Endurance And Strength: Effects Of Hormone Release On Muscle Development

Increasing muscular strength and size is the aim of many athletes and exercise enthusiasts. For achieving this goal, optimal post-workout muscle tissue recovery is vital because resistance exercise tears down muscle fibers which must be rebuilt through proper rest and in some cases nutritional supplements such as whey protein. Recovery largely depends on many physiological processes that are influenced by the availability of specific nutrients and hormones.

Working together, hormones, nutrients, and other growth factors, naturally occurring or through supplements like Animal Pak, regulate this reconstructing of skeletal muscle proteins and structure.

Aside from exercise, nutrients also have the ability to influence hormonal concentrations that may positively affect athletes and those who wish to improve body composition. A simple increase in caloric intake above energy requirements as well as complementing one’s diet with a whey protein supplement can enhance growth hormone, testosterone, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations. In contrast, energy and protein restriction has produced negative effects on serum IGF-I concentrations, and diets with low percentages of dietary fat are associated with lower testosterone levels.

Research regarding nutritional supplementation's effects on the hormonal response to resistance exercise has concluded that insulin and growth hormone (GH) release can be influenced by the diet. The study suggested that, following a resistance training session, insulin and growth hormone concentrations were significantly higher and testosterone concentrations were lower when subjects consumed a protein-carbohydrate supplement immediately before and 2 hours post-workout.

In agreement with these findings was a study by Fahey et al who reported a significant increase in insulin concentrations following exercise when subjects consumed a protein carbohydrate supplement 30 minutes before and intermittently during a weight-training session. For more information about protein supplements as well as muscle mass building supplements like Novedex XT, contact your nutritional supplements specialists to learn more.