Stress can quickly undo all the hard work we put in at the gym. Much of that is related to an important hormone involved in the body’s “fight or flight” response to stress – Cortisol. When secreted in small increases, cortisol has the following positive effects:
- A quick burst of energy for survival reasons
- Heightened memory functions
- A burst of increased immunity
- Lower sensitivity to pain
- Helps maintain homeostasis in the body
However, too much of a good thing can be detrimental. Elevated levels can lead to weakened immune function, decreased muscle tissue, blood sugar imbalances all while encouraging your body to store fat (especially around the abdomen)! Each of those suck on their own but all of them together is somewhere you don’t want to find yourself. So how do you avoid this recipe for disaster?
- Sleep – 8-10 hours in a dark room (no TVs or other ambient light). Today’s modern world brings with it modern stressors and sometimes things like jobs (e.g. a shift from AM to PM schedule) prohibit us from a regular sleep pattern. This is where the next step becomes even more vital.
- Nutrition – proper diet is probably the aspect of this puzzle over which we have the most control. If all else fails, quality of food along with some fish-oil supplementation will keep you on track when sleep and, our final step, exercise are derailed.
- Exercise – intense exercise in short bursts (CrossFit) acts as a good stress that helps our bodies adapt and become stronger as a result. This does not mean overtraining. Too much volume can cause you to release excessive amounts of cortisol which in turn eat away your muscle tissue and signal your body to store belly fat. Not quite what you have in mind by doing the extra work is it?
Ideally you want all three of these to fall in line but we don’t live in an ideal world. We have to make the best of what we can and you all are doing that by being consistent with your workouts. Unfortunately, you can’t out-train crappy nutrition. If the majority of your stress-control is out of your hands (job, long commutes in traffic, etc.), I encourage you to give your diet extra care so that all of your hard work in the gym is not sabotaged by stress.
***ATTENTION***
Halloween Schedule: WODS at: 10am and 5:30pm only.
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WOD – 10.26.2012
All Levels:
Strength/Skillwork: Press 5X5 at 65% or 1 RM
As many rounds as possible in 8 minutes of:
30 double unders
20 sit ups
10 squat snatches (95#/65#)
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Level One:
Strength/Skillwork: Press 5X5 at 65% or 1 RM
As many rounds as possible in 8 minutes of:
30 double unders (If you don’t have your double unders yet, do 150 singles)
20 sit ups
10 medball cleans
Post results to comments.
20 Responses to “CFIV Archive – Cortisol”
2 rounds plus 60 jr. Singles/35lb.
Glad we changed the snatch to power snatch, thanks coach D!
4 rounds +5 snatches good job 9:30 class!
Press 45#
WOD I don’t remember if it was 1 or 2 rounds + 4 snatches…? 45#
Have a great weekend everyone!
2 rds+3DU. RX I WILL GET MY DOUBLE UNDERS!!!!!
Press 95# wod: 2rds + 1 power snatch rx
55# press
5+30+15 rx
Wow!!! Fast and tough!!
Press 35Ibs
WOD 2 rounds 20 singles
Fun!! Fun!! Fun!!
5+30+20 RX
That went by so fast you don’t have time to rest
Awesome Week Everyone!!!
45# Press, WOD: 3 rounds + 32 singles, 35#.
Power Snatch WOD
4rounds + 30+ 10 + 4rds +40
I think I did 5 rounds….Oh well 4 rounds it is.
You are an animal Andre. Keep it up Buddy.
4 Rds + 3 Snatchs Rx
2 rounds +7 PS rx
55# press
3 rounds 50 singles
Press 65#
Monique 3 rds rx
Emery 4 rds rx
Press: 125#
WoD: 3 rounds + 30 + 15 rx
Fun WoD…gave me Fran cough.
45# press
3 rounds plus 60 singles, 35# snatch
Press 115
Wod 3 rounds + 6 sit ups RX
Press 125#
WOD: 3rds+30+15
Rx on the weight, but not the d/u’s. I had to modify.