Cortisol and belly-fat

[tennisgod]

Just read this, and thought I would get everyone's opinions...

"One of the things that has been talked about quite a bit in fitness media lately is the relationship between bellyfat and a hormone called "cortisol". To put it simply, the higher your cortisol levels, the more bellyfat you're likely to have.
By the same token, if you have a good deal of bellyfat, it's reasonable to assume that you have high cortisol.

Also known as Human Growth Hormone or simply GH, growth hormones is produced in the pituitary gland and is responsible for growth (obviously) among other things. More specific to this writing, growth hormones is actually one of the most effective things in the world to offset cortisol.

Put simply, if you want less cortisol, just make more growth hormone.

You see, growth hormone is normally produced and released in response to something, and in the case of training, GH is released as a response to the production of something called lactic acid. Lactic acid is a waste byproduct of some of the chemical and metabolic processes that happen during exercise.

So, if you do exercise in a specific way, you can produce MORE lactic acid, which will then produce tremendous amounts of growth hormone as a result. That growth hormone surge will also help to work against your high cortisol levels. And as we've established, that will absolutely assist you in getting rid of your stubborn bellyfat."

[Dastardly]

You see, growth hormone is normally produced and released in response to something, and in the case of training, GH is released as a response to the production of something called lactic acid. Lactic acid is a waste byproduct of some of the chemical and metabolic processes that happen during exercise.

So, if you do exercise in a specific way, you can produce MORE lactic acid, which will then produce tremendous amounts of growth hormone as a result. That growth hormone surge will also help to work against your high cortisol levels. And as we've established, that will absolutely assist you in getting rid of your stubborn bellyfat."

There is a good deal of research showing that Lactic Acid is actually fuel, not a waste product.

High levels of cortisol are associated with "cushings sydrome" which includes muscle wastage, and a big fat round midsection, plus a buffalo hump.

Lots of things can cause it. One of the biggest influences is medication which people often overlook. Stuff like anti-depressants. My ashtma medication (corticosteroids) also carry warnings of such symptoms. So I avoid using it.

Do you have any more info on the relationship between lactic acid and growth hormone? Would that mean that reps to failure (for maximum "burn") would actually produce more growth hormone than low rep lifts?

[lylemcd]

Poliquin is full of shit. That's all you need to know. IF cortisol correlates with anything it's visceral fat around the gut. NOt abdominal fat.