, and blood pressure.
Medications, when prescribed by a physician, can help in the short term in moderating your physical reactions. However, they alone are not the answer. Learning to moderate these reactions on your own is a preferable long-term solution.

5. Build your physical reserves.
Exercise for cardiovascular fitness three to four times a week (moderate, prolonged rhythmic exercise is best, such as walking, swimming, cycling, or jogging).
Eat well-balanced, nutritious meals.
Maintain your ideal weight.
Avoid nicotine, excessive caffeine, and other stimulants.
Mix leisure with work. Take breaks and get away when you can.
Get enough sleep. Be as consistent with your sleep schedule as possible.

6. Maintain your emotional reserves.
Develop some mutually supportive friendships/relationships.
Pursue realistic goals which are meaningful to you, rather than goals others have for you that you do not share.
Expect some frustrations, failures, and sorrows.
Always be kind and gentle with yourself -- be a friend to yourself.


Smoking the odd joint will help you chill a little too! ...

 

[wnt2bBeast]

good thread..this is something i dont think many consider, including myself..i think personality would play a key role in here..i work in an ultra stressful job ive seen men cry and lose everything in teh blink of an eye..granted those are catastropic events but im the type of person who for the most part is rather mellow..when i walk out of my building thats it work is over and i think about other things..

 

[yomama]

 

[Slyder190]

Oh boy am I fucked I guess. I don't freak out over things, but I have short I talian fuse and my mind is forever thinking about anything and everything. I guess I can be glad for juice and weed.

 

[patsfan1379]

absolutely awesome article... stress and depression will take an enormous toll on your body... but they pass... it takes a long ass time, but you'll be stronger and more confident if you get through it yourself, and if at all possible, without meds... I was severely stressed and kida depressed for about 5 months... now its passing.. and i feel f-ing good... its all in your head...