Simply Put... The Importance of Hormones and Glands

[Iron Game]

Simply Put… The Importance of Hormones and The Glands That Control Them

Our endocrine system is much more complex than testosterone and estrogen that most of us think of when we hear “hormones”.

Hormones control –

· Thirst and hunger
· Body temperature
· Mood
· Food metabolism
· Much, much more

PLUS…CELL AND TISSUE GROWTH AND REPAIR

Hormones are excreted by our endocrine glands. They message and control our circulatory, reproductive, muscular and every other system in our body.

The Endocrine System is made up of the following glands -
· The testicles (men)
· The ovaries (female)
· The pituitary
· The thyroid
· The adrenal
· The pancreas
· The parathyroid
And more….

I will go over a couple glands and their main functions.

Testicles – Production of testosterone, and sperm (Male sex hormones)

Ovaries – Production of progesterone and estrogen (Female sex hormones)

Parathyroid – 4 glands at the base of the neck. Primarily control the body’s calcium levels.

Hypothalamus – Located just above the brain stem. Controls hunger, temperature, sex drive, mood, and thirst.

Thymus – Only active until puberty after that it shrinks up and is replaced by fat. Located between the lungs aids in the production of T-Cells to help fight disease.

Pineal - Aids in sleep and quality by producing melatonin. Also maintains the bodys circadian rhythm.

Adrenal – Located at the top of each kidney. Controls the body’s “fight or flight” stress hormone. AKA cortisol and epinephrine.

Pituitary – The bodys master gland. Located at the base of the brain below the hypothalamus. Produces growth hormone and controls other glands.

Thyroid – Found at the base of the Adam’s Apple. Converts iodine to T3 and T4 which maintain our metabolism.

Pancreas – Located behind the stomach. Produces insulin, which in turn helps control blood sugar levels.

MORE TO COME...

Iron-Game

 

[Jackedsquirrel]

Do you mind if others jump in here to comment or add things. Don't want to step on your post, but thought we could make it a really good read if several people put in some effort.

 

[Iron Game]

Do you mind if others jump in here to comment or add things. Don't want to step on your post, but thought we could make it a really good read if several people put in some effort.

Not at all brutha, I was hoping we could make this an ongoing thread. So much information out there. Please expand...I know this is so very basic.

Go to town bro...

 

[Jackedsquirrel]

The pancreas is one of the most complex systems in the body but without it we are all screwed! It is responsible for producing insulin and it does this through tiny cells called beta-islet cells. Insulin is produced in response to elevated levels of glucose in the blood (i.e. Eating). Insulin is secreted in the blood stream and travels along with glucose to the liver where the insulin acts like a bridge allowing the glucose to get across and into liver (and other organs) to be used for energy or converted to glucagon to or fat (energy that can be used later). This is one of the endocrine functions of the pancreas.

the pancreas is unique in that is has exocrine functions as well (enzymes that travel through ducts and not through the blood) in that it is the main thing helping us digest our food as the pancreatic enzymes are released from the pancreas in response to food and spit out into the first part of the small intestine.

there are lots of different disease processes that can happen with the pancreas but the two most common are diabetes and pancreatitis. Unfortunately I am tryping this on my phone and my fingers are tired so I'll try to add some more later tonight and then we can keep building from there on different endocrine organs.

If I mentioned something in error please correct me as this is coming from memory and if this isn't what you had in mind with the post let me know.

 

[Iron Game]

Great information! Please keep it coming.

 

[Jackedsquirrel]

Back to the pancreas - the most common disease and one of the most feared is diabetes which comes in 2 wonder flavors, type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is almost always juvinelle onset and is an autoimmune process where the beta-islet cells of the pancreas get destroyed. This is why type 1 diabetics are on insulin for life. Type 2 happens due to organ resistance to insulin produced from the pancreas and comes from a multitude of different things but mainly poor diet that is high in sugar for a long time. The chronically high levels of glucose means a pancreas that is constantly trying to lower blood sugar by producing more insulin (binds on outer area of organs and acts like a bridge) and eventually the organs become less sensitive to insulin so blood glucose goes up. Think of it like the gap that the insulin bridge has to span gets longer and longer the more often it is used and eventually insulin can't span that gap anymore to allow glucose into the organs. Medicine can be used here to make your body more sensitive to insulin. The other problem with type 2 diabetes is that the pancreas has produced so much insulin for so long that the cells get burnt out and eventually stop making insulin at all - so these people go on insulin for the rest of their lives.

So now to the the use of exogenous insulin for bodybuilding. Insulin in a bridge right, one that allows not only glucose to enter cells (including muscle cells) but also allows increased protein and other amino acids into the cells. Insulin is most often used after a workout, never before, and used in conjunction with food that is high in protein, has some carbs, and ideally your post-workout recovery drink. This allows more protein/nutrients into muscle cells and allows faster muscle growth. However, the dangers are serious because too much insulin will kill you. So it's extremely important to have food just after your insulin injection and ideally another meal in about an hour.

There are several types of insulin to use and that's a whole post on its own. So to keep it short the one to use after a workout is Humalog/Novalog which is insulin lispro or insulin as part. These are quicker acting than regular insulin (Humalin), have a shorter time to peak concentration, and are out of your system faster.

I think thats enough from me about the pancreas in this post. I'll try to add stuff for other parts of the endocrine system over the next few days. And as always if y'all see something incorrect about things I write please bring them up so I can correct my understanding and learn. Thanks

 

[Iron Game]

More great information on the pancreas and insulin.

 

[Iron Game]

BUMPING HORMONES AND GLANDS

 

[Cyber-Suppz]

Great information