What Causes Excess Cortisol?
Any type of stress that occurs to the body signals the nervous system to relay this to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then responds by initiating the stress hormone cascade, starting with corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), followed by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) release, and finally glucocorticoid production. Stress to the human body can include trauma, anxiety, infections, surgery, and even resistance training and aerobics. Recent research has shown that elevated cortisol levels increased protein breakdown by 5-20 percent. Even mild elevations in blood cortisol can increase blood glucose concentration and protein catabolism (muscle breakdown) within a few hours in healthy individuals. Cortisol can also increase body fat levels, especially when it rises dramatically in the body. Overtraining by athletes may cause higher cortisol levels, potentially leading to hypertension because cortisol causes sodium retention and potassium excretion. Excess cortisol causes insulin re
