Lack of Cortisol characteristic for young obesity patients Plus Self Esteem Changes During Puberty Would Actually Increase Diurnal Cortisol Production

Cortisol is not your enemy. In fact, cortisol is one of the few hormones you really need to survive.

Cortisol is a problem. However, just as it is the case with insulin, its not the fact that your body produces it thats problematic. Its the fact that it tends to so in copious amounts and chronically, simply at the wrong time or - believe it or not - not at all / enough. All that, i.e. changes / problems with the natural rhythm, the up and down, the spikes and troughs that get lost, when you are chronically stressed and/or inflamed - thats the actual problem and not the fact that your body produces a hormone without which you cant survive.

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Against that background, it may go against everything the supplement industry is trying to tell you, but still cannot be really surprising to hear that E. Allansson Kjölhede and colleagues from the Linköping and Ume a Universities present in their latest paper in Acta Pædiatrica results that show that obese children have low, not high cortisol levels (Kjölhede. 2014).

Using three salivary samples from 342 children aged 6–12 years the scientists had tried to reconcile previous, inconsistent findings and found that the

"average cortisol levels in early morning, late morning and evening were significantly lower in overweight and obese children than in their normal weight counterparts."

Whats particularly interesting is that the early morning spike, we have identified as critical component of a healthy biorhythm, previously (see "All About Cortisol"), was reduced by -33% (see Figure 1):

Figure 1: Morning (8:30 am), late morning (10:30 am) and evening (9:00pm or pre-bed, if earlier) salivary cortisol in 342 normal-weight, overweight and obese children (Kjölhede. 2014).

As Kjölheide et al. point out, these results should be followed up by more comprehensive studies that would allow us to better classify and understand the "relationship between stress and obesity in
children" - and I would like to add: Which of these comes first - being obese or having low morning cortisol and thus not being able to benefit from the "wake-up and get going" effects of cortisol.

This is not a statistical outlier: The results of the study at hand are not a statistically irrelevant outlier or something that would be observed in children, only. In 2013 Champaneri et al. a corresponding correlation between high early morning cortisol levels and lower body fatness and waist circumference, when they analyzed data from the 1,002 subjects of the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (Champaneri. 2013)

Thats also interesting, because previous studies by Toledo-Corral et al. have shown that a dampened cortisol awakening response is not just associated with obesity, it is also a predictive factor of higher carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) in overweight African American and Latino youth (Toledo-Corral. 2013), which in turn is a risk factor for myocardial infarction and stroke.

And Ursache et al. (just because its funny: "Ursache" means "cause" in German ;-) report that  dolescents with insulin resistance exhibited

• a blunted cortisol awakening response (CAR),
• smaller hippocampal volumes, and 
• greater frontal lobe atrophy 

compared to controls. Closer scrutiny of the data also revealed that "a smaller CAR was associated with higher BMI which was in turn associated with fasting insulin levels" (Ursache. 2012).

Despite the fact that it is virtually impossible to tell what exactly the "ursache" for the irrefutable correlation between low morning cortisol levels and high body fatness, artery intima-media thickness, myocardial infarction and stroke is, the cumulative evidence clearly speaks against the use of cortisol-reducing drugs and supplements - at least if their effects are not extremely short-lived and will thus not mess with the natural up-and-down thats lost not just in obese, but also in chronically fatigued patients.

Bottom line: In view of the data presented above, people with low morning cortisol levels would thus be better advised to start their day with some "delicious" licorice - or better a capped extract - to benefit from its cortisol boosting effects, instead of "cortisol blockers".

Figure 2: Comparison of reduction in % body fat in response w/ licorice (blue, Tominaga. 2009) and no dietary restriction vs. 7-keto + dietary restriction (red, Zenk. 2002 - sponsored study).

Bullshit? Well, what about the side-effect free (no change in Hb1AC, improved not worsened blood pressure and pulse rate and in range serum electrolytes) reversal of fat gain Tominaga et al. observed in obese subjects who consumed a polyphenol-laden licorice extract (main ingredient glabradin) at dosages of 300mg and 1800mg per day for 12 weeks (Tominaga. 2006), then?

Or the significant decrease in body fat the same researchers observed in another study, three years later with 300, 600 and 800mg/day of a licorice flavonoid oil (see Figure 2)? Significantly more than in allegedly only 8 weeks on 7-keto, by the way; and that a despite the fact that the sponsored study on the DHEA-metabolize by Zheng et al. (2002) used a combined diet + supplementation protocol (see Figure 2).

Reference: 

• Champaneri, Shivam, et al. "Diurnal salivary cortisol is associated with body mass index and waist circumference: the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis." Obesity 21.1 (2013): E56-E63.
• Toledo-Corral, Claudia M., et al. "Blunted nocturnal cortisol rise is associated with higher carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) in overweight African American and Latino youth." Psychoneuroendocrinology 38.9 (2013): 1658-1667.
• Tominaga, Yuji, et al. "Licorice Flavonoid Oil Effects Body Weight Loss by Reduction of Body Fat Mass in Overweight." Journal of health science 52.6 (2006): 672-683.
• Tominaga, Yuji, et al. "Licorice flavonoid oil reduces total body fat and visceral fat in overweight subjects: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study." Obesity research & clinical practice 3.3 (2009): 169-178.
• Ursache, Alexandra, et al. "Preliminary evidence for obesity and elevations in fasting insulin mediating associations between cortisol awakening response and hippocampal volumes and frontal atrophy." Psychoneuroendocrinology 37.8 (2012): 1270-1276.
• Zenk, John L., et al. "The effect of 7-Keto Naturalean™ on weight loss: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Current therapeutic research 63.4 (2002): 263-272.

Squat or Sled Study Compares Muscle Activation During Squatting Sled Pushing One For Quads One For Hams!

Original image from the publication.

As Meaghan E. Maddigan, Duane C. Button and David G. Behm from the Memorial University of Newfoundland rightly point out, "the back squat is a traditional resistance training exercise." (Maddigan. 2014).

The use of resisted sled exercises, on the other hand, is a relatively new phenomenon of which we dont even know yet how it compares to the classics.

Accordingly, Maddigan et al. set out to compare the muscle activation between squatting and sled pushing on the activity of leg and trunk muscles in ten healthy resistance-trained men in the context of a randomized crossover design study.

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The study consisted of 2 preparation sessions and 2 testing sessions. Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the rectus femoris, biceps femoris, gastrocnemius, lower erector spinae, and the transversus abdominis/ internal obliques (TrA/IO) were monitored during a 20-step maximum push with the weighted sled apparatus and a 10 repetition maximum with a bilateral back squat.

All ten subjects were healthy resistance-trained men (age 24.6 years, mass 84.5 kg, height 178.3cm) who had at least 2 years of resistance training and squat experience and were also familiar with performing the sled exercises (however, the volume of squat experiences exceeded sled training volumes or training durations).

Figure 1: Average root mean square (RMS) EMG recorded in exercise phase 1, 2, and 3 (EMG signal was calculated over a 1-second segment of the concentric contraction phase of each step or repetition) from (A) rectus femoris, (B) biceps Femoris, (C) gastrocnemius, and (D) erector spinae during the concentric portion of the sled and squat exercises. Open circles represent the sled condition, whereas the filled squares represent the squat condition (Maddigan. 2014).

As you can see in Figure 1 there were nonsignificant trends for the rectus femoris ( p = 0.092: 8.6– 16.7%) and biceps femoris ( p = 0.09: 10.5–32.8%) to demonstrate higher activity with the sled and squat exercises, respectively. A result based on which you could conclude that

• squatting is better for the quads, while
• sled pushing is th better hamstring exercise

Maddigan et al. also observed main effects for condition with 61.2% greater gastrocnemius EMG with the sled exercise ( p = 0.01) and 74.5% greater erector spinae EMG activity with the squat (p = 0.002). For the transversus abdominis/ internal obliques, however, there were no significant differences between the exercises for the.

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Bottom line: As the authors write in their conclusion, "the sled and squat exercises provided similar EMG activity for the quadriceps, hamstrings, and ransversus abdominis/ internal obliques." In that the squat may be more favorable for developing the quads, while the sled is the better hamstring activator and calf (gastrocnemius) builder.

As Maddigan et al. say, the decision which of the exercises is "best" for you will depend "on the movement-training specificity of the sport" you compete in. "[E]ither exercise may be used in a training program while acknowledging the differences in gastrocnemius and erector spinae activity." (Maddigan. 2014)

One question remains, though. Will the long-term adaptations reflect the different EMG-activation in the study at hand? To a certain extend this will probably be the case, whether and to which extent you would make better progress with one over the other exercise and if it makes sense to do both (maybe in an A-B workout style) will still have to be elucidated | Comment on Facebook!

References:

• Maddigan, Meaghan E., Duane C. Button, and David G. Behm. "Lower-Limb and Trunk Muscle Activation With Back Squats and Weighted Sled Apparatus." Journal of strength and conditioning research/National Strength & Conditioning Association 28.12 (2014): 3346-3353.

Some Tips Help You To Exercise During The Day to Lose Weight

A key element of weight loss is portion control. Modern portion sizes, especially when eating out, are nearly double the size they used to be. Choosing healthy food is a great start, but if you do not control how big your portions are, that healthy dish could have twice the calories that you would expect it to.

Exercise around your life

Try to fit as much exercise as possible into your day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Stand instead of sitting and if possible, walk instead of standing. Pacing can be very helpful. Fidgeting has been shown to help with weight loss, as well. Jiggle your foot, tap your toes and drum your fingers. It may not seem like much, but it adds up quickly!

Sleep your way to weight loss. To effectively burn fat, your body requires adequate sleep. Your brain needs sleep in order to make good decisions, and you want to be able to make healthy food and good exercise decisions. Your body needs to rest both physically and mentally to be at its best.

Make sure you are getting some exercise while you are on your diet plan. Exercise in any form is great for helping you to lose those excess pounds. You dont have to have a gym membership to workout either. You can run; do sit-ups and push-ups and that will help you in your weight loss efforts. Walking is also another great way to help you lose weight. Try and stay active, get your body in motion to lose the extra weight.

Finding ways to have fun while losing weight can greatly improve your weight loss results. A person who is having fun does not think about the work that they are doing. Also they will be more likely to want to exercise and therefore lose weight.

Trying to lose weight and love watching the television? Why not lose weight watching your favorite shows? Do some quick cardio during the commercial breaks, or jog a few miles on the treadmill during each episode. Incorporating exercise into your favorite activities is a great way to shed some extra pounds and enjoy yourself at the same time.

Try taking a short walk before your meals. This will help you get in a little exercise, and it will help prevent you from making unhealthy food choices. You are less likely to want to eat fatty foods after you have walked around. You would not want your hard work to go to waste, would you?

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when you start a weight loss program is to view exercise and fitness as punishment for eating poorly. Instead, view your trip to the gym as a positive thing - a valuable resource that is available for you to use as you pursue your goals. You are not just losing weight; you are getting stronger with better toned muscles. Exercise also strengthens your heart.

While it is tempting to assume that losing weight is ideal no matter what, it is important to make the distinction between loss of fat and loss of muscle. The latter, of course, should be avoided by including some type of physical activity into your weekly routine. Unless you exercise, your bodys natural response is to burn fat only after it has exhausted muscle.

Do not be discouraged when you gain weight in any one week during your diet. One reason could be that your gained more muscle mass than fat that you had lost! And thats no bad thing at all, as more muscle means more calories will be burned. This is especially common in people that were very inactive or that added a great deal of exercise to their normal routine.

You wish you could wear your old clothes, but that just is not possible with your current weight. Use the tips and tricks provided here to learn exactly what you need to do to get back to where you once were. Start immediately, and love your new self