Hormones and Exercise -What Happens
- Jay Homewood
- Oct 21, 2024
- 4 min read
Everyone knows that exercise has numerous health benefits, both physically and mentally. Many of the benefits of exercise can be physically seen, such as weight loss. What you might not realise is that exercise has the incredible capability to affect and regulate many different hormones in the body, which can affect mood, stress levels, health conditions and muscle development.
Although high-intensity exercises are considered a form of physical stress on the body, they can help to reduce mental and physical stress in the longer term. Different types of exercise can affect hormones in the body differently, and it is useful to know which exercises are better suited for you depending upon your age, gender, existing health conditions and your long term health and wellbeing goals.
Insulin
When you consume food and drink, the body breaks down the carbohydrates from the food and turns it into glucose before it enters the bloodstream. The pancreas creates insulin to help break down the glucose and allow it to absorb it into skeletal muscles and fat tissues. Excess insulin can cause the body to store fat in adipose tissue. Exercise causes the body to suppress the release of insulin and therefore reduce the need for the body to store excess fat.
Cortisol
Cortisol is known by many people as the ‘stress hormone’ and is produced by the adrenal glands as a response to increased levels of stress, exercise and low blood sugar levels. Cortisol helps the body break down fat and protein to increase the energy available in the body for exercise, and it promotes fat metabolism. However, exercising for too long or taking part in high-intensity exercises like HIIT can increase the levels of cortisol in the body. Lower intensity exercises are therefore recommended for people who want to reduce the cortisol levels in their body. This is also something to bear in mind if you are focusing on strength training and building muscle. As the body produces more cortisol, this can contribute to muscle breakdown and will therefore make it almost impossible for you to build strength and muscle. For strength-building exercises, a consistent plan and goal that includes ample rest days should resolve this issue.
Progesterone
Progesterone is a hormone that helps regulate our mood, use fat for energy and impact our mood. Low levels of progesterone can cause anxiety, insomnia, weight gain and irregular or painful periods in women. Exercising too much or taking part in high-intensity exercise too frequently can increase our cortisol levels, reducing the production of progesterone. It is therefore important to make sure that you alternate high-intensity exercise with lower intensity exercises such as yoga, Pilates or walking. to allow the body to burn excess cortisol and improve the production of progesterone.
Endorphins
Endorphins are released during exercise from the pituitary gland and are responsible for improving your mood and reducing anxiety. Over time, regularly exercising can raise your overall endorphin levels. Endorphin is responsible for the ‘runner’s high’, a feeling of euphoria many runners experience during or after their run.
HGH
Production of HGH, otherwise known as the Human Growth Hormone, is increased with high-intensity exercise like HIIT and strength training such as weightlifting. HGH is responsible for helping to build muscle and burn fat, increases insulin sensitivity and therefore reduces the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Estrogen and testosterone
Estrogen is an essential hormone for women, but excess estrogen in the body is a known risk factor for breast cancer. A reduction in estrogen in the body, on the other hand, can increase the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Exercise regulates the amount of estrogen in the body and therefore can be attributed to a reduced risk of developing these conditions.
Testosterone is the hormone responsible for muscle growth and improved metabolism. Contrary to what many people think, testosterone is an important hormone for both men and women. Exercise increases the levels of testosterone in the body. For men, their levels of testosterone tend to drop with age, and this can affect muscle growth, sexual functioning and energy levels. By taking part in exercises that boost testosterone levels such as strength training, men can improve these functions.
Irisin
Irisin is often referred to as the ‘exercise hormone,’ and has only recently been discovered. Strength training and endurance exercise are considered most effective in increasing Irisin levels in the body. Irisin supports fat metabolism by browning white adipose tissue in the body, and the hormone is secreted after exercise. It could therefore be used as a treatment for many metabolic diseases. As Irisin has not been known for that long, there is less research available than on the other hormones covered in this article and less concrete evidence that confirms the role Irisin plays in supporting the body, but there are implications in existing studies that it supports the reduction of risk for such conditions.
Adiponectin
Adiponectin is a hormone that plays a role in metabolic disorders such as coronary heart disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and obesity as it has anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing properties. Exercise has been found in studies to significantly increase adiponectin levels in obese and insulin-resistant participants, leading to an improvement in their insulin sensitivity.
Leptin
Leptin is a hormone that acts on the hypothalamus in the brain, and it can affect appetite control and energy regulation. Leptin has also been shown to influence fatty acid metabolism. Leptin is produced by fat cells in the body and then travels to the hypothalamus. Higher levels of leptin will tell the brain that it has enough fat, and low levels of leptin will tell the train that the body needs food as it does not have enough fat stored. Overweight people can develop leptin resistance, which means that the brain does not always know when it is full, leading to overeating. Regular exercise can reduce weight and may help to reverse leptin resistance.
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