Stress stalls fitness progress – here's how to tame it

Two words could be the difference between achieving your goals and crashing out: Relax. More.

Stress isn’t just a feeling. It’s a chemical reaction that gave our ancestors the energy and motivation to escape predators and avoid danger. This ‘fight or flight’ response releases a blast of the ‘stress hormone’ cortisol. Even if you’re not being chased by lions, cortisol has genuine physical effects on your body and well-being.

Over prolonged periods of time, it can lead to chronic stress and burnout. In the shorter term – even just a few days – stress can impact your training and recovery in some pretty critical ways, no matter your goal.

How stress sabotages your fitness

1. It stalls muscle growth
You know how testosterone helps you build muscle? That’s because it’s an anabolic hormone, which means it’s all about building and growth. Cortisol, on the other hand, is a catabolic hormone, all about breaking things down – including muscle mass.

Cortisol also muddles up your body’s ability to synthesize protein, and we all know how important protein is when it comes to building and maintaining muscle. Studies have found that cortisol can quickly impact your muscle recovery, too, leaving you more fatigued and sore after a workout, and unable to perform at your best the next time you hit the mat.

2. Stress causes your body to store fat
We’re pretty sure you’re not working out to STORE fat. But that’s the effect stress can have. When your body releases elevated amounts of cortisol it can disrupt your blood glucose levels, and that excess glucose can then get stored as fat. Your body is also likely to store fat right where you really don’t want it: your belly and around your organs.

3. Stress makes sticking to your meal plan difficult
In its initial stages, stress can shut down your appetite. But when it persists, our old friend cortisol comes into play, upping our craving for sugary, fatty and fast foods. They don’t call it ‘emotional eating’ and ‘comfort food’ for nothing.

4. Stress messes with your sleep
You’re stressed, so you’re not sleeping properly. You’re not sleeping properly, which leaves you stressed. And when you’re tired and stressed, you’re not making your best choices or bringing your best on the workout mat. Plus, a lack of sleep can cause a rise in cortisol levels, putting us right back where we started. (If you need some help optimizing your nightly rest, we’re here to help.)

Sleep is a crucial part of the muscle-building process, too. Muscle recovers and repairs during sleep, so make sure you’re jumping into bed nice and early to max your muscle.

4 ways to bust stress for better results

Getting quality sleep and regular exercise are the two big ones, but what are some other things you can do to reduce stress?

1. Take it seriously
Stress is not a status symbol of how busy and important you are. It has a huge impact on health, just as much as what you eat and how often you work out. Stop dismissing stress or hoping it will magically get better. If it’s an ongoing problem in your life, try the four As – avoid, alter, accept and adapt – to identify and deal with stress.