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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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