The Harmony between Hormones and your health

I know I haven’t been talking about the most appealing topics lately, but I’m trying to give you something from every piece of the puzzle, not just training. This week I want to talk about hormones. No not steroids, nor will I be talking anything about PMS-I barely know the difference between an ovary and a belly button.  Just kidding, but seriously.  Two more important hormones that weather you’re looking to get buff like Arnold to impress Maria, or loose the belly with Richard Simmons, this information will help you reach them a lot easier.


Your hormones are controlled by what you eat and when you eat. Your workouts also affect hormones. Throughout the whole day, your body is like a furnace burning through calories. Your body’s furnace is hottest when you are working out, meaning it will burn through energy stores (or wood for a furnace) a lot faster compared to when your furnace temperature is cooler. This means that eating around your workouts is extremely important-even for weight loss! It’s not rocket science, but it can be very confusing for people, as far as what to eat. So, either you can keep reading this and find out some answer’s, or you can pick up your ninja turtles, G.I. Joe’s, or lincoln logs, and have a blast if this is too monotonous.

Glad you decided to keep reading, you had me worried! So, the hormones that I’m most concerned with are Cortisol and Insulin. Cortisol is a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands. Believe or not, your body is under a lot of stress when you exercise! So this means that when your workout, your cortisol levels are through the roof.  If these stress levels stay elevated, it can be counterproductive to recover from your workouts since it inhibits amino acids and glucose from entering the muscles. By not allowing your body to recover after your workouts, you will induce less lean muscle with a greater percentage of body fat in your body since your muscles are unable to replenish. Someone with more lean muscle tissue in their body will burn through more fat stores a lot faster, than, someone who has less lean muscle tissue. And yes, you can also be thin (not bulky!) with a higher amount of lean muscle tissue. If Cortisol is the bad guy, the hero is Insulin- IF he arrives within a half hour before and after your workout. Seriously, how many people do you know that use a hero and villain analogy when describing hormones? That’s a rhetorical question; I know, outstanding. You need to boost your Insulin levels surrounding your workouts, so he can use his super powers to offset the negative effects of Cortisol. These super powers are results from being able to provide your body with fast-acting amino acids (building blocks to protein) along with refueling muscle glycogen from being depleted-compared to someone who doesn’t fuel up before and after their workouts. What works best for me is raisins (1/4 cup to ½ cup) to replenish muscle glycogen, and a protein shake with amino acids (no, this will not make you “bulk up” women!!) before and after your workouts. Honey is also another great, low calorie, insulin booster. Also, Vitamin C before and after your workouts can also minimize the negative effects of Cortisol- try taking about 250mg.

So, there you have it. Your body will simply be running in circles, going no where-just like a hamster on a wheel if you refuse to fuel your muscles before and after your workouts (for both weights and/or “cardio”). What’s the point of working out if you’re not doing your body any good, am I right? You will not lose weight (or fat), gain muscle, get ripped, or improve your health without paying attention to your hormones!



Tyler Hanson,

AFAA certified personal trainer

Thanson42@live.com