Control Your Cortisol = Control Your Muscle Growth
Thursday, June 15, 2006
I USED TO very much dislike the phrase: "It all depends." It seemed a cop-out for someone who didn’t want to take the time to answer the question thoroughly. I guess that could still be true, but the more I immerse myself in to health and wellness, the more I discover the validity of the phrase. Take timing; for example, when is the best time to do your cardio? It all depends — on your goals, your body make up and your lifestyle.
If you are looking to build muscle mass, you have a few things to consider. You might want to hold off on your cardio until your off-days, because the cortisol excreted during intense or prolonged cardio can inhibit hypertrophy (muscle growth). Cortisol is a catabolic hormone that can block the synthesis of protein. Protein synthesis is needed for muscle repair and growth.
And you surely don’t want to use up all your energy doing cardio before your weights; that would be silly. Save your steam to pump whatever iron you need for your muscle-building goals. But please, for the love of your muscles, please don’t neglect a cardio warm-up, which will prep the muscles to lift and move through a better range of motion.
A proper warm-up and saving your cardio until the end or another day can also save you from injury. Proper form is usually the first thing to go with tired muscles. But the same can be said for cardio. If you are looking to improve your cardiovascular levels or maybe your running time, you’re not likely going to if you’ve just beaten up your legs at the squat rack.
But because discussion wouldn’t be complete without another "but," if you are looking for weight loss, many people do cardio after weights. Rumour has it that by using up all your glycogen stores during your resistance training, your body will be a prime fat-burning machine during the cardio portion of your workout. So if your goal is general fitness, without looking for major gains in strength or cardiovascular ability, this might be your best option.
There is also conflicting information about time of day to do cardio. Ultimately, it comes down to your body — how you feel in the morning versus afternoon or evening. If you can’t get up early enough to get a breakfast, let it digest and then have a workout, but also can’t work out on an empty stomach, then common sense would say this isn’t your best time.
Some authorities say it is safe to run first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and a good way to burn a little extra fat, since the body has been detoxifying all night. This also means a low blood-sugar and this can spell disaster for your adrenal glands, which are responsible for your adrenalin and cortisol, also necessary components of a good workout.
It is misleading that you will burn more fat when the body is low on carbohydrates (in other words, glycogen stores). This statement is, in effect, true. But that does not mean an empty stomach. And, coincidentally, the body likes to use carbs when weight training.
Working out on an empty stomach can tax your energies and place too much stress on the immune system, so weigh your options carefully. Again, it comes down to the it-depends factor. Bottom line, you want to make sure that you have the needed energy for the workout. Only you know how well your body functions with lack of food.
Another argument in favour of cardio in the morning is that you will benefit more from the after-effect of your workout all day. There is a period of recovery time when the body is still burning fat and doing its business. It’s often referred to as EPOC, and some think that it’s best to get your workout done in the morning so you can reap the benefits of this heightened metabolism and burning period. Because your metabolism drops during sleep, you lose the oomph of the afterburn when doing your cardio later in the evening.
This heightened sensation is also another reason to do your cardio early in the day. You’ve heard of runner’s high, a result of endorphin release and hormonal balance that is found during exercise. People tend to feel more alert and enthusiastic post-workout. So why wouldn’t you want this to follow you through the day?
Furthermore, if you tend to drain yourself all day at work, chances are you’re either going to bail on your workout or do it half-heartedly. This isn’t very conducive to results.
There is one major rule, though, to be followed by everyone: You shouldn’t exercise too late in the evening. Exercise increases your adrenalin and endorphins, a wonderful payoff from exercise, but it also makes it difficult to wind down.
Even if you feel exhausted from your workout and go straight to bed, you might not fully enter the deep sleep that is so needed for restoration. A good night’s rest before and after your workout is as crucial as the workout itself.
So there you have it, the true meaning behind "it all depends." You need to test these theories out on yourself. There’s no better way to know than to track your results and how you are feeling. Take this stuff to heart as the rains let up and the potential to hit the beach makes you up the ante in your workouts.
If you are looking to build muscle mass, you have a few things to consider. You might want to hold off on your cardio until your off-days, because the cortisol excreted during intense or prolonged cardio can inhibit hypertrophy (muscle growth). Cortisol is a catabolic hormone that can block the synthesis of protein. Protein synthesis is needed for muscle repair and growth.
And you surely don’t want to use up all your energy doing cardio before your weights; that would be silly. Save your steam to pump whatever iron you need for your muscle-building goals. But please, for the love of your muscles, please don’t neglect a cardio warm-up, which will prep the muscles to lift and move through a better range of motion.
A proper warm-up and saving your cardio until the end or another day can also save you from injury. Proper form is usually the first thing to go with tired muscles. But the same can be said for cardio. If you are looking to improve your cardiovascular levels or maybe your running time, you’re not likely going to if you’ve just beaten up your legs at the squat rack.
But because discussion wouldn’t be complete without another "but," if you are looking for weight loss, many people do cardio after weights. Rumour has it that by using up all your glycogen stores during your resistance training, your body will be a prime fat-burning machine during the cardio portion of your workout. So if your goal is general fitness, without looking for major gains in strength or cardiovascular ability, this might be your best option.
There is also conflicting information about time of day to do cardio. Ultimately, it comes down to your body — how you feel in the morning versus afternoon or evening. If you can’t get up early enough to get a breakfast, let it digest and then have a workout, but also can’t work out on an empty stomach, then common sense would say this isn’t your best time.
Some authorities say it is safe to run first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and a good way to burn a little extra fat, since the body has been detoxifying all night. This also means a low blood-sugar and this can spell disaster for your adrenal glands, which are responsible for your adrenalin and cortisol, also necessary components of a good workout.
It is misleading that you will burn more fat when the body is low on carbohydrates (in other words, glycogen stores). This statement is, in effect, true. But that does not mean an empty stomach. And, coincidentally, the body likes to use carbs when weight training.
Working out on an empty stomach can tax your energies and place too much stress on the immune system, so weigh your options carefully. Again, it comes down to the it-depends factor. Bottom line, you want to make sure that you have the needed energy for the workout. Only you know how well your body functions with lack of food.
Another argument in favour of cardio in the morning is that you will benefit more from the after-effect of your workout all day. There is a period of recovery time when the body is still burning fat and doing its business. It’s often referred to as EPOC, and some think that it’s best to get your workout done in the morning so you can reap the benefits of this heightened metabolism and burning period. Because your metabolism drops during sleep, you lose the oomph of the afterburn when doing your cardio later in the evening.
This heightened sensation is also another reason to do your cardio early in the day. You’ve heard of runner’s high, a result of endorphin release and hormonal balance that is found during exercise. People tend to feel more alert and enthusiastic post-workout. So why wouldn’t you want this to follow you through the day?
Furthermore, if you tend to drain yourself all day at work, chances are you’re either going to bail on your workout or do it half-heartedly. This isn’t very conducive to results.
There is one major rule, though, to be followed by everyone: You shouldn’t exercise too late in the evening. Exercise increases your adrenalin and endorphins, a wonderful payoff from exercise, but it also makes it difficult to wind down.
Even if you feel exhausted from your workout and go straight to bed, you might not fully enter the deep sleep that is so needed for restoration. A good night’s rest before and after your workout is as crucial as the workout itself.
So there you have it, the true meaning behind "it all depends." You need to test these theories out on yourself. There’s no better way to know than to track your results and how you are feeling. Take this stuff to heart as the rains let up and the potential to hit the beach makes you up the ante in your workouts.
