Steroids. Is it really the dirty word you – and the rest of the personal training fraternity – think it is? When we hear about steroids, most of us take it to mean the synthetic chemicals that some bodybuilders and athletes use to bulk up their muscles and enhance their performance. Seeing as these chemicals can cause health-damaging side effects, it’s no wonder they have a bad rep.
The long-term use of steroids can adversely affect your body. Watch this video to find out more:
The truth is that your body naturally produces steroids. You know the names of some of them – cholesterol, oestrogen, cortisol, and testosterone. Steroids are actually incredibly important to the healthy function of your body.
Natural Steroids
What Do Steroids Actually Do?
Steroids perform a range of functions, including controlling your metabolism, reducing inflammation in your body, balancing your body’s salt content, managing immunity – and much more. Of course, steroids are also responsible for building muscle and giving you strength. The question is, what should you do and what should you eat, to boost the production of your natural steroids?
Creatine: A Substitute For Steroids
Creatine – which is commercially available in most health stores and pharmacies – is known for its properties of boosting energy so that weightlifters and bodybuilders can train longer and more often. Although this is a healthier alternative to steroids, too much can be a bad thing. Says Brittany Risher in an article on the Men’s Health website – entitled ‘Creatine: What It Is, What It Does, and Its Side Effects’ –
“Researchers are constantly studying creatine—for effectiveness and safety. That’s why many trainers and health experts support the use of creatine: Studies indicate it’s safe.”
For more information on creatine, watch the video below:
Get Into Weight Or Resistance Training
There’s a direct link between lifting weights and an increase in the body’s steroid production. Consider taking up Olympic lifting or kettlebells. Scientists have found that these activities ramp up your testosterone level faster than any other activity!
Experts have found that when you’re sleep deprived, the body cannot produce steroids effectively. Terán-Pérez G, Arana-Lechuga Y, Esqueda-León E, Santana-Miranda R, Rojas-Zamorano JÁ, Velázquez Moctezuma J say – in the article entitled ‘Steroid hormones and sleep regulation’ – that:
“… neurosteroids such as pregnanolone, allopregnanolone and pregnenolone are involved in the generation of slow wave sleep,
Learn More About Natural Steroids
Eat right. Make sure you include these foods in your diet:
1. Celery
Expert nutritionists say that the scent of celery stimulates testosterone production in men. This vegetable is high in two steroids called androstenone and androstenol. (Sign up for Trifocus Fitness Academy’s Specialised Nutrition Course where you’ll learn about how food and what your clients should be eating.)
2. Spinach
There’s a reason Popeye the Sailor Man lived on spinach – it’s very high in phytoecdysteroids which is a plant steroid. These nutrients have been shown to play a role in protein synthesis in the body, which is otherwise known as muscle building.
3. Quinoa
This super-seed is also high in ecdysteroids, as well as saponins, which boost the body’s level of testosterone and luteinising hormones. (Trifocus Fitness Academy’s Personal Training Course will show you – among other things – how hormones affect the body’s ability to train and grow muscle. Follow this link for more information.)
4. Eggs
The yolk is high in cholesterol while the egg whites contain muscle-boosting amino acids. There are good as well as bad kinds of cholesterol. Luckily for us, eggs contain the good kind!
5. Fava Beans
Hannibal Lecter was onto something. These beans naturally raise the body’s levels of human growth hormones and dopamine; and in turn, these spike your testosterone levels.
6. Avocados
These are high in healthy fats in other words omega 3s. Tests have shown that men who consume more fats produce more testosterone.
7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil And Coconut Oil
The healthy fats in these oils will boost the body’s testosterone levels. This will make weightlifting and bodybuilding that much easier.
8. Foods High In Vitamins C, A, and D, Zinc, and Magnesium
These nutrients and vitamins are shown to kick up the body’s testosterone while, at the same time, fighting colds and flu, cramps as well as many other benefits!
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
If you’re passionate about exercise, diet, and the role of good physical strength, consider signing up for the Trifocus Fitness Academy Comprehensive Personal Training Certification. And turn your passion into your career today! You know you want to…