TIP#1.8 - 5 Steps To Avoid Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal Fatigue is a loose non-medical term for a partly stressed endocrine system. The endocrine system decribes the secretion of hormones from multiple glands in the body, and the maintenance of optimal levels of particular hormones. Adrenal Fatigue means that hormone function of the Adrenal Glands has become less than optimal.
1. Identify What Adrenal Fatigue Actually Is
When the body experiences a 'stressor', e.g. an intense workout, high stress work commitment, personal grievance, injury etc (see image below), the Adrenal Glands produce stress hormones - Cortisol, Adrenaline and Insulin. Cortisol transports Fat to the blood stream to be used as extra energy, Adrenaline increases heart and breathing rate in preparation for physical exertion, and Insulin to transport energy and nutrients around the body. A perfectly adapted system to deal with stressful situation. However, if stress hormones are continually being stimulated the body will not have enough material to produce sex hormones or 'steroid' hormones like mainly Testosterone for men, and Estradiol for women, among others. This is the first stage of Adrenal Fatigue.
2. Identify Its Relevance To Your Life
A stressed hormonal system is just that, too much 'stress' hormones are produced and not enough steroid hormones are produced. Why is that relevant to fitness? Because optimal hormone function, namely increased sex/steroid hormone production is extremely beneficial to improving health, vitality, muscle gain and fat loss. What are your priorities and what do you hope to gain from your career, training and lifestyle? Can preventing adrenal fatigue directly help you achieve specific goals? Obviously, preventing it is best for everyone, but it helps to identify the potential gains you can make from its absence.
3. Locate A Potential Source
If your Fitness priorities are to get fitter, healthier, leaner, stronger etc then you must be aware of your workout frequency, and make sure over-training is not occuring. Hard training produces stress hormones and too much training overloads the adrenal glands and reduces steroid hormones you need to improve in the gym. Stress at work can do the same. Go straight to the source and eliminate the threat; Train less - most people can only recover from 4 rigourous weight training sessions per week, and focus on a full body approach, rather than exercising the same muscle group multiple times per week.
4. Make A Necessary Change
Once a potential source has been identified, now you can be pro-active about changing it for the better. If you train hard with weights more than 4 times per week, re-assess your progress - are you still improving? Are you actually getting worse? Increased stress hormone release requires plenty of energy, so cortisol can actually start to break down your muscle tissue to make glucose, and the Insulin release along side it can then transport whatever isn't used straight into your fat stores, effectively turning muscle into fat. Look at your training program, start training less BUT more effectively. Read here for more info on Effective Training.
5. Give Your Body A Boost
Now that you are pro-actively trying to lead an Adrenal Fatigue free life, you can focus on providing your body with materials to boost the production of the sex/ steroid hormones and other health improving processes in your body. This is where a healthy diet and supplement program comes in. Diet is everything when it comes to controlling metabolism and keeping Insulin and Cortisol Levels low. Vitamins and minerals are vital for optimal hormone function and you can give your endocrine system (hormone system) the best chance for success by including supplements that actually work. For info on optimal dieting please click here. For info on vital supplements click here.
Thanks so much for reading!
Matt The Trainer
Personal Trainer London
