Along with neural adaptations, hormonal responses to resistance training are one the most overlooked and misunderstood factors when designing programs. While the benefits of anabolic hormones are widely known, as seen with the number of people experimenting with steroids, most people tend to overlook the fact that these anabolic hormones can be manipulated by simply adjusting a program’s training parameters. Before discussing how this can be accomplished, let’s first profile the major anabolic and catabolic hormones.
Descriptions
Growth Hormone
The most desirable functions of growth hormone relate to its ability to enhance amino acid uptake and protein synthesis within skeletal muscle. This enhanced protein synthesis results with the hypertrophy (muscle enlargement) of both type 1 and type 2 muscle fibers. Elevations in growth hormone have also been attributed to enhanced lipolsis (fat breakdown) and fatty acid use as a fuel source. In other words, these characteristics will enhance both muscle growth and fat loss. Growth hormone also has a glycogen sparing effect. However, don't let all these positive functions fool you. While enhancing natural growth hormone release from the pituitary gland is safe, artificially injecting this potent hormone is not. Growth hormone does exactly what its name indicates; it causes you to grow. Unfortunately, this growth is not only limited to the size of your muscles. Growth hormone injections can lead to abnormal bone growth and before you know it, your face and jaw structure will resemble that of the freak from the goonies. And let’s be honest here, a large part of our training motivation is based on the fact that we want to make ourselves more attractive to the opposite sex. It can be pretty hard to pick up girls at the bar if your jaw is as big as the pitcher of beer your drinking from. The same holds true for women also. Think back to the infamous Seinfeld episode where Jerry was dating that girl with "man hands". "She had man hands" Jerry exclaimed to George in disgust at the thought of her snapping her lobster in two. Although such a situation is the rarity among woman as the prevalence among steroid usage throughout their gender is a lot lower than their male counterparts, the possibility is still kind of gross. Bottom line, stick to natural supplementation and training techniques to stimulate the release of growth hormone.
Testosterone
Testosterone, as a hormone, is pretty much what makes boys, men. It makes us big, strong and hairy. Testosterone is secreted from the testes in men and the ovaries and adrenal glands in women. While women do have testosterone, they possess a much lower concentration than men do - usually 15-20 times lower. The anabolic effects derived from testosterone are most commonly demonstrated through the use of testosterone enhancing drugs, i.e. steroids. The size and strength gains associated with elevated testosterone levels are a direct result of neural changes. For example, testosterone can interact with receptors on neurons, increase the amount of neurotransmitters, and influence structural protein changes (1). Each of these interactions can enhance the force potential and mass of the muscle it innervates (2). Alright, that was a direct quote from one of my strength and conditioning manuals but I couldn't have said it better myself. Although the science may be complicated, the results of testosterone enhancement has never been more clear. Today's athletes are bigger, stronger, and faster than ever. This rapid evolution of the male athlete is especially noticeable in non-drug tested sports. Take the NFL for instance. Every aspect of the game has been sped up. They now have 275 pound linebackers who can sprint at speeds slightly below Olympic caliber. Feats like this increase the temptation to turn to non-natural testosterone enhancement methods. However, like growth hormone, artificially elevating testosterone leads to serious complications. Enough complications as a matter of fact, that it would take at least a five page article just to cover all the side effects. Since TheFitnessBlueprint.com in no way advocates the usage of anabolic steroids, our main topic of discussion will be on elevating testosterone concentrations through natural methods.
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Insulin
Insulin is probably the easiest anabolic hormone to manipulate. When our blood sugar rises, insulin is released from the pancreas to shuttle the glucose into the cells; especially those in muscle and connective tissue. Once the glucose is delivered to the muscle, insulin also helps facilitate its transport into the fibers. The effects of insulin are not only limited to glucose (carbs), as insulin also plays an important role in the metabolism of protein and fats. Insulin does this by promoting the cellular uptake of amino acids, thus, enhancing protein synthesis. When blood sugar levels get low and the presence of insulin is reduced, its opposing hormone (glucagon) gets released and the stored glycogen get utilized. When it comes to manipulating insulin's anabolic effects, it’s all about nutrient timing. Consuming the right carbohydrates, in the right combinations at the right time is key. Throughout the day, our sensitivity to insulin changes. The most notable periods of change are first thing in the morning (following your overnight fast) and immediately following exercise. More on nutrient timing and insulin sensitivity will be discussed later in this article.
Cortisol
Cortisol differs from the aforementioned hormones in the sense that it is catabolic rather than anabolic. To simplify, it promotes muscle breakdown rather than build-up, which is clearly an undesirable effect. During periods of prolonged activity or inadequate nutrition, cortisol concentrations are elevated and amino acids (protein) get broken down, converted to glucose, and utilized as an energy source. This is why eating an adequate supply of carbohydrates has such a protein sparing effect. Carbohydrates trigger an insulin response which, along with testosterone, counteracts the catabolic effects of cortisol. The testosterone-to-cortisol ratio has long been considered to be an indicator of the body's anabolic status. Training for extended periods of time may cause undesirable fluctuations within this ratio (testosterone drops & cortisol rises). More on cortisol’s response to exercise will be discussed below.
Catecholamines
Catecholamines is a huge word used to classify hormones with equally challenging names. These hormones are known as epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine. They are secreted from the adrenal medulla and play a direct role in our potential to exert maximal force. These hormones act as stimulators for the central motor system and contribute to optimal muscle fiber recruitment. Aside from strength, their direct relation to muscle growth is somewhat unclear. They do, however, have a positive effect on the release of other anabolic hormones such as testosterone & growth hormone. Since epinephrine in particular has an important effect on the release of other hormones, it is thought that catecholamine stimulation is one of the first endocrine mechanisms to occur in response to resistance training. Elevated levels have also been shown to improve nutrient delivery and recovery through vasodialation (expansion of the arteries), which facilitates more blood flow to the muscles. Like the hormones profiled above, secretion can be manipulated through alternating your sets, reps and volume.
Manipulation
Growth Hormone
Growth hormone release patterns vary throughout the course of the day. Typically, GH levels will peak in the evening unless outside factors inhibit its release. These inhibitory factors include lack of rest, poor nutrition and alcohol consumption. Through the utilization of specific training protocols, GH levels can be increased. According to William J. Fleck PhD, GH secretion can be enhanced through the combination of three loading parameters:
- High Training Volume
- Short Rest Intervals
- 10 repetitions per set (approx. 70% 1RM)
As for workout timing, common sense says that you should train when you feel your best. However, if you train in the evening, the elevated growth hormone levels may be beneficial. Especially since nocturnal increases are believed to play a role in various tissue repair mechanisms in the body. Simply put, optimizing the recuperative process will make you bigger and stronger.
Testosterone
The training methods that deliver the greatest increases in testosterone concentrations are (with the exception of the load) very similar to the growth hormone training protocols. Exercise selection also plays a major role in testosterone secretion. For example, performing multi-joint, compound movements such as squats & deadlifts trigger the highest testosterone response. A response can also be triggered by utilizing any of the methods listed below.
- Heavy Loading (85-100% 1RM )
- Moderate-to-High Training Volume
- Short Rest Intervals
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Insulin
As mentioned above, taking advantage of insulin's anabolic properties is all about timing. Throughout the day - particularly if your trying to stay lean - blood sugar levels should be controlled to minimize insulin spikes. This will help minimize fat storage. However, following your workout, your sensitivity to insulin is peaked and should be taken advantage of. By mixing your post-workout shake with a high-sugar fruit juice, you can trigger an insulin response that will effectively shuttle nutrients into the muscle cells when and where they are needed. Keep in mind, you are not only limited to fruit juice for an optimal insulin spike. A variety of foods would be just as effective. With all the recent attention to carbohydrates and their effect on insulin, a glycemic index has been created. This index rates foods on the effect they have on blood sugar levels. Fast acting foods that cause immediate increases in blood sugar are classed as high while foods that have a lesser effect on blood sugar are classed as moderate-to-low. This index can be made available by clicking here. Remember, foods classed as low/moderate should be consumed throughout the day to prevent fat storage while foods with a high GI rating should be taken in (along with protein) immediately following your training session.
Cortisol
Since cortisol is a catabolic hormone, high concentrations are undesirable if gains in lean mass are a priority. Problem is, the same training protocols that elevate growth hormone, also elevate cortisol (short rest etc.). Also, as your training progresses in duration, the ratio between cortisol and testosterone is altered. However, along with training experience comes the ability to dis-inhibit cortisol at the testes. Throughout years of training, a conditioned athlete has the ability to lessen the negative effects of cortisol. Training duration is still a major concern however. For the natural athlete, training sessions should be limited to 55min. or less. This has been shown to be the breaking point in which cortisol concentrations rise and testosterone levels drop. It should also be noted however, that cortisol is thought to play a role in the tissue remodelling process which is essential for promoting adaptation. During training, muscles must be microscopically "broken down" in a sense and it is during the recovery phase that the critical adaptation of "build up" occurs. Your body adapts to the stress by building itself up stronger to be able to handle the future loading. We are highly adaptive and acute elevations of cortisol are thought to assist in this adaptation process.
Catecholamines
Since catecholamine stimulation triggers the response mechanisms of other hormones, (testosterone & growth hormone), promoting their release is a key element in the optimization of anabolic hormones. Ephinephrine in particular has the greatest effect on these other hormones. As the data indicates, the best way to trigger and maintain elevated levels of ephinephrine, dopamine and norepinephrine is through the utilization of heavy loading. Keeping the load high and the reps low (3RM) has been shown to keep levels elevated throughout the session and approx. 5min. into recovery. As discussed in the several periodization articles, you’re clearly not going to train with heavy loads throughout the course of an entire year. Training parameters should be frequently alternated to expose the body to different loading patterns and promote frequent adaptation. The purpose of discussing how to stimulate epinephrine release is to allow you to gain a better understanding of what’s occurring when you DO train heavy.
Conclusion
Hopefully you now have a better idea as to hormonal functions as well as how to manipulate their anabolic effects. If you found this article informative but would like these techniques to be further simplified, programs can be made available for download by clicking here. These programs incorporate the proper loading, exercise grouping and rest techniques required to optimally stimulate the release of anabolic hormones.
References
- Physiology of Sport and Exercise, Second Edition, Jack H. Wilmore / David L. Costill, 1994, 1999.
- Essentials of Strength and Conditioning, Second Edition, Thomas R. Baechle, Roger W. Earle, 2000.