Muscle building for bodybuilders

Ellen van Gijsel
May 23, 2016

Muscle building hormones for bodybuilders

Bodybuilders focus their training and diet primarily on building muscle. The physique of the bodybuilders you see on TV or in magazines often requires years of investment. The saying "abs are made in the kitchen" doesn't exist for nothing. A great massive muscular body requires a lot of discipline, both in the kitchen and in the gym.

Nutrition and muscle building

Nutrition and lifestyle are the pillars of a great body. In order to provide their bodies with optimal nutrients, bodybuilders follow a protein-rich diet, they do daily strength training if possible, and provide their bodies with the necessary rest to recover.

For the optimal muscle building, the right nutrition is of the utmost importance. This nutrition is not only important to provide the muscles with fuel (carbohydrates) and building materials (proteins) for the muscle building, but it also has an enormous influence on the hormones, the substances which are so important for the muscle building.

Hormones and muscle building

What exactly is the deal with these hormones? Hormones are our body's own signalling substances, produced by the endocrine glands and released into the bloodstream. There they control numerous bodily functions. Take, for example, thyroid hormone, which regulates the body's temperature, or insulin, which keeps the blood sugar level stable and controls the energy supply to the cells.

The hormones that are important for building muscle are the anabolic hormones:

  • DHEA-s
  • Growth Hormone
  • Estradiol
  • Testosterone
  • Insulin

For bodybuilders, the hormones DHEA-s, testosterone and insulin are the most important hormones in muscle building.

Diet and lifestyle and the influence on hormones

Diet and lifestyle have a much greater influence on hormone balance than most people expect. Some foods, such as soya, contain phyto-oestrogens (plant-based female hormones) that can significantly disrupt the hormone balance, disrupting the production of testosterone and boosting the female hormone oestrogen. That's the last thing you want if you want to build muscle, because your testosterone needs to be high.

The blood values test DHEA-s, testosterone and insulin measures the most important anabolic hormones. With the right blood values you will be able to get the most out of your workouts and make progress.

DHEA-s: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate is produced in the adrenal glands and is a so-called precursor for the androgenic hormone testosterone. Low DHEA levels can be a cause of lower testosterone levels.

Testosterone: Testosterone is of course known as a sex hormone and for its anabolic properties related to strength training. In addition, testosterone affects bone health, memory and mood.

Insulin: Insulin acts as a blood sugar regulator and is produced in the pancreas, specifically in the islets of Langerhans. It lowers the blood sugar level when it becomes too high. This makes it the counterpart of glucagon, which increases the blood sugar level when it gets too low.

In addition to this function, insulin also plays an important role for bodybuilders: it regulates carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. Insulin has both anabolic and anticatabolic effects on the muscles, making it an important value to monitor during the growth phase of training.

Want to take a blood test to measure your anabolic hormones so you can get the most out of your workouts?

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