Thyroid hormone
When we think of muscle building hormones the first ones that usually enter our mind are either testosterone or human growth hormone (HGH). However there are various other hormones in our body that have an effect on muscle growth but whose affects aren’t as prominent. Today’s topic is around the thyroid hormone and its effects on muscle building.
The thyroid hormones primary function is for the regulation of our metabolism, it also supports protein synthesis and fat loss. The thyroid gland is responsible for producing hormones that control your metabolic rate and how fast you metabolize your food. Knowing how to control these hormones can work to your advantage to lose fat. Before we get into the hormones effects on muscle growth we should first take a look at all the thyroid hormones and what each ones individual function is.
There are 5 hormones that make up the thyroid hormone
These are as follows: TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), T1, T2, T3 and T4. TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). TSH produces T4, T4 then turns into T3. T3 is the most powerful of the thyroid hormone that the body uses for metabolic purposes. From T3 your thyroid can take that and turn it into T2 which is less powerful but still important. And lastly from T2, it can take some of that and make T1 which is even less powerful and is used for some biological processes.
Now we have a basic understanding of how each one of the hormones work individually now let’s look at the hormones effect and how it relates to muscle growth as a whole.
- Increased oxygen consumption (metabolic rate)
- Increased thermogenesis (heat production)
- Increased number of red blood cells and increased oxygen delivery
- Increased lipolysis (fat burning)
- Increased liver glycogen breakdown
- Increased protein turnover
While the thyroid hormone does NOT directly cause muscle growth it does however affect other physiological functions which we can clearly see above. The above mentioned functions can be extremely beneficial to bodybuilders in the muscle building process.
A major problem with all calorie restricted diets is the reduction of thyroid hormone levels. When thyroid levels drop, we experience a reduction in protein synthesis, calorie burning and metabolism, and our gains may begin to platue.
As a trainer I ensure that you are not reaching a point of stagnation in your training and that you are constantly progressing. If you need help with meal/training plans or advice about personalized diets, nutrition plans, ab workouts, flexible dieting or Carb Cycling advice, visit the link www.RyanSpiteri.com or email me at [email protected]