Cortisol get’s a bad rap sometimes with coaches and athletes. It’s not the evil brother of Testosterone, but more of a complimentary hormone to the body during the repair and training processes. While many negative actions will occur with elevations of the hormone in training, the hormone cortisol is natural. A testosterone to cortisol ratio is sometimes used, but because of the circadian rhythms of the body, one must be careful not to be scared off by blood tests done in the morning. Naturally, cortisol is very high in the morning and drops during sleep. Excessive elevation during nighttime and post training is a problem, especially during long training sessions of over two hours. If training is done right and one is improving, worrying about cortisol is pointless. The most common problem is outside the track with lifestyle management, and one should invest into activities that help keep one sane with light recreation.
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