Feeling a bit off? Keep working out but you don’t see results?
Whenever you feel off, your hormones could be the cause. About half of depressed people have elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Consistently high levels may lower your body’s production of mood stabilising brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. Exercise helps to raise the levels of serotonin. However, don’t work out too hard for too long as this could raise your cortisol levels! Keep hard workouts under 60 minutes. Lack of sleep could also be something to consider as it can affect your appetite hormones. Having only a few hours of kip can decrease the hormone that controls satiety. Hence you don’t feel full after eating and tend to eat more. Go for a protein packed breakfast which will help keep your hormones in check and of course try to get at least 7 hours of good quality sleep per night.
Testosterone Levels and Lifting
Between the ages of 30 and 80 testosterone levels in men decline. A decrease in testosterone can lead to a number of illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. However, there are a number of ways in which you can increase the levels of testosterone in your body and weight lifting is one of them. Testosterone also plays a role in muscle strength and mass, bone density as well as fat distribution and red blood cell production. Not just referring to men here! The body responds to large compound movement exercises by producing testosterone. High testosterone levels block the production of high estrogen which leads to weight gain and water retention. Testosterone also acts as a fat burning substance which promotes weight loss. A top benefit is that testosterone aids in the production of lean muscle tissue. Your body will burn more calories with excess muscle because muscle is an active tissue and requires maintenance.
Hence it is clear to see that exercise and movement play a very positive role in balancing our hormone levels which is vital for our well being!
