This is the second part of how to control cortisol to keep the muscle. I’m talking about health before tips to manage it with workout programs, food, and supplements. If you didn’t read the first part, click here.
Health
Have a high rate of cortisol influence health and mental health. It disturbs neurotransmitters. When it’s is high, it increase the adrenaline (epinephrine) level. Here the effects for health:
Reduction
of noradrenaline
Noradrenaline
fatigue makes you less focused and your blood pressure is low. And it
can also lead to depression and anxiety.
Decline
of dopamine
Dopamine
creates noradrenaline. When you create to much adrenaline, you can
damage the dopamine too. The consequences are Laziness, depression,
lack of pleasure (anhedonia) and lack of motivation.
Deacrease
the sensibility of beta-adrenergic receptors
Release
a lot of adrenaline for a long time affects beta-adrenergic
receptors. It’s not good to have a high rate of adrenaline all the
time. It raises blood pressure to a high level and can damage the
cardiovascular system.
The body to protect itself decreases the sensibility of the receptors. It does it to less react to its own adrenaline. The effects are depression, laziness, low self-esteem, and low energy.
How to control cortisol
It’s
time to know how to manage cortisol in a good way.
Workout
3
elements of workout can influence to not have an unnecessary high
rate of cortisol.
Volume
of workout
More
you train, more you need energy. When you have a high need of energy,
the cortisol will be more use to help to organize resources.
Effort
demand
More
you make effort, more you produce cortisol. For example, when you go
to failure, you create more cortisol.
Mental strength
In
the case where you do a stressful exercise, you create more cortisol.
I mean when you try to bet your record on squat or deadlift, your
body release more cortisol.
To
make a comparison, there is a difference in cortisol production with
exercises. With polyarticular exercises (squat or deadlift), you
create more cortisol than others (curls).
All
this information helps to decrease the damage of cortisol with a
little plan:
- When
you do a big volume of workout => reduce your effort for each set
(no failure).
- When you do polyarticular movement => reduce the volume of training.
- With
polyarticular exercise avoid to go to failure.
- When
you do a real heavy training (92.5% + range) => reduce the
workout volume.
- In
the situation where you add a new exercise => cut down the volume
until you understand the new movement.
Food
As
said before, cortisol has also the function to stabilize the blood
sugar rate. The body creates more cortisol when blood sugar rate is
low. Eat carbs helps to reduce it and help to keep a normal blood
sugar rate.
There is a lot of different type of low-carb diets. In my point of view, it’s a bad idea to use it if you have often a high rate of stress. This situation can drive to a constant creation of cortisol. Of course, you can produce glucose from amino acids to keep a normal rate of blood sugar. What I am saying is a keto diet doesn’t protect you at 100% of an excess of it. If you are a very active person, doesn’t eat carbs can have a result of a high level of cortisol.
In
the meantime, a high-carb diet is not the solution. Eat around 30% of
carbs in your caloric intake helps to have a low glycemic and have
the cortisol under control.
Eat
carbs at the diner helps to reduce cortisol to sleep well and have a
better recovery.
Supplements
It’s
also possible to use some supplements as tools to manage better
cortisol.
Glycine
Glycine is an essential amino acid. One of its functions is to slow the nervous system when it’s too busy. In consequence, it reduces adrenaline and cortisol. Glycine boosts the distribution of serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical called happy chemical because it’s a well-being neurotransmitter. Glycine also stimulates mTOR . mTOR improves protein synthesis from a workout session.
Magnesium
Eat magnesium after a training session and in the evening. As a result, it reduces the link between adrenaline and adrenergic receptors . This helps you to relax and at the same time protect the beta-adrenergic receptors.
Rhodiola
Rhodiola
Rosea is a plant from mountainous areas of Europe, Asia and Arctic.
This plant has several benefits. In this case, it improves the
ability to handle stress. Less stress, less cortisol.
Training
supplements
Carbs from workout supplements are easier to absorb while a training session. In the situation where you have already carbs, your body can create less cortisol. Remember it also organizes your resources (energy) for your body.
Vitamin
D
Vitamin
D helps in the process in the conversion of adrenaline to
noradrenaline. This vitamin decreases the effect of cortisol in an
indirect way. It blocks an excessive production of adrenaline.
This
avoids to have:
- a
reduction of dopamine or noradrenaline.
- adrenergic
less sensitive.
Conclusion
The
body doesn’t create cortisol to destroy itself. Cortisol is a hormone
that helps to survive in dangerous situations. The problem is when it
has a constant high rate, it becomes bad for health. Today, we have a
lifestyle that makes easier to have a high level of stress. This is,
for this reason, is important to know how to control it to have a
better life.
Share
this article if you think it can help someone you know. Thank you.
-Steph
