Exercise-related Growth Hormones Perhaps Don't Reward Bodybuilders

Exercise-related testosterone and growth hormone do not influence in building muscle after weightlifting, despite conventional wisdom suggesting otherwise expose scientists at McMaster University.

The findings indicate that bodybuilders who look to manipulate those hormones through exercise routines are wasting their time.

Protein Supplements for Muscle Building and Health
Are you getting adequate amount of protein from food, if not you need to supplement protein in your diet and this can make a difference to your overall fitness and well-being.

In two separate studies, researchers found anabolic hormones-long thought to be essential for building a muscular frame-do not influence muscle protein synthesis, the process that leads to bigger muscles.

"A popular mindset for weightlifters is that increased levels of hormones after exercise play a key role in building muscle. That is simply not the case," explained Daniel West, lead author of both studies and a graduate student in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster.

In the first study, researchers examined the responses of both male and female participants to intense leg exercise. Despite a 45-fold difference in testosterone increase, men and women were able to make new muscle protein at exactly the same rate.

Expect Aching Muscles And Joints This Sports Season
sports injuries will be a normal occurrence as the soccer and baseball season is all set to kick off.

"Since new muscle proteins eventually add up to muscle growth, this is an important finding," stated West.

"While testosterone is definitely anabolic and promotes muscle growth in men and women at high doses, such as those used during steroid abuse, our findings show that naturally occurring levels of testosterone do not influence the rate of muscle protein synthesis," he added.

Muscle-Building Exercise Improves Response to Flu Shot
A new study has found that a brief session of muscle-building exercise before receiving a flu shot can enhance a person’s immune response.

In the second study, researchers analyzed the post-exercise hormonal responses of 56 young men, aged 18 to 30, who trained five days a week for 12 weeks in total.

The men experienced gains in muscle mass that ranged from virtually nothing to more than 12 pounds, yet their levels of testosterone and growth hormone after exercise showed no relationship to muscle growth or strength gain.

Study Identifies Protein Doubles the Muscle-building Effect
overproduction of a protein called follistatin in mice lacking myostatin doubles the muscle-building effect.

Surprisingly, the researchers noted that cortisol-considered to have the opposite effect of anabolic hormones because it reduces protein synthesis and breaks down tissue-was related to the gain in muscle mass.

"The idea that you can or should base entire exercise training programs on trying to manipulate testosterone or growth hormone levels is false. There is simply no evidence to support this concept," said Stuart Phillips, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology.

The studies were published in the Journal of Applied Physiology and the European Journal of Applied Physiology.

Source-ANI