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High Intensity Training and Stress

Is high intensity training bad for you?

Q. I have read on a couple of different websites recently that high intensity training places too much demand on the adrenal glands because of its stressful nature. Apparently high intensity training causes the adrenals to secrete a lot of their hormone, and repeated high intensity training workouts can overload the adrenals and cause them to fail. One of the articles suggested you should avoid high intensity training altogether and the suggested it's alright if it's cycled with occasional periods of less demanding training. What do you say about this?

A. It's true that high intensity training places a considerable demand on the adrenals, and that is exactly why it is so productive. Understand that all stress such as heat, cold, work, exercise, etc. stimulate the adrenals to secrete the hormone ACTH. The effects of stress are cumulative; you can't blame overburdened adrenals on just one type of stress such as high intensity exercise. If a someone were going through a particularly stress time such as a divorce, losing a job, the death of a loved one, or any other highly emotional or physical stress, then yes, the added stress of a intense workouts can be "the straw that breaks the camels back". To say, however, that the stress of high intensity training alone is responsible of overtaxing someone's adrenals would be wrong.

Any kind of weight training, be it high intensity training or high volume training, can be too demanding on the body's recovery systems. High intensity training, which is usually only done 3 days a week, allows sufficient recovery time for the adrenals and the other recuperative subsystems of the body. The fact that high intensity training is of short duration, 30 to 45 minute workouts, is another factor that helps prevent adrenal failure and overtraining. These three factors - intensity, brief duration and infrequent workouts - are what make high intensity training so productive. The intensity of effort is what stimulates muscle growth, and the shortness and infrequency of the workouts allow that growth to occur.

Training two or more hours a day, on the other hand, prevents even the possibility of high intensity effort and therefore stimulates too little muscle growth. Such lengthily training can, however, lead easily to overtraining, especially when done 6 days a week.

While high intensity training is the most productive, it is also the most demanding on both body and mind. And while the brief and infrequent nature of this type of training will theoretically prevent overtraining, we can't always predict the onset of other stressful life situations so it may be necessary to periodically lower the intensity in times of too much stress. To continue working out too hard during periods of great stress could lead to the depletion of the body's recovery system and result in possible problems, such as fatigue, exhaustion, etc.

During periods of too much over-all life stress, continue to train by all means - but cut down on the intensity. And as a means of maintaining enthusiasm you should cycle your efforts by periodically lowering you training intensity for a week or two, these periods are already built into the HITMan High Intensity training program, to insure the fastest gains possible while avoiding over stressing your body and mind.

For more information on high intensity training get the new HITMAN High Intensity Training Manual.

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Disclaimer: This information presented is intended to be used for educational purposes only. The statements made have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S.). These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition or disease. Please consult with your own physician or health care practitioner regarding any suggestions and recommendations made.