Tag Archives: leptin

Hormone Response to Exercise: Leptin

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By Shelby Stoner, PHASE IV Exercise Physiologist

Previous articles in the Hormone Series:

Hormone Response To Exercise: Insulin

Hormone Response To Exercise: Cortisol

Hormone Response To Exercise: HGH

Hormone Response To Exercise: Ghrelin

Leptin, the satiety hormone, is a hormone that is released from adipose tissue, more commonly known as fat. Leptin does not affect food intake like its counterpart ghrelin (the hunger hormone), instead it alters food intake and controls energy expenditure over the long term. It does so by inhibiting hunger so the body does not trigger hunger responses when it does not need energy. Leptin has more of a profound effect when we lose weight and levels of the hormone fall. In some cases, this stimulates an increase in appetite and food intake, which is why it can be so difficult to lose those few extra pounds!

Since leptin is produced by fat cells, it makes sense that our body composition has a direct effect on how much leptin is released. The more fat an individual has, the more leptin they will have circulating in their blood and vice versa. However, those that are obese have unusually high levels of leptin. This is because in most obese individuals, the brain does not respond to leptin which causes an increase in food intake despite excess fat stores, a concept known as “leptin resistance.” A similar process occurs in those with type 2 diabetes with insulin resistance, causing the unusually high levels of circulating insulin. Unfortunately, the cause of leptin resistance is still unclear. Considering that obesity is a primary health concern and that many people who lose weight regain part if not all of that weight and that leptin is involved in regulating eating behavior, understanding the impact of exercise on leptin concentrations and the regulation of leptin release and/or synthesis is an important public health concern.

The effect of exercise on leptin concentrations is currently controversial. Several studies have reported that exercise may result in circulating leptin reductions depending on the duration and caloric expenditure while others have reported no significant changes in leptin concentrations. Weltman et al. (2000) found that 30 min of exercise at various intensities and caloric expenditures in healthy young men did not cause modifications in leptins levels during and post exercise. In this study, the intensity and short duration of exercise did not appear to be sufficient enough to affect the leptin concentration in these young subjects. Another study by Bouassida et al. (2004) demonstrated that 45 seconds of supra-maximal exercise at 120% of peak aerobic power was not associated with a reduction of leptin levels in 5 males and 12 females who were physically active. However, it was noted that other hormones such as cortisol, which can affect leptin concentrations, increased in the subjects in response to exercise as expected. In general, the studies suggest that short-term exercise (<60 minutes) and exercise that generated energy expenditures less than 800 kcals do not affect leptin concentrations.

However, other studies examining the effects of exercise on leptin concentrations have shown that exercise of longer durations and greater energy expenditures may actually reduce leptin concentrations post-exercise. Essig et al. (2000) reported lower leptin concentrations in trained males after exercise tests expending 800 and 1500 kcals respectively. These authors concluded that the decrease in leptin concentrations was preceded by a decrease in insulin concentrations 24-48 hours during recovery. Leptin responses after much longer durations of exercise have also been reported, including Leal-Cerro et al. (1998) which controlled the variations of the circadian rhythm of leptin after a marathon and found significant reductions in the participants’ leptin concentrations. These authors associated the leptin decrease with the large energy expenditure generated by the marathon. All in all, the decrease in leptin concentrations post-exercise are largely attributed to long-term exercise (>60 min) and exercises that generated a sufficient energy imbalance (>800 kcal).

As a general consensus from looking at the effects of physical activity on varying hormones, exercise and training can reduce fat mass, which plays a significant role in hormonal concentrations, including insulin, cortisol, growth hormone, and other metabolites such as free fatty acids and lactic acid. Overall, the variance in literature regarding the specific effects of exercise on leptin concentrations is related to many factors such as the intensity and duration of exercise, the nutritional status of the subject, and the caloric imbalance imposed by the exercise.

Whether your goals are related to weight loss or improved performance, PHASE IV science has the answers. Call us to schedule a complimentary 30-minute health and fitness consultation at our facility in Santa Monica. 310-582-8212

THE SCIENCE OF FAT

The Science of Fat

By CEO Robert Forster, PT

There has been a lot written about fat in both the popular press and in sports related journals and magazines. Athletes and the sedentary alike comprise a society obsessed with fat. We are obsessed with fat in our diets and on our bodies and with good reason. Over 1 million people worldwide are overweight and in many countries including the U.S. these numbers are increasing at an alarming rate. Sixty five percent of U.S. adults are overweight compared with 56% a decade ago. Since 1980 obesity in children has escalated three-fold and now 15% of children over six are overweight. Scientists think this generation will actually have a shorter lifespan than its immediate predecessor. Additionally, two effects of obesity; high blood pressure and heart disease have recently made the top ten list of global health risks from the World Health Organization.

Athletes like to think any exercise will grant protection from the detrimental effects of fat. We have been told that aerobic exercise produces high-density lipoproteins (the good cholesterol) that protect the heart and blood vessels against stroke and heart attacks. However, recent research indicates that just because you are fit doesn’t mean your body fat is not sabotaging your health. You may recall the deaths of Jim Fix, the running guru, and Ed Burke, the cycling physiologist, who both died of cardiovascular disease doing what they loved; working out. So exercise in general is not the panacea protection against disease as once thought. However, evidence is mounting to indicate more focused exercise can create the protection we are looking for against disease.

For sometime, sports scientists have understood that for athletes some fat is good. For the endurance athlete fat supplies are an abundant, clean burning energy source for workouts and performances. At the very least, conventional wisdom held, excess fat is nothing more than a very needy anchor slowing your pace and diverting a disproportionate and unproductive amount of oxygen rich blood flow from your working muscles. However, new research indicates fat is more evil than previously thought. More than an unsightly but inert substance hanging from your midsection and robbing your efficiency, fat is now understood to be a highly active metabolic tissue spewing damaging chemicals and hormones with profound and far reaching effects on health.

The fat cell once thought to be a simple storage container for triglycerides is actually constantly secreting hormones and powerful chemicals much like the thyroid and pituitary gland. In fact, your collective fat cells, and there are many, up to 40 billion in a lean adult and 120 billion in the obese, act like one big endocrine gland. While the effects of proper thyroid and pituitary gland function is always positive for health, normal function of fat cells results in the secretion of substances linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer.

Fat cells produce thrombotic agents that assist in clotting and chemicals that constrict blood vessels resulting in increased blood pressure. Together theses chemicals and their effects contribute to cardiovascular disease and stroke. Making matters worse, while adult endocrine glands do not grow, the fat “gland” grows readily. Not only are fat cells quick to expand and slow to shrink, (indeed obese people have 50-75% more mass in their fat cells than lean people) fat has a nearly infinite capacity to multiply. Contrary to popular belief the number of fat cells is not fixed in childhood. As fat cells approach their limit in size, nearby dormant fat cells are signaled to multiply to handle the overload. Lastly, fat cells are extremely long lived as compared to other cells and once mature continue to poison the body for extended periods.

The first fat hormone discovered, Leptin, communicates with the brain to control metabolism and eating. The more bodily fat the more leptin produced to decrease appetite and maintain genetically determined levels of body fat. Unfortunately obesity creates a bodily resistance to the effects of leptin. The fatter we get the less appetite control exerted by this system. On the other hand, the hormone adipotectin produced by fat makes the body more sensitive to the effects of insulin. Insulin facilitates glucose (sugar) uptake by muscle cells and therefore prevents it from being converted to fat by the liver and stored. Increased sensitivity to insulin is a good thing but ironically not only do obese people make less adipotectin but half of the obese population is resistant to insulin anyway. And, the fatter they get the more insulin resistant they become.

Why are we programmed so well to get fat and stay fat? In an ironic twist, that which was created through evolution to preserve life against the previously constant threat of famine is now killing many of us. It seems those biologically enhanced to hoard fat and perpetuate life through historically frequent lean times are now, in the world of supersized meals and readily available high caloric processed foods, the ones most likely to die early.

The good news for the gravity challenged athlete is that the latest science still supports exercise and diet as the best approach to fat loss, disease prevention and the maintenance of optimum body weight. The old adage that weight gain occurs when caloric intake exceeds energy expenditure is still correct. This is, however, a more complex statement than it first appears. First, not all calories are dealt with the same way by the body. Researchers have found that those who consume more white bread, rice, pasta and other refined carbohydrates tend to add fat disproportionately around the midsection where others who eat about the same number of calories from foods like whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables had little change in their waist measurements. It turns out body shape does matter.

People who are shaped like an apple, with excess body fat stored around the abdomen, are more likely to suffer diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Those shaped like pears with fat deposited in the lower body, i.e., hips, buttocks and back have less health risk due to obesity. It is now known that the so-called “visceral fat” in the abdomen is more dangerous to ones health. Otherwise skinny people with a bit of a belly are more prone to health problems than they would like to recognize. It seems that visceral fat is more metabolically active and prolific at spewing toxic substances than subcutaneous fat which is deposited more uniformly over the rest of the body. These findings make sense of the observation that liposuction does little to reduce health risks. Although unsightly fat is eliminated through these increasingly popular procedures, blood studies show no improvement in disease markers whereas someone who lost the same amount of weight through exercise and diet would experience improvements in cholesterol, blood pressure and insulin resistance.

The implication of the second part of the old adage is not straight forward either. The calories you burn during a workout are inconsequential to your overall body weight; instead it is how effective you are at using that exercise time to re-program your cells to burn fat that will make a meaningful and long lasting difference in your body weight. Heart rate specific, low intensity exercise re-engineers the cellular apparatus in the muscle cells to burn fat 24/7, i.e. both during exercise and at rest!

The time for “get thin quick” and fad diets is over. Science now has the answers to long lasting weight loss and it’s simpler than you think. At PHASE IV we have helped thousands of clients lose weight, reduce health risk factors and create an active lifestyle. Our programs are anchored in science and guided by thirty years of experience helping people of all ages and abilities achieve their goals and attain the body they always wanted.

RESOURCE

Conquering the “Fit but Fat Syndrome”

The Fit But Fat Syndrome is a result of ill advised training programs dictated by whim and not science, reliance on sports bars and drinks, working harder and harder, not smarter, too many intense workouts creating a metabolism dependent on carbohydrates not fats, inadequate base training, and calorie restriction causing your metabolism to idle.At PHASE IV we teach you to achieve your ideal performance body weight and how to unlock the mysteries of your personal physiology. We re-engineer your sports nutrition so it is working for you not against you, and we optimize your fat burning potential with heart rate specific exercise intensities. With the perfect balance of metabolic training and recovery, your body will learn to burn fat all day long. Finally, through metabolic testing we determine the exact calories needed to fuel your workouts and lifestyle while managing your weight. The calories you burn during workouts are inconsequential to your overall body weight or body fat content! Instead, it is how well you use your exercise time to reprogram your daily physiology that matters. The “Fit But Fat” Syndrome is attributable to improper training schedules and heart rate intensities that reek hormonal havoc! How hard you train, when you train, and how you schedule your workouts, all effect the production of stress hormones. Use the value of targeted heart rate training, proper nutrition, and strength training to conquer the “Fit But Fat” Syndrome!

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THE FIVE BEST WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

The Five Best Weight Loss Tips

Posted In Lifestyle, Mindset, Scientific Fitness

1. Make the decision and get your mindset in the right place

Once you decide to reach your health goals, you will have to shift your thinking one day at a time. Your old beliefs and way of thinking will keep trying to nudge its way back into your daily life with negative habits and behaviors. The key is getting proper guidance that will help you make informed decisions on a daily basis. At PHASE IV we offer personal body coaching to help motivate you and keep you on track.

2. Get your resting metabolism tested

Dieting doesn’t always mean cutting calories. You could be eating too much, or even too little. Find out how your body uses energy on a daily basis. A resting metabolic rate test will give you insight as to how many calories you need to take in each day in an effort to reach your goal weight. With this information, you can make sure you feed your body only what it needs while keeping your metabolism boosted.

3. Find out where your training zones are with a VO2 test

The best way to determine your optimal fat burning zone with any precision is to undergo a simple metabolic test called a VO2 Analysis. This test takes a “snap shot” of your physiology while you exercise and tells us the most productive exercise intensity i.e. when you are burning the most fat. These precision metabolic tests will produce an exact personalized heart rate prescription from which to design your activity program for optimal results. Because each person’s metabolism is unique to their personal physiology, Phase IV metabolic testing is the only way to accurately determine your proper heart rate training zones. Eliminate the guess work and frustration of plateaus by training with science!

4. Make the decision to eat a clean diet

Clean out the pantry and house of all bad foods. If you can’t resist temptation and even if you can, just get rid of all the non-nutritive food, period! Preparing your meals at home can help you control what you put into your body. Also, pay attention to how eating healthy gives you more energy. This association will provide stronger motivation to keep you on track. At PHASEIV we will help you build an intuitive nutrition program that will teach your body to burn more fat through the perfect balance of proteins, carbs, and fats.

5. Get plenty of sleep

Sleep deprivation causes hormone imbalances. These out-of-balance hormones wreak havoc on your appetite and metabolism. According to Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep and the clinical director of the sleep division for Arrowhead Health in Glendale, Arizona; the two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. “Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin,” Breus says. “Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.” More ghrelin plus less leptin equals weight gain. It is recommended that you get at least 7.5 hours of sleep per night.

NUTRITIONAL OPTIMIZATION

Exercise is not the only factor for fitness, functional health and performance in life and sport. Food is fuel for life, and it is the single most important factor in developing a healthy digestive system. Just like with your exercise training, a science-based approach to what you put in your body and when you do it has a great effect on your ability to achieve your health goals. The PHASE IV approach to health and fitness involves guided exercise and an easy-to-follow, “close-to-the- earth” diet. Both are designed for one singular goal: metabolic efficiency—to make you a better butter burner. But where do you start? How DO YOU construct a dietary program that addresses your unique personal physiology, genetics, lifestyle, and metabolism? Our thorough understanding of the intricate synergistic relationship between nourishment, lifestyle, exercise and enhanced metabolic function, will result in a science based program that defines exactly how to fuel your body, and the exact calories you need to fuel your exercise. With PHASE IV individualized programs and support, you will achieve your goals and realize the functional health you’ve always wanted!

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WINTER WEIGHT GAIN FACTORS

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WINTER WEIGHT GAIN FACTORS

BY CEO Robert Forster, PT

Here’s a depressing piece of information: Americans put on half of our annual weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Years. On average, it’s estimated to be just two pounds a year, but research shows that people don’t lose it when the party ends. Those persistent extra pounds acquired over the winter too often accumulate year after year, eventually contributing to health problems such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

We gain weight during the winter months for different reasons. If you have a tendency to gain weight during the winter, it’s important for you to figure out what factors contribute to this tendency, and then plan accordingly. Simple changes in behavior will have enormous health benefits. Here are a few unexpected ways the winter months can lend to your weight gain:

Decreased Daylight Hours

One factor noted in winter weight gain is the decrease in Vitamin D. Our body absorbs Vitamin D from sunlight. As daylight decreases, so do our Vitamin D levels. And low levels of Vitamin D affect the hormone, leptin, which plays a role in appetite and metabolism. According to a study by the journal Medical Hypotheses; a fall in vitamin D in the form of circulating calcidiol is the stimulus for the winter response, which consists of an accumulation of fat mass (obesity) and the induction of a winter metabolism (the metabolic syndrome). Try getting outdoors during the daylight hours for exercise to maintain adequate levels.

Increased Holiday Stress

If the holidays create excess stress for you, think of ways to reduce it. When your cortisol levels start to skyrocket, your weight tends to follow. Harvard Medical School researchers found that people who stressed over work, paying off bills and relationships gained more weight over 9 years than those who kept their cool. Not only do higher stress levels trigger your body to accumulate belly fat, you’re also more likely to self-medicate with the comfort foods. When you’re stressed, you don’t think as clearly. You become less attentive to your health, and are less mindful about what you eat. Exercise is the best stress-reducer around, and stress reduction is one of the best reasons to stay active, no matter what the season may be.

Frequent Bouts with the Flu

Nothing derails your workout routine easier than getting sidelined from a cold or flu. A 2009 review in the journal Medical Hypotheses found that catching a cold may triple your weight gain. Animals infected with adenovirus-36, a virus that causes upper-respiratory infections in humans, were more likely to gain chub than those who stayed healthy. Same thing seems to hold true in humans, says Richard Atkinson, MD, clinical professor of pathology at Virginia Commonwealth University and director of Obtech Obesity Research Center. Evidence suggests that the bug increases the number of glucose receptors on your fat cells, causing them to grow bigger in size and number and saddling you with up to 35 extra pounds.

Turning to Carbs as Comfort Food

When we are more sedentary, we unconsciously turn to carbs to deliver a quick hit of the feel-good chemical, serotonin, and we start grabbing them more often during the cold months. From around October through early March, there are people who go into a hibernating depression. Research shows that seasonal affective disorder can trigger cravings for pasta, potatoes, rice, and that people with SAD can eat an additional 800 calories a day from carbs alone. Avoid the carbs and fill up on meals and snacks heavy with protein and healthy fats and you reduce the cravings for carbs.

Everyone Else is Gaining Weight

The flu isn’t the only thing that’s contagious, being exposed to obesity can make you pack on pounds, too. An oft-cited New England Journal of Medicine study found that you’re 57 percent more likely to be obese if you have a friend who’s fat and 37 percent more likely if your spouse is chubby. To make matters worse, researchers fear that the bigger our friends, the lower our motivation to stay in shape. A 2010 study in the journal Obesity found that people are less likely to consider themselves overweight when surrounded by other people who are bigger.

Go Into the Season with a Plan

At Phase IV, we can help you stay on track. We have 30 years of experience helping people manage their weight using science, not diet fads and gimmicks. We utilize metabolic testing to arrive at the optimum fat burning heart rate for exercise, making your workouts 100% productive. When heart rate specific workouts are matched with a periodized strength and flexibility program and combined with a nutrition regimen that is specific to your physiology you will experience sustainable weight loss.

References:

Dallman, M. F., Pecoraro, N., Akana, S. F., et al. (2003) Chronic stress and obesity: a new view of “comfort food”. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 100: 11696–11701. McGrath J. Does ‘imprinting’ with low prenatal vitamin D contribute to the risk of various adult disorders?. Med Hypotheses. 2001;56(3):367–371

Training is only half the battle when it comes to achieving the performance and body you desire. Food is the other.

Just like with your training, a science-based approach to what you put in your body and when you do it has a great effect on your ability to achieve your athletic and health goals. The PHASE IV approach to health and fitness involves guided exercise and an easy-to-follow, “close-to-the- earth” diet. Both are designed for one singular goal: metabolic efficiency—to make you a better butter burner. But where do you start? How DO YOU construct a dietary program that addresses your unique personal physiology, genetics, lifestyle, and metabolism?

Our thorough understanding of the intricate synergistic relationship between nourishment, lifestyle, exercise and enhanced metabolic function, will result in a science based program that defines exactly how to fuel your body, and the exact calories you need to fuel your workouts and lifestyle while managing your weight goals.

With PHASE IV individualized programs and support, you will achieve your goals and create the body you’ve always wanted!

Buy Now Book an Appointment

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The Science of Fat

By CEO Robert Forster, PT

Conquering the “Fit but Fat Syndrome”

The Five Best Weight Loss Tips

Posted In Lifestyle, Mindset, Scientific Fitness

1. Make the decision and get your mindset in the right place

2. Get your resting metabolism tested

3. Find out where your training zones are with a VO2 test

4. Make the decision to eat a clean diet

5. Get plenty of sleep

NUTRITIONAL OPTIMIZATION

WINTER WEIGHT GAIN FACTORS

BY CEO Robert Forster, PT

Decreased Daylight Hours

Increased Holiday Stress

Frequent Bouts with the Flu

Turning to Carbs as Comfort Food

Everyone Else is Gaining Weight

Go Into the Season with a Plan

References:

PHASE IV FUEL© Nutritional Optimization