Heavy cortisol production suppresses the immune system.

[RottenWillow]

A newer member, donsj, started a thread recently that asked about a friend who experienced flu-like symptoms after a heavy leg workout. All I could offer at the time was that heavy leg workouts raise cortisol levels.


So that got me thinking about the possible implications of the increased cortisol levels. I found research that confirmed that high cortisol levels do in fact weaken the immune system, thereby putting you at increased risk of becoming ill. Apparently this is a well know health fact.

This seems to reinforce the importance of cycling the intensity of your training, both for maximum gains and overall health. Balls to the wall intensity every time will keep those cortisol levels perpetually high, and keep your immune response chronically low. So even with plenty of sleep and great food and you could still find yourself frequently under the weather if you dont train smart.

Here's the site I used to check this stuff out. You have to register but it's an amazing health resource. http://www.medscape.com

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Anya, isn't Cortisol also catabolic?

If that is so, then the person training balls to wall everyday (and therefore getting higher Cortisol levels) is also hindering their gains by that? Which means they might see slow/no gains....train harder.....which is OPPOSITE of what they should be doing.... Very cyclical.

Now you see why REST is so important ..... to get gains, you have to have DIET, TRAINING, and REST down to a science.

 

[RottenWillow]

Anya, isn't Cortisol also catabolic?

If that is so, then the person training balls to wall everyday (and therefore getting higher Cortisol levels) is also hindering their gains by that? Which means they might see slow/no gains....train harder.....which is OPPOSITE of what they should be doing.... Very cyclical.

Now you see why REST is so important ..... to get gains, you have to have DIET, TRAINING, and REST down to a science.

Like so many other people I thought that every set of every workout needed to go to momentary muscular failure in order to encourage increased strength and size. Daisy what I had to force myself to accept is that a workout can be comparatively easy and still further my bodybuilding goals. The "more is better" concept is a bitch to get past.

 

[lucidblue]

I have trouble with the "rest" part. I get almost addicted to going to the gym to lift. I don't like to go and only do a little cardio. Staying home for a complete day of rest is even worse, especially if I don't have other plans to keep me busy. I've also gotten it my head that I can't sleep if I don't go to the gym... .

 

[FitFossil]

I love to train "balls to the wall" too. But I now know the price I must pay is taking more rest days and easy training days. I've learned that I'd much rather have a few really awesome workouts that a lot of marginal ones. Even though the rest days are good for me, I still miss that great endorphin rush and the extra energy I have on training days. But I can't argue with the better results I'm now getting, and it blows to pieces the common thinking that 'you have to live in a gym to have a fit body'.

I really feel bad for the many "old faithfuls" at my gym who never seem to make any progress and never take a rest day. Some of these were people I envied when I first started training, but over the years I've seen them deteriorate from overtraining.

 

[PBR]

Daisy- cortisol is very catabolic...but can have two distinct different effects...one it can make your body feed off of itself, the other being unreal fat gain...cortisol has a 'switch" if you will, and can go in either of these directions when the body is stressed...science does not know why it picks one direction or the other however...this is one way that AAS works, by blocking cortisol receptors and its actions...

 

[gypsy]

I'm sorry, not to make a joke of this - but the topic reminds me of that commercial you see everywhere now for some diet pills that says "Research now proves, it's not your fault your overweight". It talks about cortisol making people fat, but it's hilarious to hear. My dad is hugely overweight, when he saw the commercial he yelled to my mom in the kitchen - "hey, you hear that! It's not my fault I'm overweight!!" Sorry, just chiming in.

 

[lartinos]

When use tren I suspect my cort levels get out of hand, and that is why lose some gains when coming off. The only thing I've got is some d-bol.....so I'm gonna run some in the morning in hopes it helps fight the catabolism. If I train legs and feel ill I feel great while at the gym, but feel horrible and sicker later. I think this cortisol related as well.

 

[PBR]

lartinos...I wouldnt know if that is the case...if cortisol levels are too high, you would feel it all the time all day...soreness and pain everywhere...you would have no gains, strength and size would diminish rapidly....sometimes ill feelings occur after training while on AAS...a mild depression can set in for an hour or two...you see, cortisol levels rise when on AAS cycles...when you stop the AAS, or remove/reduce any anabolics, the cort levels remain elevated...this is why most BB loose all their GAINS...it is important to start with a PCT in the last weeks of a cycle...this is the magic of keeping what youve gained...bring traing volume down along with its intensity and get alot of rest...this lets the body normalize...protien and food supplements should remain constant to help with the elevated cort levels...this is where clen becomes the most beneficial IMO...post cycle...if this protocol is not followed- your body will feed off of itself and you can actually become smaller and weaker than before you started...

 

[lartinos]

lartinos...I wouldnt know if that is the case...if cortisol levels are too high, you would feel it all the time all day...soreness and pain everywhere...you would have no gains, strength and size would diminish rapidly....sometimes ill feelings occur after training while on AAS...a mild depression can set in for an hour or two...you see, cortisol levels rise when on AAS cycles...when you stop the AAS, or remove/reduce any anabolics, the cort levels remain elevated...this is why most BB loose all their GAINS...it is important to start with a PCT in the last weeks of a cycle...this is the magic of keeping what youve gained...bring traing volume down along with its intensity and get alot of rest...this lets the body normalize...protien and food supplements should remain constant to help with the elevated cort levels...this is where clen becomes the most beneficial IMO...post cycle...if this protocol is not followed- your body will feed off of itself and you can actually become smaller and weaker than before you started...

You just described what it is like coming off tren/deca for me. The only thing I will change this time will be my training intensity which can pretty damn high. PCT and all is old news, as was toning down my intensity. This will be my first time actually toing down my workouts though. It is hard to just stop training hard. A little AM d-bol until post cycle starts will hopefully bind to these cort receptors and help act as an anti-catabolic. I'l be off tren in a week and I'll see what happens.