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At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
- "Fiziol Cheloveka"; Acute Testosterone and Cortisol Responses to High Power Resistance Exercise; Andrew Fry & Charles Lohnes; July-Aug. 2010
- "Fiziol Cheloveka"; Acute Testosterone and Cortisol Responses to High Power Resistance Exercise; Andrew Fry & Charles Lohnes; July-Aug. 2010
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Changes in Hormonal Concentrations After Different Heavy-resistance Exercise Protocols in Women; William J. Kraemer, et al., Aug. 1993
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Changes in Hormonal Concentrations After Different Heavy-resistance Exercise Protocols in Women; William J. Kraemer, et al., Aug. 1993
- "European Journal of Endocrinology"; Free Leptin Index and Thyroid Function in Male Highly Trained Athletes; G. Perseghin, et al., December 2009
- "European Journal of Endocrinology"; Free Leptin Index and Thyroid Function in Male Highly Trained Athletes; G. Perseghin, et al., December 2009
- "Obesity Research"; Effects of a Longitudinal Training Program on Responses to Exercise in Overweight Men; F. Crampes, et al., Februrary 2003
- "Obesity Research"; Effects of a Longitudinal Training Program on Responses to Exercise in Overweight Men; F. Crampes, et al., Februrary 2003
- "Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology"; Gaining Weight: the Scientific Basis of Increasing Skeletal Muscle Mass; M. E. Houston; Aug. 1999
- "Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology"; Gaining Weight: the Scientific Basis of Increasing Skeletal Muscle Mass; M. E. Houston; Aug. 1999
The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
Hormones Released When Exercising
Your body generates a variety of hormonal responses to exercise, depending on both the volume and intensity of your training 4.
Both cardiovascular exercise and resistance training have a profound effect on your metabolism, your endocrine system and even your pituitary gland.
Getting the most out of exercise involves knowing how to get the most out of your body. Consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.
Testosterone
Both men and women produce testosterone, but men produce far more. Testosterone is the most anabolic hormone and contributes to muscle growth.
If your goal does not involve getting bigger and stronger, this hormone is still critically important.
Testosterone contributes to the rebuilding and repair of your muscles following training. If you are not training hard enough for this to be a factor, you must train harder. Testosterone is stimulated through intense exercise, most notably by training with 75 percent or more of your maximum lifts in the gym.
- Both men and women produce testosterone, but men produce far more.
- Testosterone is stimulated through intense exercise, most notably by training with 75 percent or more of your maximum lifts in the gym.
Growth Hormone
Sprinting & Testosterone
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Growth hormone is a polypeptide hormone, or a hormone comprised of a complex chain of amino acids. It is secreted by your anterior pituitary gland. This hormone is responsible for many things including muscle growth. Growth hormone also contributes to collagen turnover, and higher levels of growth hormone to joint health, immune system function and the health of your skin.
Growth hormone is stimulated during exercise by intense training and short rest intervals. This would include heavy training in the gym with limited time in-between sets. When performing cardiovascular exercise, interval training with sprint-level intensity followed by short recovery periods fulfills the same function.
- Growth hormone is a polypeptide hormone, or a hormone comprised of a complex chain of amino acids.
- Growth hormone also contributes to collagen turnover, and higher levels of growth hormone to joint health, immune system function and the health of your skin.
Thyroid Hormones
Your thyroid hormones are responsible for your metabolism and are produced by your thyroid gland.
Thyroxine, or T4, increases the calories you burn while exercising by increasing the metabolic rate of many of your cells. While this is useful for disposing of excess sugar and burning fat, T4 does not discriminate and will assist in the conversion of amino acids for energy.
The conversion of amino acids means in extended cardiovascular training sessions, if you lack sufficient sugar to burn, you may lose muscle. A solid nutrition program will help you avoid this. A decrease in lean muscle tissue does not just make you weaker, it lowers your metabolism.
- Your thyroid hormones are responsible for your metabolism and are produced by your thyroid gland.
- The conversion of amino acids means in extended cardiovascular training sessions, if you lack sufficient sugar to burn, you may lose muscle.
Epinephrine
How Long Does It Take Women to Build Muscle?
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The hormone primarily generated by your "fight-or-flight" response is adrenaline, or epinephrine.
Epinephrine increases your metabolism quickly to allow for sudden increases in activity levels. This hormone scavenges fat and sugar for energy, but will also cause you to burn muscle in the absence of sufficient sugar and fat stores. Your production of this hormone is directly proportional to both your exercise intensity and duration. The longer you can maintain intense training, the greater the metabolic boost you will get from epinephrine. Epinephrine is a contributing factor in raising your metabolic rate secondary to heavy resistance training.
- The hormone primarily generated by your "fight-or-flight" response is adrenaline, or epinephrine.
- Epinephrine is a contributing factor in raising your metabolic rate secondary to heavy resistance training.
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone secreted by your pancreas. This hormone regulates your blood sugar levels.
High levels of insulin can cause a sudden decrease in your blood sugar as it works to metabolize available sugar.
This is not always a bad thing, as high levels of insulin can also help shuttle sugar into your muscles following a workout.
After an intense training session, your blood sugar is low and your insulin levels are high. You can take advantage of high insulin levels by quickly consuming a shake composed of simple sugars and simple proteins, such as dextrose and whey.
- Insulin is a hormone secreted by your pancreas.
- High levels of insulin can cause a sudden decrease in your blood sugar as it works to metabolize available sugar.
Related Articles
References
- "Fiziol Cheloveka"; Acute Testosterone and Cortisol Responses to High Power Resistance Exercise; Andrew Fry & Charles Lohnes; July-Aug. 2010
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Changes in Hormonal Concentrations After Different Heavy-resistance Exercise Protocols in Women; William J. Kraemer, et al., Aug. 1993
- "European Journal of Endocrinology"; Free Leptin Index and Thyroid Function in Male Highly Trained Athletes; G. Perseghin, et al., December 2009
- "Obesity Research"; Effects of a Longitudinal Training Program on Responses to Exercise in Overweight Men; F. Crampes, et al., Februrary 2003
- "Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology"; Gaining Weight: the Scientific Basis of Increasing Skeletal Muscle Mass; M. E. Houston; Aug. 1999
- Anderson LJ, Tamayose JM, Garcia JM. Use of growth hormone, IGF-I, and insulin for anabolic purpose: Pharmacological basis, methods of detection, and adverse effects. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2018;464:65-74. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2017.06.010
- Frati P, Busardò FP, Cipolloni L, Dominicis ED, Fineschi V. Anabolic Androgenic Steroid (AAS) related deaths: Autoptic, histopathological and toxicological findings. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2015;13(1):146-159. doi:10.2174/1570159X13666141210225414
- Erotokritou-Mulligan I, Holt RI, Sönksen PH. Growth hormone doping: A review. Open Access J Sports Med. 2011;2:99–111. doi:10.2147/OAJSM.S11626
- Ashpole NM, Sanders JE, Hodges EL, Yan H, Sonntag WE. Growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 and the aging brain. Exp Gerontol. 2015;68:76-81. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2014.10.002
- Morais JA, Jacob KW, Chevalier S. Effects of aging and insulin resistant states on protein anabolic responses in older adults. Exp Gerontol. 2018;108:262-268. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2018.04.025
- Scott RV, Bloom SR. Problem or solution: The strange story of glucagon. Peptides. 2018;100:36-41. doi:10.1016/j.peptides.2017.11.013
- Sagoe D, McVeigh J, Bjørnebekk A, Essilfie MS, Andreassen CS, Pallesen S. Polypharmacy among anabolic-androgenic steroid users: A descriptive metasynthesis. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2015;10:12. doi:10.1186/s13011-015-0006-5
- Martínez-Sanz JM, Sospedra I, Ortiz CM, Baladía E, Gil-Izquierdo A, Ortiz-Moncada R. Intended or unintended doping? A review of the presence of doping substances in dietary supplements used in sports. Nutrients. 2017;9(10):1093. doi:10.3390/nu9101093
- Kreider RB, Wilborn CD, Taylor L, et al. ISSN exercise and sport nutrition review: research and recommendations. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010;7:7. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-7
- Kreider G, Kalman D, Antonio J. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
- Harvard Health Publishing. Growth hormone, athletic performance, and aging. Updated June 19, 2018.
- Kim JH. The effects of daily food ingestion on improved immune functions and health promotion of bodybuilding athletes. J Exerc Rehabil. 2018;14(5):791–801. doi:10.12965/jer.1836424.212
- Iraki J, Fitschen P, Espinar S, Helms E. Nutrition recommendations for bodybuilders in the off-season: A narrative review. Sports (Basel). 2019;7(7):154. doi:10.3390/sports7070154
- Stalder T, Kirschbaum C, Heinze K, et al. Use of hair cortisol analysis to detect hypercortisolism during active drinking phases in alcohol-dependent individuals. Biol Psychol. 2010;85(3):357-60. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.08.005
- Helms ER, Aragon AA, Fitschen PJ. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: Nutrition and supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014;11:20. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-11-20
- Caspero A. Protein and the athlete — how much do you need?. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Updated April 2020.
- Mangine GT, Hoffman JR, Gonzalez AM, et al. The effect of training volume and intensity on improvements in muscular strength and size in resistance-trained men. Physiol Rep. 2015;3(8):e12472. doi:10.14814/phy2.12472
- de Salles BF, Simão R, Miranda F, Novaes JdS, Lemos A, Willardson JM. Rest interval between sets in strength training. Sports Med. 2009;39(9):765-777. doi:10.2165/11315230-000000000-00000
Writer Bio
Eric Brown began writing professionally in 1990 and has been a strength and conditioning coach and exercise physiologist for more than 20 years. His published work has appeared in "Powerlifting USA," "Ironsport" and various peer-reviewed journals. Brown has a Bachelor of Science in exercise physiology from the University of Michigan and a Master of Science in kinesiology from the University of California, Los Angeles.