Functional Fitness Facts

Fat Burning Hormones

fat burning hormones

Your body produces several fat burning hormones, and it's important to know what they are and how they affect your body.

Testosterone

Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone, but it's also found in females. On average, women have about one tenth the amount of testosterone that men do.

Testosterone levels in men usually begin to decline around age 40, while levels in women usually begin to decline once they approach menopause.

Testosterone helps the body build and maintain lean muscle mass and burn body fat efficiently. It also helps keep bones strong, helps boost energy and libido, and helps sharpen memory and mental focus.

Short, intense workouts, especially weight lifting, increase testosterone levels, while prolonged workouts can sometimes decrease testosterone levels. A diet consisting of a mix of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fats will help maintain optimum testosterone levels. Some saturated fat also needs to be included in the diet, as it's needed for testosterone production.

Human Growth Hormone

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is produced by the pituitary gland. HGH levels peak somewhere between the ages of 21 and 30, and then decline at about 14% per decade.

HGH helps the body build and maintain lean muscle mass and burn body fat efficiently. It also helps keep bones strong, helps boost energy, and helps in controlling blood sugar and insulin levels.

Short, intense workouts, especially weight lifting, increase HGH levels. Limiting consumption of simple carbohydrates is necessary for maintaining optimum HGH levels. Simple carbohydrates rapidly increase blood sugar, which causes the body to produce a high amount of insulin. The body then produces a chemical called somatostatin to suppress the excess insulin, but somatostatin also suppresses HGH release.

Most HGH is produced during sleep, so getting an adequate amount of sleep on a consistent basis is necessary for maintaining optimum HGH levels.

Thyroxine

Thyroxine is produced by the thyroid gland, and it raises metabolic rate. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories your body burns to maintain itself.

Exercise can increase thyroxine levels by up to 30%, with short, intense workouts increasing levels the most. Short, intense workouts can also cause thyroxine levels to remain elevated for several hours after the workout is over.

Epinephrine

Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, is produced by the adrenal glands. Epinephrine is produced at times of acute stress to enhance the capability of "fight or flight." It's also produced during exercise, where it causes the breakdown of stored fat to be used as fuel.

As you can see, fat burning hormones play an important role in keeping your body fit and healthy. So make sure that you're following an effective nutrition and exercise program that keeps your body producing optimum levels of these hormones.

Visit the Health and Fitness Product Reviews page for information on some excellent resources that can help you develop an effective nutrition and exercise program.



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