What is the “Self-Reinforcing Stomach Fat Cycle” and why’s it so dangerous?
https://go.chasingstrength.com/kettlebell-ghfl3/
This is the simplest way to use your kettlebells to produce GH so you can reverse the “Stomach Fat Cycle”
See this? (the graphic at the beginning of the video)
This is what researchers have coined the “Self-reinforcing cycle of increased visceral fat and reduced GH in states of abdominal obesity.”
In Layman’s Terms: The “Stomach Fat Cycle.”
It’s found in a study called,
“Effects of Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone on Visceral Fat, Metabolic and Cardiovascular Indices in Human Studies”^
Here’s why that’s important to you.
In the study, researchers discovered that -
“Increased visceral adipose tissue (VAT) [stomach fat] is associated with reductions in endogenous GH secretion, possibly as a result of hyperinsulinemia, increased circulating free fatty acid, increased somatostatin tone, and reduced ghrelin.”
Which essentially means that stomach fat -
[1] Decreases your Fat Burning Youth Hormone - Growth Hormone, which -
[2] Decreases your body’s “hormone stimulated lipolysis” (lipolysis = fat burning)
[3] Increases the amount of sugar in your bloodstream, which in turn increases the amount of insulin your pancreas releases, and -
[4] Increases the amount of free fatty acids (all of which is symptomatic of Type 2 Diabetes)
[5] Increases your hunger hormone - ghrelin - which increases your hunger / appetite
Worse -
Stomach fat begets stomach fat.
In other words, the more stomach fat you currently have, the more stomach fat you’re going to get / have in the future.
It’s a never-ending vicious cycle. (Which is why the researchers called it “self-reinforcing.”)
All of which, as you can see increases -
[1] Dyslipidemia - high cholesterol, high triglycerides, etc
[2] Inflammation - of arteries, creating stiffness, which can lead to ruptures which cause heart attacks and stroke; also stiffness and soreness in joints
[3] Cardiovascular Disease Risk - risk of dying younger than necessary from heart disease (heart attack or stroke)
The Good News is -
If you’ve found yourself with unnecessary stomach fat, you can reverse, even escape this cycle starting today and start feeling great again.
Here’s how:
By combining “The 4 Switches.”
SWITCH #1 - Sleep
SWITCH #2 - Fasting
SWITCH #3 - Supportive Nutrition
SWITCH #4 - Strategic Exercise
Let’s take a closer look -
SWITCH #1 - Sleep
Sleep is when your body recovers.
Most of your body’s GH is released during a good night’s sleep.
So make sure you’re getting 7+ hours of restful sleep, preferably in a dark, cool room with the electronics turned off so the EMF doesn’t interfere with brain function.
SWITCH #2 - Fasting
Fasting is another simple way to create GH so you can stomach body fat.
Yes, by not eating.
There are more than a few studies that demonstrate in increase in GH during fasting.
One study1 showed a 1250% increase in GH after a week of fasting.
(I'm not suggesting you do this.)
Another2 showed a 5-fold increase after a 2-day fast.
And yet another3 showed a 2000% increase (Yes, you read that right - not a typo) in men after a 24-hour fast.
Pretty simple.
There are lots of ways to fast.
Don’t get bogged down in the weeds here.
Point is to do it.
Start with 24 hours.
SWITCH #3 - Supportive Nutrition
Supportive Nutrition is a way of eating that balances your body’s hormones so that it uses sugar when it’s supposed to and fat when it’s supposed to, so that you are lean and muscular.
And this means you make it easy on your body to release GH.
It’s well known that insulin inhibits the release of GH.
And insulin is released every time you eat.
But more is released when you eat refined carbs (breads, cookies, etc.) and sugary foods.
So, cut back on those things.
SWITCH #4 - Strategic Exercise
The right type of exercise will naturally increase your natural GH levels.
And that’s the exercise that puts you in your glycolytic energy pathway and makes your body produce lactic acid.
This is because GH is released in the presence, or as a result of lactic acid accumulation.
(So is Testosterone, another powerful stomach fat burner.)
Kettlebells are perfect for this - especially the “ballistics” - Swings, Cleans, Snatches, Push Presses, and Jerks.
REFERENCES
1 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4324360/
2 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6758355/
3 - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1548337/
4 - https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/906514