What You Need to Know About Cortisol

Humans want a life free from stress, but we unwittingly enter the stress pool. One hormone, cortisol, is in charge of our innate desire for stress. The steroid hormone that regulates our emotions, degree of motivation, and fear is cortisol. Although the hormone has a significant impact, we will dispel many misunderstandings and discuss all about cortisol in this article.

What is cortisol?

The strongest steroid hormone, or glucocorticoid, is cortisol. Before we lose you in technicalities, let’s clarify that cortisol is a continual, normal stress response. This hormone is located in the adrenal glands, which are located directly over the kidney, cortisol is produced.

Cortisol is released into the circulation with ease thanks to this positioning. However, the brain controls the release of cortisol only when necessary, depending on the prevailing circumstances.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which are situated on top of each kidney. Often referred to as the body’s “stress hormone,” cortisol plays a crucial role in various physiological functions, including metabolism regulation, immune response, blood pressure control, and the body’s response to stress.

When a person faces a stressful situation, whether physical or psychological, the body triggers the release of cortisol into the bloodstream. This surge in cortisol helps the body cope with stress by increasing glucose levels, providing an immediate energy source to tackle the stressful situation. It also suppresses functions that are deemed non-essential in that moment, such as the digestive and reproductive systems, to prioritize resources towards the stress response.

However, chronic stress or prolonged elevated levels of cortisol can lead to detrimental effects on health. It may result in weakened immune function, increased blood pressure, disrupted sleep patterns, weight gain (especially around the abdomen), impaired cognitive function, and mood disturbances.

Cortisol follows a natural rhythm throughout the day, with higher levels in the morning to kickstart the day and gradually decreasing as the day progresses, reaching its lowest point at night. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, managing stress effectively, getting adequate sleep, and regular exercise can help regulate cortisol levels and support overall well-being.

How does this hormone work?

Have you ever experienced a spike in heart rate in the presence of fear or excitement? For instance, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland will alarm you if you are crossing a busy street and a car is coming at you at high speed. The adrenal gland is targeted by this warning alarm, which causes the production of both cortisol and adrenaline. Now, cortisol raises the body’s amount of glucose while adrenaline provides you a “rush.”

Does cortisol have any advantages?

The body needs cortisol for a variety of good purposes as well. The body receives energy from glucose when cortisol is released, which also controls metabolism. In order to prevent hyperglycemia while blood sugar levels are falling, cortisol converts protein to glucose. In cases of chronic sickness, cortisol aids in the healing process because it is an anti-inflammatory hormone. Cortisol also aids in the body’s equilibrium.

Cortisol, commonly known as the “stress hormone,” is often associated with negative connotations due to its role in the body’s stress response. However, cortisol serves several crucial functions that are advantageous for human health.

One of its primary roles is to regulate metabolism by controlling blood sugar levels, aiding in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Cortisol also helps reduce inflammation and plays a vital role in the immune system’s response to infections, allergies, and injuries. Additionally, it assists in maintaining blood pressure and cardiovascular function, contributing to overall homeostasis within the body.

Furthermore, cortisol is essential for the body’s fight-or-flight response, enabling individuals to react swiftly to stressors. It boosts energy levels, sharpens focus, and enhances memory temporarily, aiding in survival instincts.

However, while cortisol offers these benefits in appropriate amounts and timing, chronic elevated levels due to ongoing stress can lead to adverse effects on health, including increased risk of anxiety, depression, weight gain, and impaired immune function. Moderation and balance in cortisol levels are crucial for harnessing its advantageous effects while avoiding potential harm.

What are the disadvantages associated with increased cortisol?

While cortisol is beneficial in its acute state, or in short bursts, problems occur when it is chronic, or ongoing. Cortisol excess can cause damage in the following ways:

• Increased anxiety
• Depression
• Trouble sleeping
• Unhealthy weight gain
• Loss of muscle
• Headaches
• Appetite loss
• Lethargy
• Nausea
• Weakness

Further, A person’s immunity is significantly impacted if their cortisol levels are out of control and consistently rising. Because glucose levels are constantly rising in situations of severe stress, protein stores are exhausted, which leads to muscle atrophy. High cortisol causes visceral fat to accumulate, which causes fast weight gain.

Additionally, elevated cortisol has an impact on women’s libido, irregular menstrual cycles, and even infertility. There are several strategies to control cortisol; all it requires is a deeper comprehension and proper channelization.

Thus it is important to keep your cortisol levels in check and not live a stressful life.

How to keep cortisol levels in check and make the most of this hormone?

The most crucial step in controlling cortisol release is to keep note of when it is highest and counteract it with the appropriate workouts. Yes, RIGHT as some exercises may cause Cortisol to increase even higher.

Your sleep cycle and the Circadian rhythm are directly related to cortisol (natural processes respond primarily to light and dark). When you first wake up, especially between 7 and 9 am and around dusk, your body produces the most cortisol. One may determine the workouts that need to be programmed in for the correct gains based on these times.

Exercises with a high rate of intensity may result in further cortisol buildup. Cortisol levels have also been shown to increase after sprinting or endurance exercise. Bodybuilders’ high-volume training methods and brief rest intervals are known to raise cortisol levels.

However, performing these activities during the spike hours wouldn’t intensify the already elevated cortisol, but it may lead to loss of muscle mass. So what exactly should you do?

The best course of action is to concentrate on resistance training while maintaining a reasonably constant heart rate. Exercise when cortisol levels are already high since performance is improved with a small bump at that time. This is also a terrific way to manage cortisol throughout the day so that the body has time to unwind at night, when it’s truly time to sleep.

One thing to note that while resistance training, the muscles experience breakdown which causes them to regrow bigger. To aid in smooth muscle recovery, one can consider supplementing with whey protein.

Most significantly, enough sleep is needed to maintain a healthy cortisol level and to support muscle repair and growth when at rest.

Finally

The hormone cortisol is vital and influences many bodily functions. Although there are many things you can do to try to reduce your stress and regulate your cortisol levels, sometimes having unusually high or low amounts of cortisol is beyond your control.

It’s critical to get in touch with your healthcare practitioner if you see any signs of high or low cortisol levels, such as weight gain or loss or high or low blood pressure. If your symptoms are being caused by your pituitary or adrenal glands, they can do some quick tests to determine which is the cause.