Hey All,

My name is Marlon Birch I'm a fitness trainer in the Grand Cayman Islands. Upon becoming a member of this forum I soon discovered that there's alot of great folks here!

Cortisol is a stress hormone that eats away at your hard earned muscle tissue. Not only only could cortisol put you in a catabolic state, an excess of this hormone can make you fat as well. Muscle cells contain receptors that bind to cortisol. When this happens, it activates a very strong proteolytic pathway called the ATP-Dependant Ubiquitin/Protesome pathway, to make a long story short it causes the body to literally eat it's own muscle fibers. Guys the good thing is that resistance strength training Impairs some of this direct cortisol action. Once regular tension is applied on your musculature, muscle cortisol receptors will not work properly. Don't get me wrong you won't get complete inhibition because training stimulates cortisol release. Confusing I know. Training the musculature both reduces cortisol"s direct catabolic sensitivity on the muscles and increases the body's secretion of it. So the more you train, the less cortisol based muscle loss you will experience. Sounds weird? It sure does. However that's how the system works. To make things abit clearer, cortisol slows your metabolic drive. Also cortisol prevents the release of various hormones, including growth hormone and testosterone. While training can inhabit some of this direct ana/catabolic effects. Even though training cannot overcome the effects of cortisol. There's a trick CARBS. When carbs are converted to insulin(in the long run) tempers some of the effects of cortisol. Glutamine an amino acid suppresses cortisol breakdown on the muscle fibers. The reason cortisol levels are high it's because the trainee's glutamine levels are low. Studies suggest that our muscles play catch up when cortisol levels return to normal. That's why if you take a day of rest it breaks up the ramped cortisol production,making you produce more anabolic hormones. Meaning that you'll need to take regular rest days to ensure muscular growth. Now guys everything increases cortisol surges from bad relationships to final exams. Nothing really inhibits this hormone completely so the very best thing to do is keep your stress levels at bay. Take care Marlon Birch

Marlon Birch what's up ???? I don't see you posting on this board anymore,Still in Grand Caymans ?? --- Any competitions comimg up for you? or did you compete in New York City? Keep posting in the board here, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. -----ROBERT.