Intense exercise can overwhelm the adrenals and eventually burn them out.  As an athlete you not only need to nourish your adrenals, but also strengthen the connecting pathways so that you can access the energy you need, when you need it. Strong adrenals mean strong, powerful legs, ready to carry you to success.

Strong adrenals also promote a healthy inflammatory response. Addressing chronic inflammation is crucial in the fight against aging, as it has been associated with age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke, amongst others.

As we age, our bodies descend into an increasingly catabolic state, which essentially means that tissues and muscle are breaking down instead of building up and growing, your body can no longer heal itself. By promoting an anabolic state,  your adrenals helps muscle regeneration and growth.

Adrenals = vital to regulate stress and metabolism.

The adrenals are a pair of endocrine glands that sit on top of your kidneys. They are responsible for regulating stress and controlling the body`s energy output in conjunction with the thyroid. They produce over 50 hormones and neurotransmitters, including adrenaline, cortisol and DHEA. They govern the sodium-potassium balance in the body, necessary to cellular energy production. They also initiate the fight-or-flight response when confronted by imminent danger or stress.

When humans lived in a more primal fashion, the fight-or-flight response was useful because it provided short, intense bursts of energy. Today, however, our modern lifestyle means that we are bombarded with multiple stresses daily. Chronic stress may overburden your adrenals, and over long periods of time it can cause serious mental and physical damage.

Another way in which the adrenals are weakened is through the use of stimulants such as caffeine. While substances such as coffee and energy drinks provide a quick pick-me-up in the moment, repeated use overloads the adrenals and can lead to health issues such as anxiety, fatigue, lower back pain and sleeping disorders.

The adrenals can also be weakened by sugar and other refined carbohydrates found in many processed foods, infection, extreme exercise, lack of sleep, virtually any chronic disease, and the use of prescription medications.

Do you feel constantly tired and run down? Do you need caffeine and sugar to get you through the day? Are you under frequent mental or physical stress? Do you have trouble coping with stress? Do you have a decreased sex drive? Are you frequently depressed or angry? Do you engage in frequent extreme exercise? Do you often have an upset stomach? Do you overeat and/or have experienced significant weight gain? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you may be overburdening your adrenals and producing an excess amount of cortisol.

The short answer: because it may be dangerous. Traditional DHEA supplementation has been the subject of much controversy. First, there is a possibility that it may cause your body`s natural production of DHEA to decline. Second, the body converts it into excess estrogen or testosterone, which can upset your natural hormonal balance and speed the development of certain cancers.

Copyright 2009 LifeHealthSecrets