More than an Endorphin Rush, 8 Hormones Involved in your Workouts!

Have you ever wondered what goes on in your body during your ‘endorphin’ burning short period of time that you invest at the gym everyday?

If you are the least bit curious, just like me you would definitely want to know what’s going on inside your body!  When it comes to your workouts, it’s all about your hormones!

Hormones are chemical substances, which are produced in the body that control and regulate the activity of certain organs and cells.  Hormones are required for every activity that we perform in life; digestion, growth, metabolism, mood control reproduction, etc.  Many of the hormones get secreted by certain special glands; such as the thyroid hormone produced by the thyroid gland.

In addition to this there are also many hormones, which are known as neurotransmitters.  These chemical messengers found in the nervous system are known for specifically across the synaptic cleft. Other examples of neurotransmitters are dopamine and noradrenaline.

However, when it comes to exercise its mainly the endocrine system at work, regulating the production of these hormones! This system is a collection of different glands that produce hormones regulating metabolism, growth and development, mood, tissue function, reproduction, sleep, sexual function, among other things.

The major glands that make up the endocrine system include the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, adrenal glands, thyroid, pancreases, pineal gland, parathyroid and reproductive glands. It is important to understand that while our nervous system makes use of neurons, our endocrine hormones and chemicals need to circulate the body through the blood vessels. 

Some of the important hormones involved in your WORKOUT & their physiological functions they control:

1) Insulin: When you exercise, your body is already trying to burn your calories – a form of glucose known as glycogen’.  It is extremely important to balance food, activity, (exercise amounts), medications and insulin levels. Any one can increase or decrease the blood glucose levels.

This peptide hormone that is produced by the pancreas is in charge of regulating fat metabolism and carbohydrates. If our blood sugar levels ever increased, insulin is released throughout the body to promote absorption from the bloodstream or even to the fatty tissues.

Insulin is known to cause fat when stored in the adipose tissue instead of fueling muscle activity. As soon as you begin your workout, the sympathetic nervous system begins to suppress the release of insulin and simultaneously suppression of foods with high amounts of sugar in them (such as sports drinks) even before your workout should be completely avoided because this is WHAT will ELEVATE your insulin levels and promote that glycogen storage instead of permitting it to be of any use to fuel physical activity. It is very important to ensure that your body needs to START sweating having any sports drinks or energy gels. 

2) Glucagon: A peptide hormone (protein hormone) that is produced by the alpha cells of the pancreas, glucagon generally elevates the glucose and fat in the bloodstream. This is very important for stimulating the release of free fatty acids (FFAs) from the adipose tissue and also to increase the blood glucose levels; both of which are extremely important for fuelling any type of exercise.

Simultaneously as glycogen levels decrease during or after the workout, glycogen releases additional glycogen from the liver.

3) Cortisol: Often known as the “stress hormone” because of its direct connection to its stress response cortisol is more than JUST a hormone that is released during stress.

It is a steroid hormone  (a steroid that acts as a hormone) and is produced in the adrenal glands. It is specifically known as a catabolic (metabolic pathways that breaks down molecules into smaller units that are either oxidized to release energy, or used in other anabolic reactions.) This hormone is what helps us gain stamina (support metabolism) when we go through long periods of exercise. This is done by facilitating in the process of protein breakdown and triglyceride breakdown so as to be able to create enough glucose that is required to help fuel the exercise. It is also released when our body experiences way too much physical stress (cardio - example) or has not yet recovered well from the previous workout.

Cortisol promotes fat metabolism, which is a good thing but if the workouts are way too long it can elevate the cortisol levels; which in turn may even catbolise muscle protein for fuel rather than conserve it for the use of damaged tissues.

4) Epinephrine & Norepinephrine: Known as the flight and fight hormones that are released by the body under extreme levels of stress, these amine hormones are also known to produce energy, regulate the body and help the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) during a cardio exercise. Epinephrine, which is also known as adrenaline as it is produced by the adrenal glands, increases the blood sugar, (fuels exercise), supports fat metabolism, and promotes the breakdown of glycogen for energy. Norepinephrine performs many of the same functions as epinephrine as well as constricts blood vessels in areas of the body that are not involved in any exercise.

5) Testosterone: Known as the primary male sex hormone and an anabolic steroid (better known as more properly as anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS) are steroidical androgrogens (natural or synthetic steroid hormone (steroid that acts as a hormone). It is produced by the Leydig cells of the testes in males and the ovaries of females, with very small amounts being produced by the adrenal glands of both the genders. Testosterone is responsible for the repair of muscle proteins that are damaged during exercise, muscle protein resynthesis and also in the contribution of skeletal growth. It is produced in response to exercise that damages muscles and works with specific receptor sights.

  6) Human Growth Hormone: Also known as the growth hormone (GW) or somatrotropin, the human growth hormone is a peptide hormone that helps to stimulate cell reproduction, growth and cell regeneration in humans and animals. It is therefore very essential for human development. It is an anabolic peptide hormone that is secreted by the anterior pituitary gland, which stimulates cellular growth. Similar to all other hormones, the HGW works with certain receptor sites in the body and produces responses such as bone mineralization, promoting lipolysis or even fat metabolism, supporting immune system function and increasing muscle protein synthesis that is responsible for muscle growth.

This hormone is produced during the REM periods of sleep and gets stimulated by high-intensity workouts such as intense cardio, heavy strength training, explosive power training at or even above the onset of blood lactate (appearance of lactic acid in the blood as a result of anaerobic metabolism when oxygen delivery to the tissues is insufficientto support normal metabolic demands.

                  

7) Insulin-like Growth Factor: Also knonw as Somatomedin C, Insulin-like Growth factor (IGF-1) is a hormone similar in molecular structure to insulin. It plays a very important role in childhood growth and even contunes to have anabolic effects (building up of organs and tissues, involving the differentiation of cells, increase in body size and production of cells. This hormone is a peptide hormone and is produced by the liver. It supports the human growth hormone to repair protein during exercise and is an important hormone for muscle growth.

 8)  Brain-derived Neurotropic Factor: Also known as brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) is a neurotransmitter that is known to stimulate the production of new brain cells. It is closely related to the production of IGF and HGH and the same exercises which stimulate and elevate/increase these hormones can increase the BDNF levels. Very high-intensity and cardio workouts can stimulate anabolic hormones for muscle growth while at the same time increasing the BDNF levels; which are helpful in improving cognitive functions.

So, the next time you hit the gym, don't be ‘fooled’ that only your endorphins are being used; remember that the hormones in your body that control your physiological abilities are also at work!

They can assist you in having both short and long term responses to your workouts and in the acute phase – post workouts HGH, T and IGF are produced to repair damaged tissue.

Of course, there are plenty of hormones that are responsible for physiological functions; the ones that are mentioned above are the main ones that are directly linked to your workout and also play an important role in assisting your body to adapt to the exposed ‘PHYSICAL’ demands of exercise.