Hormone Support

Hormone Support & Sports Nutrition

When people hear the word “hormone” they typically think of sex-specific hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone; however, in reality, the body houses over 50 different types of hormones that are responsible for regulating everything from metabolism, to reproduction, growth, mood, sleep, stress, sexual health, and behaviour. Hormones are a class of signalling molecules, that are used to communicate between organs and tissues. When it comes to exercise, five key hormones need to be available in an adequate and balanced quantity for optimal performance. These are Growth Hormone (GH), Thyroxine (T4), Estrogen, Testosterone, and Cortisol. In turn, these hormones facilitate the body’s adaptation to exercise in a variety of ways, notably by stimulating key proteins involved in muscle building, helping slow down/prevent catabolism (muscle wasting), synthesizing enzymes responsible for glucose use in cells, and stimulating hormone secretion and action, they are thus crucial for endurance in power athletes, as well as for just about anyone looking to improve performance and body composition. It's no wonder your hormones need support through nutrients and supplements.

Many nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and herbs help support hormone synthesis and overall hormone balance. Some of the most common include B vitamins, Vitamin D, magnesium, iron, BCAA’s, tyrosine, ashwagandha, guggul, rhodiola, relora, melatonin, holy basil, alpha-lipoic acid, bitter melon, and many others.

Benefits of Hormone Support

• Boosts Exercise Endurance
• Improves Physical Performance
• Prevents Muscle Breakdown
• Stimulates Muscle Building

Who Needs Hormone Support?

Hormone support supplements are very popular among athletes, bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts, and weekend warriors (widely known as "hormonal conditioning"), to help balance workload and recovery, prevent injury, and maintain a consistently high level of performance. Hormone support is especially important in hypothyroid individuals since thyroid hormones regulate energy metabolism, which can greatly impact energy processes during physical exercise. Thyroid hormones are also important regulators of cardiac function, protein synthesis, and calcium homeostasis, which is why a deficiency can cause a decrease in athletic performance; fortunately hormone regulation via hormone support supplements can mitigate many of these. Last but certainly not least, hormone support is ideal for those suffering from Overtraining Syndrome (OTS), a condition in which athletes experience fatigue and declining performance despite continued or increased training. Overtraining not only results in physical injuries, but can also cause mood changes, decreased motivation, and frequent infections.

Hormone Support Supplements

Because everyone’s needs are unique, so too are hormone support supplements. The right formula for you will depend on your particular health status, performance goals, age, as well as overall lifestyle hygiene (including diet, exercise, stress levels, etc.). As such, it's important to discuss your unique situation with a knowledgeable healthcare practitioner or exercise health coach to obtain case-specific advice as far as supplement choices, dosing, etc.

Final Thoughts

Working with a qualified healthcare practitioner with demonstrated experience with athletes is important when hoping to take your exercise performance to the next level. Getting a baseline test before beginning a training regimen is ideal to give you a good overall impression of where you're starting. Retesting periodically throughout your training program or anytime energy and performance seem to be waning will further help you understand exactly how your body works, why these fluctuations are happening, and how to counter them in the future.