Chronic Cardio Can Raise Cortisol; Adaptive Exercise May Help

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Dr. Sara Gottfried describes how she discovered at age 35 that her cortisol (the primary stress hormone) was three times higher than normal, her fasting insulin was in the 20s, her fasting glucose was 105, and her progesterone was low — symptoms her physician addressed only with a birth control pill and an antidepressant. She traced part of the problem to running four miles three to four times a week, which she says was driving cortisol higher rather than lower. She switched to Pilates and yoga, which she calls "adaptive exercise," and saw cortisol come down. The broader point she makes is that endurance-heavy exercise without resistance training tends to raise cortisol, and vitamin C can partially buffer that effect, but the real fix is matching exercise type to your individual hormonal profile.