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Stress-The Silent Fat DepositorAn excerpt from the 100% Fitness Solution E book See Table of Contents By: Scott H. Mendelson CFT, SSC, SPN and Edited by Dr. Eric Serrano MD Stress is a leading cause of body fat accumulation! Many of you have probably never taken stress into account when considering your level of body fat or methods for reduction. It is widely known and proven by research that stress will severely interfere with your ability to gain muscle and lose body fat. The vicious stress cycle is also responsible for increasing appetite and creating cravings for junk food. Elevated stress levels also negatively affect energy levels, mood, immune system function and sex drive. You must manage your levels of stress to be successful; this chapter is dedicated to helping you to identify causes of stress and methods for reducing the overall affects. Our scientific explanation will be short and we will get right down to the areas where you can take action to improve. Stress prompts the release of a hormonal cascade that is intended to serve as a protection mechanism. At our earliest beginnings stressors such as predators were relatively short acute events in nature. We escaped the predators and that was the end of the episode, however our modern day environment contains many prolonged events of stress which are not well received by the body. The lingering affects of elevated stress hormones can be linked many serious health conditions. Furthermore those who are genetically susceptible to diseases such as cancer will increase their odds for developing the disease.
How you React to Stress Determines Damage.An example of acute stress in modern life is being cut off in traffic; the body is well prepared to deal with this. You will be stimulated in a way that will help you deal wit the situation, however worrying about being cut off in daily traffic jams every night before bed would be considered a prolonged or even a chronic stressor. These extended stressful periods have highly detrimental affects on the system. Do your best to move along following acute events and resolve prolonged stressors before they become chronic. High Stress Levels Create A Fat Storing EnvironmentThe primary measurable marker of stress is the level of cortisol found within the blood stream and low DHEA based on the most current information available. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is categorized as a catabolic hormone which is directly linked to the break down of lean muscle mass. Elevated cortisol levels create a greater environment for fat deposition or fat storage within the body. High levels of cortisol for extended periods of time impairs insulin sensitivity and as a result more insulin must be release during the food digestion process. As noted in earlier chapters insulin is highly anabolic but at the time a powerful fat storing hormone. Impaired insulin sensitivity creates powerful cravings for carbohydrate rich foods. The reason for this is that the impaired insulin sensitivity promotes higher levels of insulin, which in turn creates lower blood glucose levels. In response to these lower glucose levels the body supports cravings for carbohydrate rich foods which will provide a temporary elevation in glucose levels. In essence this is a vicious cycle that must be broken or it will break you. These conditions will amplify the power of emotional eating which can be defined in many ways. Those who consume excess amounts of poor food choices to temporarily escape stressful situations are the most common form of emotional eaters. Obviously these eating habits in combination with the elevated fat storing status of the system while under stress will lead to rapid body fat accumulation. It is not uncommon to evaluate a training and nutrition program of a client and scratch your head wondering why they were not successful. The first area that should be evaluated is the stress levels of the client. Despite properly designed training and nutrition plans stress can zap all results. The power of cortisol and its antagonistic actions against the anabolic drive that we desperately seek will crush your progress Are you the King of the Cortisol Club?
Being king of the cortisol club is not an enviable position. In addition to increasing body fat accumulation stress is linked to reduced immunity, irritability, poor energy levels and difficulty with concentration to name a few. Stress arrives in many forms and is unavoidable in our society; however how you react to these stressful situations and events is within your control.
Common Sources of StressIt is easy to tell someone that they should eliminate stress in their life. Asking someone to quit their job or stop driving in heavy traffic because it is inherently stressful is a poor strategy. The only way to go is to prepare and adjust to these situations before they have any negative affects. First and foremost do not get bent out of shape over the little things. Deal with them and do not make a big deal out of things in life which are just not that important. Remember how you react to these stressful situations and events will determine the relative action taken by the body. A higher level of cortisol will be release to wreak havoc based on the severity of your reaction. Relationships can be a huge source of stress, of course we are not telling you to run to the divorce lawyer, but some situations can just not be fixed. There have been several elite athletes who have drastically improved their performance following breaking off a relationship that can be directly attributed to a reduction in stress. Quite simply if you are in a relationship that is not going anywhere; break it off not just to reduce your waist line, but to protect yourself from disease and other serious conditions.
Exercise is the number one stress buster. Physiologically exercise counters cortisol with anabolic hormones such as testosterone that will help you to reach your goals and improve your quality of life. A simple 20 minute walk each day will do wonders for reducing the negative affects of stress. Intense athletic activity and weight training can potentially provide the greatest benefits, but these activities must be properly balanced with your individual ability to recover to avoid overtraining.
The presence of cortisol runs counter to the anabolic environment and increases susceptibility to overtraining. When facing stressful situations you must reduce your overall volume of training or you will find yourself severely overtrained.
As mentioned in the overtraining chapter it makes sense to schedule rest weeks during time of predictable stress such as intense meetings, due dates or travel. Eliminating exercise all together during these time periods is a mistake. You must get some exercise to battle the release of cortisol and maintain peak performance.
Any method used to accelerate recovery will also combat stress. Simple tools include: massage, hot tubs, stretching, palates, yoga, other relaxation techniques and supplements. Some of these tools will have more a physical carry over while meditation activities will benefit the mind/body connection more directly. Find an activity that suits your needs and use it frequently.
In conclusion- do not make your fitness program a stressful part of your life, too many dieters are overly concerned with minor errors which they think are the end of the world. Do not stress yourself out over small issues, find a solution and implement them as best you can in a timely manner. If you fall of the wagon and make a poor choice; do not linger; get back on track and move on. Identify why you fell off track and prepare for that situation in the future.
There are several supplements that will help to counter the negative hormonal affects of stress and reduce the feelings of anxiety associated with an overly stressed status. Those who regularly experience acute stress in their daily lives must address cortisol levels with strategic supplementation surrounding the workout. Busy professionals especially benefit from this type of supplementation.
Top Supplements for Lowering Stress
Branched Chain Amino Acids-
100% MR Omega 3 Fatty Acids and other dietary fat products Alpha Omega M 3
Vitamin C- 3 grams daily- Ultra C by Beverly International
Phosphatidylserine (PS)
Adrenal Gland Complex- Renew by APT
L Theanine
Valerian Complex by Standard Process
Free Form Amino Acids -
Muscle Synthesis DHEA (if deficient)
Contact SCOTT for a free Stress Supplementation consult. All products listed are available through Infinity Fitness- please contact Scott for more details.
Please email SCOTT for information on the 100% Fitness Solution E Book
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