Fitness Matters: Hormones play a role in burning fat - Post-Bulletin

Home News

ST. PAUL — A group of Republican lawmakers are calling for the defeat of a bill to legalize gay marriage in Minnesota.

Sports

As the final buzzer sounded in Minnesota's major upset victory against Indiana on Tuesday, all I could think was "someone is going to get hurt."

Entertainment

Lindsay Lohan is committed to turning her life around and wants to record public service announcements on the dangers of domestic violation, a…

Life

Truth and alcohol may not mix, particularly when people are asked how much they drink.

Business

ApogeeEnterprises Inc. will add a $30 million new glass coater to its Viracon architectural glass-making facility in Owatonna, Minn., an inves…

Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Jobs Homes Auto Classifieds Print Create a hardcopy of this page Font Size: Default font size Larger font size Posted: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 9:04 am | Updated: 8:33 am, Wed Feb 27, 2013.

Fitness Matters: Hormones play a role in burning fat Shelly Greenfield Post-Bulletin Company, LLC

Hormones play a role in nearly every bodily function. These chemical messengers travel throughout the body, coordinating complex processes like growth, metabolism and fertility, as well as influencing the function of the immune system, and even altering behavior.

There are seven specific hormones that can have a direct impact on your body's ability to burn fat. Many of these hormones are dependent on one another, so understanding some basics can help you make better decisions on your fat loss journey.

Leptin

In addition to storing triglycerides, adipose tissue (fat) also secretes the hormone leptin. This hormone signals the brain when we are full. The more fat you have, the more leptin will be released, which sounds great, right? Wrong. Too much of this hormone can cause leptin resistance, which leads to overeating! The simplest way to remedy this is to get on a regular diet plan with several mini meals per day, portion-controlled, and add a cheat meal each week!

Gherlin

This hormone is made and released in the stomach, and works the opposite of leptin. Gherlin signals the brain that you are hungry, when the stomach is empty. The challenge is that this hormone does not go away, and never really adapts to eating less. So you may always feel hungry, whether you need food or not! The only way to decrease gherlin levels, for a period of time, is to get an intense workout!

Adiponectin

This powerful hormone is also produced by our body fat. It can crank up your body's ability to use carbs for energy, boost your metabolic rate, increase the rate at which your body breaks down fat, and even suppress your appetite! Adiponectin also regulates insulin function and reduces inflammation in your circulatory system. We all want more of this one, right?

Here is the problem: If your lean mass levels are too low, your adiponectin will also be low. By shifting your body composition to more muscle mass, and less fat, you can regulate this fat-burning hormone. This is one more reason to keep pumping iron! Also, studies point out that basics of increased fiber and DHA fish oils, along with regular exercise will help increase levels.

You may have heard of Dr Oz's promotion of a product called "Raspberry Ketones." This product is riding on a study in which scientists observed a higher secretion of adiponectin with the consumption of Raspberry Ketones.

Insulin

This hormone is secreted by the pancreas and released whenever we eat any foods that contain sugar, or basically any carbohydrate. If you are trying to build muscle, insulin is key to post-workout as it can trigger nutrient delivery to muscles. An overload of that sugar can be stored as body fat as well as end the fat-burning process. The key to remember is to always consume your carbs with a source of protein to control the insulin release. Thus the catch phrase: "never eat a carb naked!"

Glucagon

This hormone — also secreted by the pancreas, but in an effort to raise blood sugar levels — works the opposite of insulin. Glucagon breaks down stored fat and fuels fat burning, but eating too many carbs will cause this hormone to stop converting the stored fat into energy. To maximize glucagon release, follow a high protein and lower carb diet (150 grams per day is considered low carb, while under 100g is considered a ketogenic diet).

Cortisol

This catabolic muscle-wasting hormone is produced by the adrenal glands whenever we encounter stress. It could be life circumstances or massive amounts of training causing the stress, but chronic high levels of cortisol result in higher-than-normal levels of insulin, muscle loss, and added body fat.

Cortisol can also deplete your body of serotonin, which can also impact your quality of sleep, recovery, and appetite. The solution: sleep 8 hours every night, and have balance in your life so your stress doesn't eat you up.

Norepinephrine

This hormone, which is released from the brain, is the key to regular fat metabolism! The most effective way to get this cranked up is to do circuit training, and get that heart racing and adrenaline pumping! This is the key to the fastest results in fat burning, which lasts long after the workout has ended. Your metabolism will be boosted all day long.

My philosophy: "Work out smarter, not harder!"

Posted in Sports/localsports on Tuesday, February 26, 2013 9:04 am. Updated: 8:33 am.

View the original article here