Adrenal Stress in Athletes

Adrenal stress is very common in athletes, particularly age groupers, as we try to balance training, work and family. Below is a link to a recent study linking overtraining with adrenal insufficiency. Take care of your adrenal glands with lifestyle modifications, such as getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night and spending time with non-athlete friends. Nutrition is also key to protecting your adrenal glands. Focus on whole foods that contain a variety of nutrients, particularly vegetables and fruits. Include protein and fat with all meals to help balance blood sugar spikes. Reduce caffeine, alcohol and refined sugars. Adaptogenic herbs can help if you find your body lacking energy. Lastly, it's imperative that you take your recovery days seriously. This will allow the body to rebuild and regenerate so that you can train hard again without taxing the adrenal glands. Each person is unique with different stressors and capabilities to cope with these stressors. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a tool that I use to help indicate overreaching before it becomes overtraining.