On Wed, 31 Jul 2002 12:55:26 -0500, tsayonah <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>For the full article, see:
>http://www.quackbusters.com.au/chronicles/stress.htm

Unless they have changed recently, I discount anything from quackbusters due to
their unscientific bias.    I find that any person or site that attempts to
"debunk" is always biased and unscientific (I won't go into a lengthy off-topic
explanation of the psychological reasons for this).

>They said that cortisol is
>higher in the morning, exercise raises cortisol; therefore
>exercising in the morning gives a double boost.  They claim
>that cortisol suppresses the immune system.

Partially true.   Exercise raises cortisol only if there is insufficient
glucagon to maintain blood sugar levels.     Glucagon comes from protein.   So,
Dr. Sears recommends eating about an ounce of protein 30-45 minutes before
working out.    A little bit of carbs (a few berries) with that helps supply
glucose.   Keeping it to a total of 100 calories or less insures that not much
energy or blood flow is diverted to digestion.

If you are exercising purely for health reasons (as opposed to training for
athletics), then keeping the total length of the workout to 45 minutes or less
provides sufficient health benefit, and further exercise then increasingly
triggers cortisol production.

Sears' book "The Age-free Zone" (formerly "The Anti-Aging Zone") talks
extensively about cortisol, insulin, and all the other elements of the hormonal
system and how they relate to health.


--
Cheers,

Ken
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