There are many factors that affect muscle growth. In particular, cortisol, a stress hormone, has a significant impact on muscle tissue. This hormone is produced by the body under stressful circumstances, stunting muscle growth by causing it to remain in a catabolic rather than anabolic state.
Any kind of stress, be it mental, physical, or emotional has the potential to increase the production of cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels are a significant problem for bodybuilders as it creates a negative feedback system causing more stress.
Exercising, especially when aimed at building muscle, is very taxing on the body. This may lead to undesirable amounts of cortisol, destroying muscle tissue, decreasing bone density, and causing weight gain primarily in the abdominal region. Aren’t we all too familiar with that pesky abdominal fat.
Cortisol would rather see your fat grow than your muscles. It depletes protein in the muscle tissue. In all fairness, it does have some positive effects as well.
Produced in the adrenal cortex, cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, plays an important role in the body’s metabolism — carbohydrates in particular, cardiovascular function and inflammatory control. This is all fairly intuitive considering it is, after all, a steroid hormone.
Cortisol causes amino acids from muscle protein to be broken down in order to be converted into glucose then energy for the body. Thus, as more of the hormone is produced, muscle tissue deteriorates. Additionally, cortisol interferes with protein synthesis, essentially halting the development of any fresh muscle tissue.
How Can You Lower Cortisol Levels
Get plenty of sleep allowing for recovery from the stresses of the day and rebuilding of wear and tear. Also not getting enough sleep can cause further stress and thereby increase cortisol production.
Alleviate stress by taking up yoga, reading or just taking a break from the demands of your life. Study meditation and breathing techniques to control daily stressors. For a more long-term mental reset, take a week long break from your regular workout routine. Levels of cortisol will lower according to your relaxation.
Avoid over-training, a common misconception across all disciplines but especially in bodybuilding and weight lifting. Don’t let your cortisol hormones negate all of your hard work by preventing muscle building.
Once you rid your body and mind of stress, cortisol levels will be reduced to healthy levels and you will notice significant gains in muscle mass after regular training. So a high level of cortisol is one reason why your muscles won’t grow.
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