I am lucky enough to have a guest post today from Shannon Clark in collaboration with Gym and Fitness Australia.
Enjoy.
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Cortisol And The Impact It Has On Fat Gain,
Especially Around The Abs
If you’re currently on a diet plan and looking to get lean, one hormone that you want to make yourself very aware of is that of cortisol.
You’ve likely heard about insulin before as you researched how to best win the war against the bulge. By controlling your insulin levels, you reduce the chances that body fat is gained as you go about your program, giving your total fat burning a boost.
But, one hormone that few people give the attention it deserves is that of cortisol.
What is this hormone and why does it impact you?
Let’s look at what you should know.
What Is Cortisol?
Photo Credits
First let’s discuss what this hormone is. Cortisol is a stress hormone associated with the ‘fight or flight’ response. It’s a hormone the body will release in times of stress that will give you a sudden boost in your energy level, preparing you to fight off whatever that potential stress may be.
Back in the caveman era, this was a very good thing as the stressors they faced where usually physically dangers. If they came into contact with a live wild animal, cortisol is what would give them the boost they need to run as fast and far away from it.
In today’s world however, we typically aren’t running into wild animals as we go about our day. Instead, we stress over other things. We stress over work presentations and meetings, relationships, finances, even whether you will be able to make it to the gym tonight to get in your workout session.
Many of us suffer from chronic stress levels, meaning cortisol is always surging through our veins.
In addition to this, lack of sleep and too much cardio training can also boost cortisol levels, so if you’re guilty of either of those, you likely have higher than normal levels going on.
Why Does Cortisol Hinder Your Progress?
So what’s the problem with cortisol? And why is it so detrimental?
Think of it this way. That energy boost it gives you has to come from some where. The place it comes is from body tissues. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone, meaning it breaks down body tissues to release instant energy.
The downside however is the body tissue it breaks down is typically not body fat – it’s lean muscle mass. So when cortisol is high, this means you are in a state of muscle wasting. Not ideal.
But there’s more. Since in today’s times, you aren’t using this energy fighting off that wild animal – you’re sitting at your desk or on the couch, that means you suddenly have a surge of glucose present in your blood steam.
Based on your previous research about insulin, what happens when you get a surge of glucose in your system?
Insulin comes in and takes that glucose up and puts it in storage – as more body fat.
So basically, with high cortisol levels, you will be breaking down muscle mass and gaining body fat, without even eating any food. Clearly you can see the problem with this when your goal is a lean body.
What’s even more is that when you have elevated cortisol levels, your body will preferentially store this excess fat right in the abdominal region as was discovered by researchers who published a study in the Psychosomatic Medicine journal.
The Take Home Message
So the take home message for you here is that if you want to get leaner and especially if you want to get a flat stomach, it’s time to put good stress busting measures in place.
Figure out how you can best control your stress level and then make certain that you are using those strategies on a regular basis.
Reference
Colla, Michael, MD. Et al. (2002). Hypercortisolemic Depression Is Associated With Increased Intra-Abdominal Fat. Vol. 64, Issue 2. Pp. 274-277.
This post was written by Shannon Clark in collaboration with Gym and Fitness Australia. Shannon Clark has been working in the personal training and online fitness writing field for the last 12 years and has worked with numerous clients and websites, providing content in the fitness niche. She holds a degree in Exercise Science from the University of Alberta.