Tip: Cortisol Control for the Natural Bodybuilder

Things can get even more problematic when you're on a low-carb diet because you could increase protein breakdown (breakdown of muscle tissue) into amino acids to produce glucose (gluconeogenesis) from these aminos to maintain stable blood sugar levels.

This means that the more restrictive your diet, and the longer the dieting period is, the more likely you are to have chronically elevated cortisol levels because you constantly need to mobilize more fuel and elevate blood glucose levels. This is especially true when carbs are very low and fats aren't high enough to compensate.

And since chronically elevated cortisol levels can be destructive for natural individuals, it makes it almost impossible to build more muscle, and even harder to prevent muscle loss.

When you're using steroids you're inhibiting the negative action that cortisol can have on muscle – both by reducing its action at the cellular level and by increasing the protein synthesis rate to compensate for the increased rate of protein breakdown.

If someone is using growth hormone, the need to produce cortisol might be reduced because GH also increases blood glucose levels and mobilizes stored energy. If growth hormone is taking care of that, there's less need to release cortisol.

Because of that, enhanced athletes have much less risk of losing muscle while dieting and can use a much stricter diet. They can even build muscle while losing fat.

Natural lifters need to minimize excess cortisol if they want to grow. Ingesting some fast absorbed carbs like highly-branched cyclic dextrins before and during workouts will go a long way in preventing excessive cortisol output.

If you have carbs readily available for fuel while you train there's less need to mobilize your reserves. If you don't need to mobilize as much fuel, you don't release as much cortisol. Surge® Workout Fuel is the best product for that purpose.

You can also use other strategies like using vitamin C pre or post workout (around 2000mg) as well as glycine post workout. Something like magnesium in the evening can keep your cortisol levels low at night, which will help you sleep better, recover, and grow.

Rhodiola is a great adaptogen that improves your overall capacity to handle stress and might reduce your daily average cortisol output, which will improve your immune system and muscle growth.