Dispelling Some Myths About Cortisol

It is time to dispel some myths about cortisol. Between the vitamin stores, muscle magazines, and compounding pharmacies all touting cortisol as the demonic culprit responsible for your inability to lose weight and/or excess weight gain (and, of course, attempting to sell natural compounds to lower it), some concise statements of fact must be made.

What is cortisol? In addition to aiding in protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism, cortisol prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation in response to stress (both physical and emotional). Specifically, it stimulates what is known, scientifically, as gluconeogenesis or the breakdown of protein and fat to provide metabolites that can be converted to glucose in the liver. This glucose is essential to muscle function and overall energy (remember that ATP stuff from high school science class?).

The normal laboratory range for cortisol is a lower limit of 5 μg/dL and an upper limit of 25 μg/dL. Cortisol levels are highest in the morning, as your body is preparing itself for a day of possible stressors; under normal circumstances, it tapers down throughout the day. Now, I will follow these statements of fact with a question: How many of you know your levels? Moreover, if we, quite literally, need cortisol to survive and adapt to stress, why would we endeavor to lower our natural levels before obtaining this information?       

It must be made known that cortisol is not the enemy unless it is either too high or too low. In fact, without sufficient cortisol, we cannot cope with stress and our bodies can quickly reach a state of what research psychologists deem “conservation withdrawal,” a protective state during which cells shut themselves off to prevent cellular apoptosis (suicide). This protective state can even mimic clinical depression and last quite a long time.

Now, to be fair, it is possible that excess cortisol may be the culprit for excess weight gain…but, if it is too low (or if you lower your already normal levels via pharmacologic aids into the ‘too low range’), you risk fatigue, inability to fight colds or bacterial infections, and/or an inability to increase muscle mass. Now, knowing this information, why would you seek to lower it, to risk these effects of excessively low cortisol before you take a simple test to determine whether or not you should? I’ll let you decide.

If you are overweight and having trouble shedding the excess pounds, before you name cortisol the causal determinant and spend your hard-earned money on products designed to lower it, at least speak to your doctor about having your natural levels tested. There are even ways that you can obtain these results via mail with a simple saliva test (ZRT Labs is a trusted name in this industry, but there are many options available via a simple web search).

Feel free to email me with any questions regarding health, fitness, well-being, and subject matter related to blogs.

Brad Burnam, MA, CPT

brad@burnyogaLA.com

Owner, Burn Yoga in Agoura Hills