the cortisol connection?

[GiaDona]

just wondering what yall think of cortisol and it's supposed link to lower ab fat. what do u think of the supplements that claim to block it's release? anyone have any experience with this?

As far as supplements go, this is what I take:

Multi-V
glucosamine (i have some joint issues which i believe are actually linked to my years of UBER low carbing)
Calcium (in addition to what's in the multi)
Green Tea in pill form
and my beloved ECA stack

 

[The Shadow]

WELL...WE KNOW that it will kill muscle gains and even cause drops in lbm...

 

[GiaDona]

WELL...WE KNOW that it will kill muscle gains and even cause drops in lbm...

Well then, let's forget that idea for sure! I think i'd rather have my little tummy than lose my muscles! I'll just work on lowering bf as low as i can.

Thx for the 411 shadow.

 

[Raina]

Whenever I hear those commercials about dropping stress levels to lose weight I always laugh and think of how much working out relieves stress.

Not that I never take anything, but my general thought is that a clean diet and decent training always work. It's harder than popping a pill, but give it some time and it'll happen.

 

[The Shadow]

Well then, let's forget that idea for sure! I think i'd rather have my little tummy than lose my muscles! I'll just work on lowering bf as low as i can.

Thx for the 411 shadow.

HIGH cortisol will kill lean mass gains.....so you want LOWER cortisol and a flatter tummy as well

 

[Sassy69]

A really interesting thing about cortisol is that it is a result of a very stressful lifestyle, lousy eating habits, etc. BUT if you get to the gym and eat clean, voila! You are able to deal w/ your stress better, sleep better, recover better ... don't need all the crazy pills and further voila! The ol' gut starts to disappear!

They always seem to leave out that part of the equation in the commercials...

 

[GiaDona]

oh! i thought u meant the supplement, shadow. so cortisol also kills lean mass, in addition to the tummy fat. hmm... so maybe i should consider a supplment. i studied cortisol in bio psych and it really is a self-fullfilling prophecy---the cortisol and stress, stress and cortisol.

raina, i see ur point and u r totally right. emotionally-there is nothing like a great workout but there is also supposed to be a real physiological aspect of stress and cortisol. tho it's a good point--maybe working out DOES physiologically reduce it? i'm not sure. for me tho, it's that tiny lower tummy that never goes anywhere even when i'm at my physical best. so i don't know if i should give that supp. a try or just to really reduce bf while pumping up the training. otherwise, i'd look to skinny.

i've read that the raw supp w/o the commercial hype is called Phosphatidylserine. i guess i'll just read up more on this. or if anyone has used it please let me know what you think.

 

[GiaDona]

Thanks Sassy. Just saw ur post now. Hmm..perhaps working out has a physiological affect on this hormone?

 

[Sassy69]

Abs can also present a genetic challenge - if you tend to have a concentration of fat cells in a certain area (e.g. hips, thighs, lower stomach), really the only way to make a serious dent in it is to continue training/diet to lower your bodyfat such that that last place shows a big improvement.

Just a thought - to tweak your diet to get to this next level?

 

[The Shadow]

oh! i thought u meant the supplement, shadow. so cortisol also kills lean mass, in addition to the tummy fat. hmm... so maybe i should consider a supplment. i studied cortisol in bio psych and it really is a self-fullfilling prophecy---the cortisol and stress, stress and cortisol.

raina, i see ur point and u r totally right. emotionally-there is nothing like a great workout but there is also supposed to be a real physiological aspect of stress and cortisol. tho it's a good point--maybe working out DOES physiologically reduce it? i'm not sure. for me tho, it's that tiny lower tummy that never goes anywhere even when i'm at my physical best. so i don't know if i should give that supp. a try or just to really reduce bf while pumping up the training. otherwise, i'd look to skinny.

i've read that the raw supp w/o the commercial hype is called Phosphatidylserine. i guess i'll just read up more on this. or if anyone has used it please let me know what you think.

PS has been around forever - 800 per day helps memory a bit bution terms of real work results - the jury is still out


try soem YOhimburn

 

[MS]

Hah, cortisol is essential to good health and gaining LBM if you're not using AAS. Exercise, sex, dieting, and a myriad of things will TRANSIENTLY increase your cortisol levels, and this is a good thing. You don't want to suppress this. Chronically elevated cortisol (due to chronic stress/depression/lifestyle etc...) is a bad thing however, and I seriously doubt some infommercial supplement will help with this. As Sassy69 also pointed out, a lot of the "lower ab thing" that women complain about is mostly genetic and all the supps in the world won't help eliminate it.

 

[The Shadow]

Hah, cortisol is essential to good health and gaining LBM if you're not using AAS. Exercise, sex, dieting, and a myriad of things will TRANSIENTLY increase your cortisol levels, and this is a good thing. You don't want to suppress this. Chronically elevated cortisol (due to chronic stress/depression/lifestyle etc...) is a bad thing however, and I seriously doubt some infommercial supplement will help with this. As Sassy69 also pointed out, a lot of the "lower ab thing" that women complain about is mostly genetic and all the supps in the world won't help eliminate it.

...Andreas Munzer die a few years ago form chemically supressed cortisol levels......I dont think we are talking that type of supression.

 

[ashley2212]

I just need to say something about lower tummy bulges in general...

For some reason, too many women (ESPECIALLY on this board) are obsessed with trying to make the lower part of their abs flat like a board. The thing I think you fail to realize is that to an extent, that's part of a woman's natural build. There are a rare few people with super-fast metabolisms (built like 12 y/o boys) who naturally have stomachs with no curve to them at all... not to mention they have no other curves in their bodies either.

Women have a small, natural curve there because that's where babies grow. When you see pictures of models (fitness or runway) they're usually sucking in or flexing that region, but believe it or not, the majority of them have a natural curve there as well. The difference is - THEY ARE LEAN. Lose the fat, you lose the tummy to reveal the natural curve that you have there.

Case in point: If you do not have upper abs, you need to focus on LOSING FAT... not flattening lower abs.

So can we PLEASE PLEASE stop obsessing over lower abs!!! I feel like there's about 10 threads started every day having to do with "flattening tummies".

Thank you.

 

[The Shadow]

well.....lower abs are aLL about 2 things:

1 - low bf

2- Having muscle there

 

[jenscats5]

I just need to say something about lower tummy bulges in general...

For some reason, too many women (ESPECIALLY on this board) are obsessed with trying to make the lower part of their abs flat like a board. The thing I think you fail to realize is that to an extent, that's part of a woman's natural build. There are a rare few people with super-fast metabolisms (built like 12 y/o boys) who naturally have stomachs with no curve to them at all... not to mention they have no other curves in their bodies either.

Women have a small, natural curve there because that's where babies grow. When you see pictures of models (fitness or runway) they're usually sucking in or flexing that region, but believe it or not, the majority of them have a natural curve there as well. The difference is - THEY ARE LEAN. Lose the fat, you lose the tummy to reveal the natural curve that you have there.

Case in point: If you do not have upper abs, you need to focus on LOSING FAT... not flattening lower abs.

So can we PLEASE PLEASE stop obsessing over lower abs!!! I feel like there's about 10 threads started every day having to do with "flattening tummies".

Thank you.

Good points......

One thing I've noticed in all the gyms I've gone to, is that heavy, lean, very lean or in the middle -- most women have that "lower ab curve" or slight "belly" thing going on. I've seen very few women not have that & the only ones I have seen are uber-lean women. One in particular taught 3 aerobics classes per night, spent 30 mins on the elliptical per night AND lifted EVERY night..... she was a cyborg, I swear....;

 

[Daisy_Girl]

I just need to say something about lower tummy bulges in general...

For some reason, too many women (ESPECIALLY on this board) are obsessed with trying to make the lower part of their abs flat like a board. The thing I think you fail to realize is that to an extent, that's part of a woman's natural build. There are a rare few people with super-fast metabolisms (built like 12 y/o boys) who naturally have stomachs with no curve to them at all... not to mention they have no other curves in their bodies either.

Women have a small, natural curve there because that's where babies grow. When you see pictures of models (fitness or runway) they're usually sucking in or flexing that region, but believe it or not, the majority of them have a natural curve there as well. The difference is - THEY ARE LEAN. Lose the fat, you lose the tummy to reveal the natural curve that you have there.

Case in point: If you do not have upper abs, you need to focus on LOSING FAT... not flattening lower abs.

So can we PLEASE PLEASE stop obsessing over lower abs!!! I feel like there's about 10 threads started every day having to do with "flattening tummies".

Thank you.

Very very true.

Unless you are looking to train for a Figure/Fitness/BB competition (which requires getting down to EXTREMELY low BF, a level which is NOT maintainable) you will likely have a curve or some fat on your stomach. This is normal, and not to be confused with rolls and rolls of fat on the stomach.

Genetics plays a huge role here.

 

[MS]

"genetics play a huge role here" Amen

Depends a LOT on how your hips and lower back are put together. And the biggest "genetic" difference is gender. Men have basically nothing sitting in their lower ab cavity once their testicles drop. Women have all of their reproductive organs sitting there. This means that men can eat a lot of food/fiber or whatever and still not have a bulge whereas a lot of women will show a bulge with even a few veggies siiting in the lower intestine. It is for this reason that I forego all fibrous foods for 4-5 days precomp...basically anything sitting in the lower intestine will be sitting on top of uterus/ovaries thus causing a "bulge". This is NOT to be confused with lower ab fat which you can tell by a simple skinfold test. Even then it is perfectly normal (like it or not) for most women to carry fat in the lower abs/butt/hips/thighs. So as always leanness is essential to see abs, but as a woman you may also have to think about how much fiber you eat if you want to look "flat" for a special occassion (and you may still have to suck things in as well). It is not natural for a woman to have flat abs!

 

[Daisy_Girl]

"genetics play a huge role here" Amen

Depends a LOT on how your hips and lower back are put together. And the biggest "genetic" difference is gender. Men have basically nothing sitting in their lower ab cavity once their testicles drop. Women have all of their reproductive organs sitting there. This means that men can eat a lot of food/fiber or whatever and still not have a bulge whereas a lot of women will show a bulge with even a few veggies siiting in the lower intestine. It is for this reason that I forego all fibrous foods for 4-5 days precomp...basically anything sitting in the lower intestine will be sitting on top of uterus/ovaries thus causing a "bulge". This is NOT to be confused with lower ab fat which you can tell by a simple skinfold test. Even then it is perfectly normal (like it or not) for most women to carry fat in the lower abs/butt/hips/thighs. So as always leanness is essential to see abs, but as a woman you may also have to think about how much fiber you eat if you want to look "flat" for a special occassion (and you may still have to suck things in as well). It is not natural for a woman to have flat abs!

Just wanted this to be posted again.....so maybe more women will re-read it and realize they are NORMAL if they have a so-called "lower ab pooch"

 

[GiaDona]

my grandmother always said that " a little tummy is sexy". Okay, so i started all this...and I should have listened to her and I'll listen to you all.

 

[ashley2212]

"genetics play a huge role here" Amen

Depends a LOT on how your hips and lower back are put together. And the biggest "genetic" difference is gender. Men have basically nothing sitting in their lower ab cavity once their testicles drop. Women have all of their reproductive organs sitting there. This means that men can eat a lot of food/fiber or whatever and still not have a bulge whereas a lot of women will show a bulge with even a few veggies siiting in the lower intestine. It is for this reason that I forego all fibrous foods for 4-5 days precomp...basically anything sitting in the lower intestine will be sitting on top of uterus/ovaries thus causing a "bulge". This is NOT to be confused with lower ab fat which you can tell by a simple skinfold test. Even then it is perfectly normal (like it or not) for most women to carry fat in the lower abs/butt/hips/thighs. So as always leanness is essential to see abs, but as a woman you may also have to think about how much fiber you eat if you want to look "flat" for a special occassion (and you may still have to suck things in as well). It is not natural for a woman to have flat abs!

lol, that's a lot more technical than my "cuz it's where babies grow"
hahahaha

 

[koa]

Hi!

Hope I am not too late to jump in here. I have been doing a lot of reading about cortisol levels, and any kind of stress can make the levels jump. This is natural. But when you over stress your body, as in HEAVy excercise, your levels stay high, which in turn stresses your adrenal gland and you mayexperience fatigue, weight gain, and muscle loss due to adrenal gland fatigue. SO! Everything in moderation. If you are overtraining you are stressing your body. Make sure you eat well, get plenty of sleep (your adrenal gland recovers during sleep time), and give yourself time to recover. More is NOT better when it comes to heavy training.