Exercise & Lifestyle
Good health requires a balanced approach to exercise as well as diet.
Exercise has a wide range of physical and mental benefits. It supports the release of a number of hormones – including growth hormone, important to build lean muscle mass and reduce some impacts of ageing.
See how these eight important hormones are stimulated by exercise and the benefits they influence. Next time you take a walk, visit the gym, or take part in sport, consider how you can optimise hormone production naturally to improve your wellness.
1. Growth Hormone
Aerobic exercise releases natural growth hormone from the pituitary gland in the brain, especially more intense exercise such as interval training.
Growth hormone stimulates protein synthesis (muscle tone/development), and strength of bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. It helps decrease use of glucose and increases use of fat as a fuel during exercise. This helps reduce body fat and keep blood glucose at a normal level which helps you exercise for longer periods.
2. Endorphins
The pituitary gland produces endorphins that block pain, decrease appetite, create a feeling of euphoria (the exercise high), and reduce tension and anxiety. Moderate or intense aerobic exercise (over 30 minutes) can raise blood levels of endorphins up to five times over resting levels.
The more you exercise, the longer endorphins stay in your blood. This makes exercise easier and allows you to last longer with less pain or physical discomfort.
3. Testosterone
Testosterone helps maintain muscle tone, mass and strength in both men and women. It also plays a role to increase metabolism, decrease body fat and stimulate a feeling of well-being. Women produce testosterone in their ovaries, men in their testes.
Females have only about one tenth the amount of testosterone as males, but that level in females plays a role in libido and intensity of orgasms. Production of testosterone in females begins to decline as women begin to approach menopause, men in their forties. Blood levels of testosterone increase with exercise about 20 minutes into an exercise session, and blood levels may remain elevated for one to three hours after exercise.
4. Estrogen
Estrogen increases fat breakdown from body fat stores to use it as fuel, increases metabolism, elevates your mood and increases libido. This hormone is at much higher blood levels in women, but the ovaries begin to produce less of it as a woman approaches menopause.
The amount of estrogen (specifically 17 beta estradiol) secreted by the ovaries increases with exercise, and blood levels may remain elevated for one to four hours after exercise.
5. Thyroxine (T4)
Produced by the thyroid gland, Thyroxine raises the metabolic rate of almost all cells in the body. This increase in metabolism helps you feel more energetic so you can expend more calories to result in more effective weight loss.
Exercise can raise blood levels of thyroxine by about 30% and remain elevated for several hours afterward. Increased exercise intensity or duration only increases and helps prolong thyroxine levels.
6. Epinephrine (adrenaline)
A type of adrenaline, Epinephrine stimulates breakdown of glycogen (stored carbohydrate) to use as fuel in the active muscles and liver.
Produced primarily by the adrenal medulla that increases the amount of blood the heart pumps and directs blood flow to where it’s needed. The amount of epinephrine released from the adrenal medulla is proportional to the intensity and duration of exercise.
7. Insulin (adrenaline)
Another type of adrenaline, Insulin is important to regulate (decrease) blood levels of glucose (blood sugar) and in transport glucose, fatty acids (fat), and amino acids (protein) into the cells.
After a meal, the pancreas secretes Insulin in response to a rise in blood sugar and/or protein (amino acids). Typically, the larger the meal, or the greater the quantity of simple sugars consumed, the larger the insulin response. An excessive insulin response causes fat production within the cells, which makes insulin often called the “fat hormone”.
In overweight people cells can develop a resistance to insulin. This means blood levels of insulin run higher than normal. Losing weight and daily aerobic exercise helps reverse this condition. Blood levels of insulin begin to decrease about 10 minutes into an aerobic exercise session and continue to decrease through about 70 minutes of exercise. Regular exercise also increases a cell’s sensitivity to insulin at rest.
8. Glucagon
Glucagon helps raise blood levels of glucose (blood sugar) as a hormone secreted by the pancreas. When blood sugar levels get too low, glucagon is released to help stored carbohydrate (glycogen) in the liver into the blood stream to raise blood sugar to a normal level. It also causes the breakdown of fat to use as fuel. Glucagon typically is released after 30 minutes of exercise when blood glucose levels begin to decrease.
The type of exercise you do may have an impact on your hormone levels. It is important you seek advice from a Health Practitioner about the best exercise program for you. You may also consider Hormone Testing from a qualified health practitioner.
