More is necessarily not better??

kel7298

I have come across a few articles that talk about a stress hormone called cortisol that is released after 45 minutes of exercise.

Any truth to this?

The article reads:

If 30 minutes on the elliptical a day keeps the muffin top away, then surely 60 minutes will shrink the entire muffin, right? Wrong. Gym rats log endless hours on the elliptical with the hope of fitting into their skinny jeans, but their efforts may be conspiring against them, McCall says. When the body is physically or emotionally stressed, it pumps out cortisol, a stress hormone that causes belly fat to plump up. Between the 45 to 60-minute mark, there is no gain for the work you do. Exercising after this point will start to break your muscle down because cortisol will surge. The effect is magnified in exercisers who skimp on calories -- the body is forced to rely on the protein in muscles for energy, storing the carbs you eat as belly fat. Banish that bloated tummy by eating a balanced diet, cutting back on your workouts and adding interval training. If you normally spend an hour on the Stairmaster at the same intensity level, try a 40 minute session with a twist. Alternate two-to-four minutes of hard climbing with two-to-four minutes of easy climbing.

2.

rmsrws

Congrats on the not smoking for over 20 months!! I hope soon I am strong enough to kick the habit to the curb!

cmriverside

Can you reference the article?

kel7298

Here is the link: It is # 4

http://www.ivillage.com/overdoing-it-gym-hurting-you/4-b-393328?nlcid=dt|11-02-2011|#393334

Also read another article but will have to locate that one.

flimflamfloz

Gym rats log endless hours on the elliptical with the hope of fitting into their skinny jeans, but their efforts may be conspiring against them, McCall says.

"May" is the keyword here.

When the body is physically or emotionally stressed, it pumps out cortisol, a stress hormone that causes belly fat to plump up..

Is different from:

- Exercising after this point will start to break your muscle down because cortisol will surge.
- The effect is magnified in exercisers who skimp on calories
- The body is forced to rely on the protein in muscles for energy, storing the carbs you eat as belly fat.

In one case exercise makes you fatter (does not make sense), in the other case, for the person who does not eat enough, exercise makes you fatter (ok, now I see what the person is trying to tell).

Can't be strictly true, otherwise all the professional athletes training 5-6 hours a day would be enormous... But no apparently. So then, IF you meet the conditions described in the article, you MAY be gimping your fat loss, even stopping it.

mlb929

I actually take a supplement called PS (don't remember what it stands for) because upon cortisol level testing, post workout cortisol was an issue as well as AM cortisol levels. My ARNP put me on this to ensure it wasn't a problem. I've read several resources on this theory and find it interesting, not changing my routine because of it but do understand in theory why it's discussed. I think it's worth talking through with a person that understands cortisol levels.

kel7298

Congrats on the not smoking for over 20 months!! I hope soon I am strong enough to kick the habit to the curb!

Thank you! You can do if it's REALLY what you want.

Jeff92se

How many long distance runners do you see that are fat?

I think the amount of stress that you'd have to put yourself though to get this response is alot higher than most of us put into our workouts.

cmriverside

Here is the link: It is # 4

http://www.ivillage.com/overdoing-it-gym-hurting-you/4-b-393328?nlcid=dt|11-02-2011|#393334

Also read another article but will have to locate that one.

Thanks. No worries, don't go looking for it.

I've heard/read this before. Not sure I believe it in this particular context. But there are so many variables, and the body is so difficult to meaure and quantify what exactly is going on in individual instances.

I think you can drive yourself crazy looking for "the" answer to these types of questions. I try to keep it simple.

Is it working? ( flow chart to choices........)

kel7298

Here is the link: It is # 4

http://www.ivillage.com/overdoing-it-gym-hurting-you/4-b-393328?nlcid=dt|11-02-2011|#393334

Also read another article but will have to locate that one.

Thanks. No worries, don't go looking for it.

I've heard/read this before. Not sure I believe it in this particular context. But there are so many variables, and the body is so difficult to meaure and quantify what exactly is going on in individual instances.

I think you can drive yourself crazy looking for "the" answer to these types of questions. I try to keep it simple.

Is it working? ( flow chart to choices........)

I agree...

lloydrt

for me, and again ,this applies to me

IMHO, that elliptical, with 2 Ls, took tons off of my *kitten* and my waist

I was to big to do sit ups, so I put the resistance up to the max and worked out for 65 mins a day. I lwent from a 52 inch waist to a 34, lost all the wieght in my *kitten* and in my legs, its firmed up and I look pretty good........again, I never did a sit up to lose my waist,

I hate , hate sit ups, and again, I was so big at the beginning ,that I couldnt, so I started at 10 mins, the 15, then 30, etc.........that elliptical is your friend, just keep increasing your resistance.....................Lloyd