Cortisol and Cortisol reducers...

[roehrigs01]

What you guys think about Cortisol's effect on muscle building... especially is it worthy to take a Cortisol reducing supplements or just a waste???

[dannyboy9]

The main concerns are with cortisol suppression (at least for me) are:

You need natural cortisol levels and cortisol regulates many functions of the body. It's there for a reason isn't it?

Furthermore, who's to say how much cortisol should be blocked? Who knows how high your levels are? Is it possible you might block more then whats elevated?

Your body needs a certain amount of cortisol to go about doing it's natural processes or whatnot. Until we can gauge how much is being supressed and how much is necessary to BE suppressed in order to reach whatever our goals we have set ahead for ourselves, I will consider other less "unresearched" or "questionable" methods to enhance my results.

[mitchcumstein]

I dont know that theres any Cortisol reducing supplements that are actually "proven" to work. Theres a prescription cortisol blocking drug called cytrodren that is very powerful but can kill you if abused(Andreas Munzer). Your body needs a certain amount of cortisol for cells to retain their structure. If levels fall to low, basically you just turn to water. Thats why i doubt highly that any of these "supplements" actually work. The potential for abuse and death would be too high.

[roehrigs01]

Will have to check that out there Dannyboy... wasn't really looking at the fat aspect of it, more like the preservation of muscle...

Turn to water Mitch... sounds like something outa X-men... ahh... I think it was x-men that congressmen turned to water...

[mitchcumstein]

Ive also read many articles that state there is no evidence, nor good reason to believe, that reducing cortisol below normal would be of benefit to the weight training athlete, and considerable evidence that it is a bad idea. These supp companies are just playing on peoples ignorance and lack of understanding how the body works.

[dannyboy9]

Originally Posted by mitchcumstein

These supp companies are just playing on peoples ignorance and lack of understanding how the body works.

Definitely well said and truthful.

I'll start buying into the hype when the companies start coming out with some published studies on the idea. Too much talk, not enough proof and research.

[vassille]

No matter what you do physically, the best thing is to keep hormonal levels as close to normal as possible. Imbalances causes the body to compensate and create chain events that will most likely work against what you trying to accomplish.

[endgame]

Originally Posted by vassille

No matter what you do physically, the best thing is to keep hormonal levels as close to normal as possible. Imbalances causes the body to compensate and create chain events that will most likely work against what you trying to accomplish.

I completely agree.

To tell the truth, I don't like any supplements that are supposed to suppress or take away something from the body, especially hormones. The body creates these chemicals for a reason.

[NiteHawk]

I personally have never taken cortisol blocking or lowering supplements so how effective they are, I cant say for sure.

But you guys are missing the point behind controlling cortisol. Remember, cortisol is a catabolic hormone. Meaning it reduces protein synthesis and tissue growth. It works opposite of testosterone. While you dont want to completely eliminate it, which I dont think is possible, but keeping it minimal would be beneficial.

[dannyboy9]

I'm sure there are other ways of controlling your cortisol levels and keeping them from rising (stressing out less, sleeping right, etc,) I can only imagine these are some of the methods using common sense and the little that I know. The fact is that with cortisol suppressants/blockers/whatever, you don't know how much of it in fact you really are blocking or suppressing. Your cortisol levels can rise from almost anything. The body was created perfect and it is our job to keep it perfect. If we were born with some malfunction or deficiency (we can thank the wonderful gene of imperfection for that) then we can take the proper measurements to correct that error but other than that, the human body is a very well setup and intelligent entity in itself.

If one might have an imbalance in any hormone, there are specialists for that (endocrinologists,etc.). They can run some tests on you and see exactly how imbalanced you are (over or under) and take the proper steps to give you the medical attention you need. Vassille makes an excellent and sensible point. We should leave the hormone controlling methods to the ones that know what they're doing. Medical specialists don't specialize and go to school for years for us to be sitting around here experimenting with ourselves. Then we wonder why we become diagnosed with so many things in the future...

[mitchcumstein]

Originally Posted by dannyboy9

I'm sure there are other ways of controlling your cortisol levels and keeping them from rising (stressing out less, sleeping right, etc,) I can only imagine these are some of the methods using common sense and the little that I know. The fact is that with cortisol suppressants/blockers/whatever, you don't know how much of it in fact you really are blocking or suppressing. Your cortisol levels can rise from almost anything. The body was created perfect and it is our job to keep it perfect. If we were born with some malfunction or deficiency (we can thank the wonderful gene of imperfection for that) then we can take the proper measurements to correct that error but other than that, the human body is a very well setup and intelligent entity in itself.

If one might have an imbalance in any hormone, there are specialists for that (endocrinologists,etc.). They can run some tests on you and see exactly how imbalanced you are (over or under) and take the proper steps to give you the medical attention you need. Vassille makes an excellent and sensible point. We should leave the hormone controlling methods to the ones that know what they're doing. Medical specialists don't specialize and go to school for years for us to be sitting around here experimenting with ourselves. Then we wonder why we become diagnosed with so many things in the future...

Exactly. you can manage levels to some degree by reducing stress in your life and not exerting yourself physically for extended periods of time. Also, dont forget food is Anabolic so if youre catabolic, just eat something. I dont see any need to try and control cortisol with pills.