Exercise and diet control, but still can’t lose body fat? You may have overlooked these two things

"Endocrine" and "stress management" are very important parts of developing a good body shape, but the general public usually does not have a full understanding of this.

Why can't some people lose weight? You will know after watching

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Every hormone in the body has its own function, but too much or too little can cause problems. Today we will look at the impact of the stress hormone "cortisol (cortisol)" on the body.

Cortisol can store and release fat. It is a hormone secreted by our body when it is fighting stress. It can boost spirits and enable people to respond to stress. However, when cortisol is too high for a long time, it will have many negative effects on the human body, such as fat accumulation, overeating, muscle breakdown, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, sexual dysfunction, etc. Let’s take a look at the relationship between the following hormones and cortisol~

Neuropeptide Y

When faced with stress, cortisol is stimulated to be produced, which will prompt the production of another hormone - "neuropeptide Y". When neuropeptide Y is stimulated by cortisol, it increases ghrelin and appetite, causing people to want to eat and drink a lot.

Leptin

The hormone that can inhibit neuropeptide Y is "leptin".

Leptin can suppress appetite, but interestingly, cortisol has an anti-leptin effect. Therefore, when cortisol is too high, leptin is relatively low and neuropeptide Y is produced, which increases hunger.

GHLE

The body also has a way to prevent hunger and malnutrition. When you are fasting, your body will secrete "ghrelin" to slow down metabolism.

As the name suggests, ghrelin increases hunger, and the more you eat, the less it is secreted. The stimulation of cortisol can increase the sensitivity of ghrelin receptors, leading to the same result - you still want to eat.

"Testosterone" (Men, please note)

Testosterone is a hero because it promotes muscle synthesis and inhibits fat storage caused by cortisol and insulin.

Too low a carbohydrate intake will reduce the production of testosterone, so if you want to develop a healthy body shape, you must control the amount of carbohydrates you eat. Friends who like to drink, please note that alcohol will lower testosterone and increase cortisol! Cortisol suppresses testosterone, which leads to lower muscle synthesis rates, sexual dysfunction, and increased fat mass.

『Estrogen』 (Attention women)

Estrogen can enhance insulin sensitivity and resist cortisol, and make fat more easily distributed in the hips and legs rather than the abdomen. But at the same time, cortisol also has an inhibitory effect on estrogen and progesterone. Cortisol will inhibit the production of estrogen in the uterus, fat cells and adrenal glands, which will lead to a decrease in female pregnancy rate and sexual desire, an increase in testosterone in the body, and thus an increase in abdominal fat.

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Summarize

Manage stress well and avoid excessive stress.

Physiological stress (Ex: lack of sleep), work stress, family stress, emotional stress, and even excessive exercise can cause high cortisol levels. Therefore, relaxation is very important. You must find the right way to relieve stress. Yoga, massage, sex, etc. can effectively control cortisol.

Increase or decrease food intake with exercise

Don't eat until you are full, about 60% to 70% full is enough. People who exercise less should reduce carbohydrates and increase protein intake, while people who exercise more can consume more starch. (Nutrition is not discussed here)

The less alcohol the better

Alcohol lowers testosterone and raises cortisol, and excess calories accumulate as fat.

Proper training, not excessive training

Excessive training is also a kind of stress, which will lead to an increase in cortisol, but the muscle mass will not increase significantly and body fat will not be reduced.

Excessive insulin is also one of the main causes of obesity. If you want to know more professional scientific knowledge, welcome to join FEA Fitness Expert!

This article comes from: Muscle Mom Blog

※For more information, please visit the blog of Kinniku Mama