"Bodybuilder’s Guide To Acne-Free Skin And Big Gains" Some bodybuilders face a frustrating dilemma. Going to the gym messes up their skin, something known as bodybuilding acne. Unfortunately for acne-prone people bodybuilding and clear skin can be inherently opposing goals. The more gains you make on one front the more you slip back on the other. In this post I’ll explain the surprising truth of...... why bodybuilding causes acne. We’ll also cover some tips on how to maximize your gains without wrecking your face. Let’s start by looking at the most common explanation for bodybuilding acne, increased testosterone levels as a result of weight lifting. Hormonal response to bodybuilding as cause of acne? Contrary to popular perception bodybuilding doesn’t cause big hormonal changes. Weight training session causes short-term increases in testosterone, growth hormone and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, but levels quickly return back to normal. In contrast, bodybuilding alone doesn’t seem to cause any long-term changes in hormone levels. For example resting levels of growth hormone are more or less identical in Olympic weight lifters and normal people. Testosterone Increased testosterone levels can easily lead to acne. In a study where men were given testosterone as birth control about half developed mild acne. Similarly, both men and women with acne show elevated testosterone levels (as compared to those with healthy skin). And if you are thinking of taking steroids consider that a German study showed acne occurs in about 50% of people abusing steroids. Testosterone is especially problematic since the skin converts it to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a far more acne-stimulating hormone. Studies have shown that the higher T levels lead to higher DHT production and higher risk of acne. In the hormonal acne page I explained in detail how these hormones lead to acne. Weight training increases testosterone levels for about 30 minutes, after which the levels return to their pre-training levels. But it’s not at all clear whether weight training causes long-term changes in resting T levels. Some studies show weight lifting increases resting T levels, some show no change. Very intense weight training, bordering or pushing into overtraining, may increase resting testosterone levels, but levels drop back to normal when training intensity reduces. At least one study showed no drop in resting T levels after stopping weight training for 6 weeks. So a tentative conclusion from studies is that under normal training load resting testosterone levels remain stable. And it’s hard to say whether the acute changes after workout make any difference to acne, probably not. Testosterone precursors Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a testosterone precursor, meaning the body converts it to testosterone. Because of this it’s commonly taken as bodybuilding supplement, but studies show it doesn’t actually improve muscle gain or strength. Weight training session elevated DHEA levels and they remain elevated for several hours after the workout. This may increase the risk of acne as DHEA is one of the hormones found elevated in acne patients, and it can increase sebum production and skin cell growth. Insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) IGF-1 is another hormone bodybuilders are interested in. It’s important in protein synthesis and muscle growth. Animal studies show that blocking IGF-1 results in no protein synthesis (and thus muscle growth) after resistance training. IGF-1 is one of the prominent hormones behind acne. Studies have shown correlation between sebum production and IGF-1 levels. IGF-1 also increases the sensitivity of skin to androgen hormones by increasing the conversion of T to DHT. To put it shortly, the higher your IGF-1 levels the higher the risk of getting acne. Studies show resistance training has similar effect on IGF-1 than testosterone, short-term increase after workout but little to no long-term effects. Exercise in general improves insulin sensitivity and reduces insulin and IGF-1 levels, especially in people who are not very fit. For those people weight training is probably good for acne. At least one study showed a drop in IGF-1 levels after 10 weeks or weight training in untrained men
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 10:16:44 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015