Very few people understand what it’s like to push the body to the limit and beyond every day. In addition to the physical taxation on the body, the psychological stress of competition and the need to constantly improve performance takes a toll.
Sleep often doesn’t come easy as the athlete/elite performer attempts to decompress after very long days and draining events.
Under physical, emotional, or psychological stress, the adrenal glands produce cortisol, the “fight or flight hormone” which is needed in competitive situations. Problems arise when the adrenal glands produce too much cortisol over a prolonged period of time, eventually leading to adrenal fatigue, a condition where the adrenal glands have difficulty producing cortisol. Performance can slip.
Symptoms include:
-Inability to handle stress
-Fatigue even after a long night’s sleep
-Weakened immune system
-Joint pain
-Loss of muscle tone
-Poor circulation
-Low blood pressure
-Lower back pain
-Extreme tiredness after an hour of exercise
-Asthma, allergies, respiratory issues
-Dizziness
-Abnormal levels of cortisol can also wreak havoc on testosterone production.
