If you have read a few of my articles then I'm sure you have heard me talk briefly about cortisol. I think it's about time I went into a little bit more detail about this hormone and what roles it has in the body, what effects it has on the body if you have too much or too little, what can raise and lower levels and of course what effect it has on training.
Cortisol is a steroid hormone (no, it won't get you massive) that is produced by the adrenal glands and is often referred to as the ‘stress hormone’. Whenever your body is stressed emotionally or physically, your cortisol levels rise. Have you heard of fight or flight? It's common when something immediately shocks you and you feel a sudden rush of energy due to a release of adrenaline. Well, during this response cortisol levels also rise. Although your levels of cortisol are a good indicator of how stressed you are, it plays an important role in the body and is involved in many functions.
So how do you recognise if you have too little or too much of this hormone?
Signs you have too much cortisol:
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Frequent headaches and muscle aches
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Poor sleep quality
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You may get enough sleep, but you wake up tired
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You gain weight easily
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You get ill easily
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You feel a bit down
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You are often anxious
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Low sex drive
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You are craving unhealthy foods often
These don’t look very appealing, do they?
Common causes of raising cortisol levels can be illnesses, being stuck in traffic, exercising too much, arriving late to somewhere important, demanding jobs (physically and mentally), arguing and being anxious.
Signs you have too little cortisol:
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Fatigue
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Weight loss
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Mood changes
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Dizziness
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Muscle weakness
These symptoms can come on slowly over time so they may not be something you notice straight away.
Cortisol is catabolic, which means it has the horrible ability to break down your hard-earned muscle tissue. You never want to be in a catabolic state, which happens when your cortisol levels are too high because you are stressed. You aren’t going to have many good training sessions if your cortisol levels are too high. You will feel tired, weak and unmotivated. You will also have a harder time building muscle or losing fat.
So how do you keep
your cortisol levels optimised?
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Make sure to get enough sleep each night. Keep a solid bedtime routine. That means aim to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. Limit caffeine and alcohol too close to bed and make sure your room is dark and a cool temperature.
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Exercise a fair amount. Don’t over do the exercise, but make sure you are doing something to keep you active 3-4 times a week. Listen to your body.
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Know when you are stressed. Recognising when you are in stressful situations can allow you to take action and calm yourself down. A popular technique is mindfulness, which is worth a google for more information!
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Do things that make you happy! Being in a good mood and having fun is one of the best ways to keep cortisol levels under control. Do you ever feel stressed whilst you are enjoying yourself?
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Eat healthy foods. The benefits of healthy eating are well documented. High sugar intake has often been linked with higher cortisol levels in those who are considered obese.
Lifestyle should be the first thing you look at changing when wanting to lower your cortisol levels. However, a supplement I swear by for staying within a healthy range is Ashwagandha. Do some research on it and then swing by Powerbody for the best deal.
