Going Molecular: How Hormones Affect Your Muscle Growth
What You Need to Know
The fitness industry has seen a lot of exposure in the past few years because of the various social media platforms that promote it. Whether it’s on Youtube, Instagram, or Facebook, the need for fitness-related information will always be necessary, especially for beginners. While most content will focus on form, diet, and supplements, one aspect of fitness that seems to get little to no attention is hormonal imbalance.
What Is A Hormonal Imbalance?
A hormonal imbalance occurs when there is an excess or a lack of a particular hormone in reference to normal levels. Even small hormonal imbalances can trigger side effects throughout the body. It is ironic that such small, imperceptible things can have such a significant effect on the body. The rate at which muscles develop is not an exception to this.
What Hormones Affect Muscle Growth?
While all hormones have an important function in the body, for the purpose of muscle growth, it’s important to know the specific hormones that you need to put an emphasis on. These hormones are:
Testosterone
Testosterone can be treated like the first domino that causes the other dominoes to fall. It is what releases the growth hormone, which in turn, releases IGFs in the liver. It is because of this process that testosterone is indirectly responsible for initiating the process of protein synthesis.
Growth Hormone
The Human Growth Hormone, also referred to as “GH”, is responsible for the repair and growth of your skeletal muscle tissues. Exercise triggers the body to release GH, but the synthesis of GH occurs only during your REM cycles. This is one of the many reasons why it’s important to get quality rest after a long day.
Insulin
Insulin increases stamina and it also improves endurance. It achieves this by stimulating glycogen formation, which fuels muscles during a workout. Insulin helps facilitate the increase of muscle bulk by preventing the muscle proteins from being broken down.
IGFs
Insulin Growth Factors are believed to stimulate the many growth-promoting effects of circulating growth hormone. It also triggers the proliferation and differentiation between muscle stem cells, which is an essential process for muscle hypertrophy to occur.
Where Can I Get These Hormones?
These hormones occur naturally in your body during high-intensity workouts. They are all part of your body’s endocrine response, after all. However, in the case of hormonal imbalance it’s usually a matter of eating a proper diet and getting proper rest. This doesn’t work for all people, and some may even need solutions like the hormone replacement therapy offered at the Boca Raton med spa to correct any hormonal imbalances.
Like all things related to health, muscle growth hormones are more of a matter of maintaining equilibrium rather than gaining an excess. Again, there are set hormone levels at which our bodies perform best. Having too much or too little of a particular hormone is bound to disrupt that state of equilibrium. And while the solution for balanced hormones coincides with getting proper nutrition and rest, this information is not redundant, but rather, a supporting piece of evidence on the importance of rest and nutrition.
