Ok guys, this thread is all about ‘Cortisol’ and it’s intentions are to do away with the rumours and information fed to customers by supplement companies and to provide you with the information needed to make the right decisions on what you spend your ££ on. Let’s start with the Adrenal Glands. Adrenal Glands are classed as Endocrine Glands because they produce hormones and secrete them directly to the blood. Adrenal Glands are responsible for releasing hormones in response to stress through the synthesis of corticosteroids such as cortisol and catecholamines such as adrenaline and norepinephrine. They also produce androgens. I don’t want to make this thread too technical at this stage so here are some facts that I hope your take my word for. * Cortisol is a catabolic hormone. * Cortisol’s primary function is to activate anti stress pathways in the body. * When your body or mind is stressed, it up regulates your cortisol levels to combat this. (and don’t forget it is catabolic) * Whilst on cycle, the catabolic effects of cortisol are largely blocked/overshadowed by the anabolic effects of the synthetic hormones. * Being on cycle can cause adrenal fatigue, which basically means the Adrenal Glands are exhausted and unable to produce adequate quantities of hormones, primarily cortisol. * When you come off cycle and your Adrenal Glands begin to normalize your body up regulates the cortisol levels that it has been missing. The conclusion that you can draw from above is that it may well be in the interests of a bodybuilder to try to control his cortisol levels post cycle. Now what of the many many products out there, marketed as ‘Cortisol Blockers’ to we take to sort this out…. Well we don’t. Please remember that the increase in cortisol is not caused by the steroids. It is your body returning to its normal levels after it has been fatigued. So here some ways you prevent elevated cortisol in PCT: Get good amounts of sleep. Do not over train. Remember your not ‘on’ now, you cant get away with over training like you could. Do not go on a strict calorie or carb deficient diet. Relax, rest your body and mind. This is no joke, but music therapy and massage reduces cortisol. This is much to do with the relaxing. The above if you can achieve it should be sufficient to prevent the catabolic effects of too much cortisol. Now, I do realize that many people wont be happy unless they have taken a pill…… So I’ll explore that too. Unlike almost all the products marketed by supplement companies, there is a compound that there is actually some scientific evidence and studies to show that it reduces cortisol. This is actually DHEA. DHEA is the pre-cursor to the other sex hormones and should be used at a low dose, particularly in PCT, because it can convert to estrogen. I would suggest no more that 25mg ed. Here are some studies supporting the use of DHEA for cortisol reduction: We read with interest the study by Young and colleagues (2001). The authors report the results of a study in which plasma cortisol and ACTH were sampled at 10-minute intervals over 24 hours in 25 premenopausal depressed women and a control group matched for age and day of menstrual cycle. No difference in mean ACTH secretion was found between groups and only a trend toward increased cortisol was reported in the depressed group. Pulsatility analyses revealed no significant difference in the number of secretory episodes or half-life of hormone secretion for either ACTH or cortisol, although both average and AUC baseline ACTH was increased. Circadian rhythm of both hormones differed across time, but was not significantly different between groups. The authors conclude that pulsatile and circadian components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are normal in this patient group and that only 24% (6/25) of depressed women demonstrate hypercortisolemia (defined as the mean plus one standard deviation of the control group). However, the authors have not reported levels of the adrenal androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which recent studies have highlighted as being of relevance, the ratio of cortisol to DHEA being of particular importance. DHEA is an ACTH-regulated steroid that possesses anti-glucocorticoid properties (Kalimi et al. 1994). The antagonist action of DHEA to cortisol in the brain suggests that measurement of cortisol alone may provide an incomplete estimate of hypercortisolemia (Goodyer et al. 1998). A more precise method of assessing the degree of 'functional' hypercortisolemia is by calculation of the cortisol/DHEA ratio. A high salivary cortisol/DHEA ratio at presentation in conjunction with disappointing life events has been shown to predict the persistence of major depression (Goodyer et al. 1998). Furthermore, Michael et al. (2000) present data in which the salivary cortisol/DHEA ratio clearly differentiates depressed patients from controls, 82.5% of depressed subjects having ratios above the 85th percentile of the control group. Therefore decreased levels of DHEA and a consequent elevation of the cortisol/DHEA ratio appears to reflect an additional state abnormality in adult depression. We propose that future studies of this nature should examine the ratio of cortisol to DHEA, as a more accurate assessment of 'functional' hypercortisolemia. http://www.anti-agingmd.com/dhea.html In 1994, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism published the first placebo-controlled human study examining the therapeutic effects of DHEA replacement therapy. ("Placebo-controlled" means that some participants received DHEA, while others received fake pills.) The DHEA-takers had more energy, slept better, and handled stress better than the placebo-takers. The researchers concluded that "DHEA will improve the quality of life over a longer period and will postpone some of the unpleasant effects of aging, such as fatigue and muscle weakness." In another study, researchers at the University of California, La Jolla, gave people 50 milligrams of DHEA every day for six months. Sixty-seven percent of the men and 84 percent of the women reported improvements in energy, sleep, mood, feelings of relaxation, and ability to handle stress--overall, a remarkable increase in subjective experience of physical and psychological well-being. When researchers gave 30 to 90 milligrams of DHEA a day to depressed middle-aged patients, they saw significant evidence not only of reduced depression but of improved memory as well. And finally: http://www.drdebe.com/dhea-the-real-story.html (it’s too big for cut and paste so use the link) Thank you to Hackskii for helping me find these studies. Hopefully this thread answers some peoples questions and concerns about the issue. Jaspal
Cortisol in Bodybuilding. Good post, but bear in mind too much dhea and you risk further shutdown, certainly not what you need on pct. I personally would have 25mg, along with a good natty test booster. I personally take phoshatidyil serine. It's a soy extract and great at blunting cortisol, i use it after workouts or if i've had a particularity hard day.
Cortisol in Bodybuilding. http://www.anti-agingmd.com/dhea.html In 1994, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism published the first placebo-controlled human study examining the therapeutic effects of DHEA replacement therapy. ("Placebo-controlled" means that some participants received DHEA, while others received fake pills.) The DHEA-takers had more energy, slept better, and handled stress better than the placebo-takers. The researchers concluded that "DHEA will improve the quality of life over a longer period and will postpone some of the unpleasant effects of aging, such as fatigue and muscle weakness." In another study, researchers at the University of California, La Jolla, gave people 50 milligrams of DHEA every day for six months. Sixty-seven percent of the men and 84 percent of the women reported improvements in energy, sleep, mood, feelings of relaxation, and ability to handle stress--overall, a remarkable increase in subjective experience of physical and psychological well-being. When researchers gave 30 to 90 milligrams of DHEA a day to depressed middle-aged patients, they saw significant evidence not only of reduced depression but of improved memory as well. And finally: http://www.drdebe.com/dhea-the-real-story.html (it’s too big for cut and paste so use the link) Thank you to Hackskii for helping me find these studies. Hopefully this thread answers some peoples questions and concerns about the issue. Jaspal Im gonna need to see Papa Smurfs seal of approval on this before I believe you puney smurfling!
Cortisol in Bodybuilding. Good to see a great post on here mate reps,were you about in the Nubain dark days of cortisol suppresion?
Cortisol in Bodybuilding. Is a good dose of vitamin c good post cycle or do you need something stronger?
