Hormones and Competing. Gymnastics Seminar! Happy New Year!
The CrossFit Open - Hormones and Competing
By Warda Harchaoui
Let’s talk about competition… controversial for some, necessary for others. Competition comes in quite a few forms, the first being the biological component. Competition is essential for survival in pretty much all-living organisms. Organisms literally compete with each other so they can access food, water, protection, and territory. Now, when it comes to competing in CrossFit, there are quite a few hormones that play a crucial role in shaping the body’s adaptive response to the rigors that come with competing.
The first hormone and the most important hormone is testosterone, otherwise known as “the powerhouse hormone”. T is often associated with muscle growth and strength and plays a pivotal role when competing. Elevated T levels promote protein synthesis that leads to increased muscles mass and improved strength.
Next is cortisol, or as we know it as the “double-edged sword”. Now, this can get a little bit complex… stick with me. During high intensity training, C levels naturally rise to mobilize our energy resources. On the other hand, prolonged excessive C release can have detrimental effects, including muscle breakdown and impaired recovery. This is where balance of training and recovery is critically important especially when it comes to competition and training. Elevated C levels can also negatively impact your long-term health.
**if you made it this far, I applaud you! keep going..**
Insulin or “the fuel regulator” is up next. There is more that goes on during a highly intense James’ Cooper programmed workout than we realize. I’ll try to break it down. During any type of activity, the body relies on glucose for energy and insulin is the one that facilitates the uptake of glucose by the muscle cells ensuring a steady supply of fuel for the demand exertion you’re taking part in. Proper insulin sensitivity is vital for efficient energy utilization, helping athletes sustain peak performance. Now, what all does this mean? Nutrition. I won’t dive too much into that in this piece. Proper fuel = peak performance.
Growth hormone, or “the recovery booster”. I can’t think of a single elite athlete that doesn’t incorporate a rest day… yes, even THE Sarah Howard takes two rest days a week. Why are rest days important? I won’t go too much into detail. But the answer is this.. your muscles undergo trauma during a workout. Yes, trauma! (OK microtrauma) Your muscles are literally breaking down and you’re literally depriving them of oxygen.. hiii lactate :) Now what will enhance the growth of your muscles? REST…proper rest. Enhanced growth hormone secretion supports the healing process, muscle repair and recovery and enables athletes to bounce back faster and train more efficiently.
**if you made it this far, I applaud you! keep going..**
Finally, “the fight-or-flight duo”, adrenaline and noradrenaline. These hormones come into play when an athlete needs to be a little more focused and alert. (Box jumps, heavy lifts, sprints) The rapid release of these hormones increase agility and power that contributes to the athlete’s overall success.
In conclusion, competing at any level of CrossFit requires a lot of your body. Not only physiologically, but mentally as well. There are so many benefits to competing! If you’ve never competed before, why not start with The Open? Why not test yourself and all of the hard work you’ve put in this year? I hope this helped you understand a little bit more of our hormonal dynamics and as they deepen, so does our ability to unlock our full potential. This is a little extra side not PSA, but I just finished the podcast that was PHENOMENAL. It’s 3 hours long Huberman (episode) to unpack but very much worth the listen.
Huberman Lab: Dr. Robert Lustig: How Sugar & Processed Foods Impact Your Health on Apple Podcasts
Huberman Lab: Dr. Robert Lustig: How Sugar & Processed Foods Impact Your Health on Spotify
Gymnastics Seminar!
Our gymnastics seminar will kick off January 13th the same week as our Bring a Friend Week. Which means yes they can attend that day since it is within the week.
Sarah H, Monica and I are excited to have this seminar. This seminar will give us all a chance to grow in our comfort with gymnastics positions and build our skills from the ground up, literally. We will work on, headstand, kipping and toes to bar. Each of these movements builds into the ability to do pullups, muscle ups and pullovers. Building blocks are huge.
You will have close attention and time poured into your movement. This is an event that will fill up quickly. Head to the app and reserve your spot. We will cap it at 25 athletes.
Because of the nature of the commitment for this event we ask a few things of you.
Please reserve early (this helps us to know how we need to scale)
Please actually show up (if you don’t and didn't give us 48 hours notice, a $30 fee will be charged).
Come ready to be a sponge that day and listen to all cues told to you by the coaches in the class.
This seminar is open to athletes of every level. We are ready for an amazing time of skill building and fun.
Happy New Year!
New years. Put some resolutions, revolutions, goals or whatever you want to call them on paper (or digital source) so you know what you are striving for. We have seen so many of you reach your goals this year, except Jess. But even if you didn't hit them exactly, it got you close to where you wanted to be.
Here are some of my goals this year.
Go to the park 1 time a week with the kids unless it’s raining
Go on a date with Bre one time per week
10 strict pull-ups by June 1st 2024
400# DL by December 31st 2024
225# clean and jerk by December 31st 2024
Ring Muscle up by November 1st 2024
50’ handstand walk by August 1st 2024
Workout 4-5 days a week every week no matter what
Some of these goals I have already accomplished in years past. But I do not mind that they are back on my list again. Some of these things I have never accomplished, to me that is exciting. I want to push hard for the things on this list. I have other lists as well. Each of these goals is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Does it mean that I will achieve each one? Probably not. But is worth the effort.
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Keep building,
James and Bre Cooper
