The Adrenal Hormones: Adrenaline for the Next Ten Seconds, Cortisol for the Next Ten Hours, and Why Chronic Stress Eats Muscle
5 days ago
5 min read
Sitting on top of each kidney, the adrenal glands run the body's two stress systems - one fast, one slow - and both are switched on by every hard training session. The fast system is the adrenal medulla's catecholamines, adrenaline and noradrenaline, which prepare the body for effort within seconds. The slow system is the cortex's cortisol, a hormone with a daily rhythm that mobilises fuel over hours and, when chronically raised, turns from helper to saboteur. Athletes need both to perform, and need to understand why too much of the slow one, for too long, undermines everything training is trying to build.
Want to read more?
Subscribe to ohanaperformanceinstitute.com to keep reading this exclusive post.
