I've decided to make every Monday all about endocrinology. Besides playing a huge role in training, nutrition and LIFE, I've always had a weird fascination for chemical messengers. So, you can check in here every Monday to learn something new about hormones, neurohormones, neurotransmitters and the rest of 'em, and what the heck it has to do with you, your training or your diet. Let's get started today with some basic stuff.
When you exercise, you affect 5 major biological functions. They are:
- Maintenance of homeostasis and the internal environment
- Stress responses
- Availability and utilization of metabolic energy
- Growth and maintenance of skeletal and cardiac muscle, along with other parts of lean body mass
- Reproduction
These effects take place immediately and over time when you exercise. What you do in your training session has a direct effect on your body's endocrine reaction. Walking uphill does something totally different than hitting a max deadlift. Both can be good. These chemical messengers can and will work together to restore homeostasis, influence the growth of structural body components and alter reproductive function in response to some forms of chronic exercise. (Funny how when you put the word "chronic" before another word, it makes the subsequent word sound bad. No worries though, "exercise" is still a good thing.)
Chemical messengers as a term can include hormones, neurotransmitters, neurohormones and neuropeptides. All of these things transmit a certain message. (Borer, 2003)
So, that's some of the basic stuff. To recap, your body has a lot of systems. Chemical messengers work individually, and together, to keep you going strong. Exercise has a direct effect on what they do and when they do it. By broadening your knowledge of the topic, you can take advantage of your body's natural responses and improve your self, which is always the goal anyways, right?
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