Hormones and Performance

As outlined by Dr. Maffetone, many common signs and symptoms are typically associated with hormonal imbalances.  When your hormones are not balanced, you get certain symptoms.  Hormone imbalances result in a variety of problems, here are a few of the most common:

Overtraining

For optimal athletic performance and prevention of many problems associated with overtraining, use a salivary hormone test at least once a quarter and make appropriate training adjustments (to your volume and intensity).

Delayed Recovery

Low testosterone often accompanies this problem, but is often preceded by high cortisol and low DHEA

Increase in Body Fat

High cortisol and low DHEA causes your body to burn more sugar and less fat as fuel, which in turn causes you to store more body fat.  Note: a slow thyroid function is another common attribute to this condition.

Reduced Immunity

You are more vulnerable to any type of infection: bacteria, viruses, yeast and fungal infections. These infections are are often treated with antibiotics rather than seeking out the true cause of the reduced immunity, often due to some type of hormonal imbalances.

Reduced Strength

Women: low estrogen and progesterone often result in muscular weakness

Men: low testosterone results in reduced strength

Note: both in men and women, imbalances between cortisol and DHEA cause a decrease in overall muscular strength

Misc. Conditions

Insomnia: cortisol is too high during the night

Depression & Eating disorders: a mixture of several hormonal imbalances

Infertility: associated with insulin excess, with secondary low levels of estrogen and progesterone

Please do not become overwhelmed with the various hormones, instead focus on the fact that you can maintain proper hormonal levels by controlling your training variables (volume & intensity), maximizing your food quality and quantity (raw fruits and vegetables) and getting 8-10 hours of sleep per day.

Understanding how to maintain healthy hormones is another tool to help you Work Smart, Not Hard, and Avoid Overtraining!

Yours in sport & health,

-Coach Robb, Coaches, and Staff

Thought for the week:

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing about.”  – Benjamin Franklin