Excessive Stimulation Of The Thyroid Leads To Excess Adipose Tissue

By Al Wilson

Of all the causes known to make us put on lots of weight, the one that is most frequently outlined is that of problems with the thyroid gland. And untrue as it may seem, this is one of the reasons why bodybuilders fail to condition their muscles.
Have you ever heard that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing? Well, it’s something that’s perfectly applicable to stimulation of the thyroid gland.
When you speak to people in the streets and they make excuses for, or try to justify, their excess pounds, they’ll often tell you things like ‘It’s because I’m big-boned’ or ‘I must have problems with my thyroid.’ These tend to be either lies or excuses to hide their leniency with themselves in their dieting and cover up their lack of willpower to exercise.

Obviously, having a large skeleton is no justification for carrying loads of kilos of fat around your frame. The bones have nothing to do with the mechanisms employed by the body to form fatty tissue, though, admittedly, there is a fairly direct relationship between the operation of the thyroid gland and the rate at which the body burns calories and synthesises or breaks down fat.
Perhaps it comes as no surprise to you that a fat person has problems with their thyroid gland, but I’m sure that it’s something you wouldn’t expect of a bodybuilder who is used to controlling their diet and conditioning their physique at least once or twice a year, and even of those bodybuilders that compete.
Paradoxical as it may seem, it is by stimulating their thyroid glands that many participants in bodybuilding contests achieve their extreme levels of conditioning. But the same process that enables them to display superfine skin on the platform can also work against them, making it harder and harder for them to take the fat off their bodies, to the point that they can end up having to fight to stay alive against the excess pounds.

The Thyroid Gland and Body Mass
The thyroid gland sits on both sides of the trachea and is an endocrine gland, meaning it secretes hormones that circulate around the body to be taken in by individual cells. This gland produces the hormones T3 and T4 and although about 95% of the gland’s hormone production is in T4, T3 is the more active of the two. T3 is the thyroid hormone that pushes up body temperature and boosts the metabolism, while T4 could actually be thought of more as a pro hormone, for it can be transformed into T3.
The greater part of thyroid hormones are joined by a transporter protein as they circulate and while it’s attached to this protein will do nothing. In the cell, the T4 is converted into T3; the T3 connects with its receptor; and makes its way to the nucleus of the cell nucleus, the DNA in the centre. And it’s there where this complex receptor can trigger or block certain functions.
T3 increases calorie combustion by two main mechanisms: greater response to adrenergic stimulation and increased uncoupling in cell mitochondria. More fat can be oxidised and released from cells if they become more sensitive to adrenergic stimulation. Uncoupling is a process that separates ATP generation and fat combustion, forcing the cells to burn more fat in order to satisfy our energy requirements.
Now, it’s a fact that when the thyroid is only producing small amounts of its hormones and isn’t very active, a condition known as hypothyroidism, physiological changes take place within the body, such as the lack of energy and increase in weight. Other symptoms of hypothyroidism include lethargy, constipation, inability to withstand cold temperatures, stiffness, muscle spasms, carpal tunnel syndrome [a nerve condition in the wrist] and menorrhagia [a regular heavy and prolonged menstrual period], as well as, in the long term, deficiencies in the cardiac and respiratory system, plus the risk of ischaemic heart disease [reduced blood supply to the heart].
On the contrary, if the gland produces too much of its hormones, we shed pounds, even muscle mass, and become constantly irritable or nervous, amongst other symptoms, like hyperphagia (an excessively larger appetite), pain and/or cramps in the intestines, more frequent bowel movements, or diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms include: diaphoresis (profuse sweating), heat intolerance, thin and singed-looking hair, increased pigmentation of the skin, fatigue, weak muscles and minor shaking. Dyspnoea on exertion [shortness of breath], tachycardia, palpitations [irregular heart beat], high systolic pressure [blood pressure when the heart beats], anxiety, insomnia, premature waking, concentration problems and a lower tolerance of stress are further symptoms. In addition, you may suffer oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea (infrequent or non-menstruation respectively) and a lack of sex drive.

Excessive stimulation of the thyroid causes levels of activity to run too low
The operation of the thyroid is regulated via control of thyroid-stimulation hormone (TSH) levels. TSH is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland to govern thyroid function, just like luteinising hormone (LH) controls testosterone production. The body has a feedback system by which it, when it senses thyroid or testosterone levels are too high, stops producing the TSH or LH, whether it’s thyroid hormones or testosterone, in order to secure a balance. But if levels are too low, then it secretes more of the TH or LH to bolster production.
The medical community, therefore, understands that when TSH levels are high, then they are so because the thyroid isn’t operating smoothly, is producing minor amounts of its hormones and so the body is trying to restore normal production by secreting TSH. This means that if they’re low, then thyroid hormone ones must be high.
Unfortunately, if the body is exposed to high levels of hormones for a long time, it makes up for this by not producing more of them, for it has the capacity to temporarily cancel production. Bodybuilders who abuse anabolic hormones, like testosterone, know that if they inject themselves with exogenous hormones for a certain period of time, their testicles stop producing testosterone naturally. The outcome is one of the most commonly experienced side effects: testicular atrophy [shrinking of the testicles]. Once they come off these drugs, many bodybuilders have witnessed a sharp decrease in strength and in the volume of their muscles, since the body can take some time to detect a fall in androgen levels before it establishes normal production once more.
The practice of injecting oneself with thyroid hormones to strip off fat quicker is a relatively common one amongst ‘experts’, as it’s so effective. Besides a reasonable number of everyday people, lots of sportsmen wishing to reach a specific weight fast, or bodybuilders wanting to condition their muscles for competition or keep themselves shredded for displays, inject themselves with Synthroid, Cytomel, Levothyroxine and other synthetic thyroid hormones. The risk run is an extremely high one because the thyroid feedback mechanism is particularly sensitive and, upon detection of these immense levels, will stop secreting TSH and, after a while, won’t be able to return to normality. As a result, the gland will produce no hormones and huge amounts of fat will form on the body. If this happens, the synthetic hormone user has no choice left but to go on medication forever because they will now be suffering from chronic hypothyroidism. They go from having a physique that is always conditioned to battling against fat.

Natural and effective ways to keep the thyroid active
Our metabolic rate can vary in line with external factors that influence it, like our diet and exercise. Even brief exposure to cold temperatures can stir it. Bodybuilders who eat several times a day are already triggering their metabolism because their specific calorie expenditure increases in each meal.
Another, very effective way of accelerating the metabolism is to take regular exercise. A great deal of research has confirmed that the metabolism operates at a higher rate, triggered by exercise, for several hours after the exercise itself has finished. This applies to both weight training and cardiovascular exercise, although there is an additional and important advantage with the former.
The important aspect in question is that of lean mass (muscle), the muscle that is built by weight training. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue and has higher calorie requirements, using up more even when we’re at rest. More muscular people have a greater need of calories round the clock, even if they don’t exercise.
As a bodybuilder, you must seek to put to use as much of the food you eat as possible, since this is a synonym for growth. Besides containing calories, food provides us with the nutrients the body depends upon for building muscle.
Diets in which there are no carbohydrates at all can lead to hypothyroidism as well, so be sure to consume at least 50 grams per day. And if you have too few calories in your diet, this condition will also set in. It’s therefore better to take more exercise rather than cut down on how much you eat.
It has been medically proven that a diet lacking in iodine will cause an illness known as goitre. This is an illness in which the thyroid gland becomes swollen due to the non -receipt of iodine, making it constantly push itself harder to produce thyroid hormones as a way to compensate for the hypothyroidism.

An exceptional aid for regulating the thyroid and shifting fat
The use of chemical compounds, such as synthetic thyroid hormones, may be an effective way to achieve muscle conditioning at the start, but the risks are too high. Such practices can alter the metabolism to the extent that you may end up on medication for the rest of your life to keep the thyroid running normally.
Since the emergence of Future Concepts there have been massive advances in the field of ergogenics. The research undertaken by this company has been fundamental for the supplementation industry. The company’s biologists and nutrition specialists specialise in the study of beneficial links between the immune system and formation of lean mass (muscle). Their research has enabled the development of special formula that they call ‘ergoceuticals’. These formulae comprise substances and compounds that have been extracted from foods, and have a powerful impact for the better on the metabolism.
The purpose of these formulae’ development is for the body itself to create the setup for enhanced hormone production. This way, natural changes can take place within the body without altering its systems in any harmful manner.
The Future Concepts TH 101 is the finest way to get the metabolism firing on all cylinders and operate efficiently. The formula draws together a number of ingredients that set in motion the different systems by which the body puts muscle together, and reduces catabolism; shifts fat and surplus liquids beneath the skin; takes away the craving for sugary foods; blocks the formation of adipose tissue (fat beneath the skin); and enhances thyroid hormone production.
Specifically, the trio of ingredients that improve the production of thyroid hormones are a core component of this formula. The ingredients in question are the amino acid L-tyrosine, chelated copper mineral and kelp, an alga from the laminaria group of algae.
L-tyrosine is a basic material, with assistance from copper and by way of a few biochemical processes, for synthesising thyroxin, the thyroid’s main hormone. The thyroid gland relies upon iodine to produce its hormones correctly, which is provided by the kelp in TH 101. Kelp grows in very deep, very cold waters and is packed with the mineral.
One of the other core components of the formula is a second trio of ingredients: synephrine, an extract from bitter orange peel; guarana, which contains caffeine; and naringin, acquired from a tropical grapefruit. Together these three ingredients have the special capacity to step up the metabolism by raising body temperature and, by doing so, facilitating fat disposal. The higher temperature means that the body is expending more calories and that the person can consume more with much less chance of them ending up stored as body fat. The body burns them to generate heat, thus getting rid of them.
The unique thing about synephrine is that it acts upon adrenergic beta 3 receptors, the ones that are responsible for triggering lipolysis (the employment of fat as energy), but without raising blood pressure or harming cardiovascular health. The synephrine, therefore, performs one of the functions of the thyroid gland, of greater uncoupling in the fat cells.
Studies and experiments on live subjects illustrate conclusively each combination of these three ingredients to be effective, and to set about their thermogenic work as they should in all of the people who consumed them. And the combination of them all in the same ergoceutical means they have an even more intense, more powerful impact. Various studies have shown the naringin, for instance, to accentuate the operations of methylxantines, like caffeine, which means the caffeine, synephrine and naringin operate for longer within the body and exert a higher impact.
Another important part of TH 101 is the green tea extract, which contains substances known as polyphenol catechins. These substances keep insulin levels down and push up calorie expenditure by oxidising fatty acids that the body already has stored. Incidentally, green tea has caffeine in it as well and will synergise with the previous three ingredients.
But perhaps the most spectacular ingredient in TH 101 is forskolin, an extract from the Coleus forskohlii plant. Forskolin has the special attribute of stirring a second cell messenger, the enzyme adenylate cyclase, which in turn sparks the production of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP).
It would seem that as well as increase cAMP levels, the cells burn up more free fatty acids (which have been released thanks to the forskolin), and absorb more nutrients, particularly the muscle cells. The muscles become firmer and more solid, and easier to keep intact, while you’re on a thorough dieting routine.
Recently, though, forskolin was revealed to have another interesting property. It was observed that with the administration of forskolin unbound testosterone rose in the body. This doesn’t mean that the forskolin boosts production of the aforementioned hormone, but that it operates by releasing it from sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), the blood protein that clamps onto testosterone as it circulates around the body and cancels out its anabolic properties by rendering it too large to fit into its receptors within the muscles. Scientists therefore believe that the higher amounts of lean mass formed are the result of two effects: a higher bioavailability of nutrients and a surge in the operations of the testosterone. One thing is for certain: these are no undesired effects.
And, in operation alongside the forskolin, the chromium picolinate in TH 101 will see the muscles absorb more glucose and other nutrients, drawing them away from fat cells at the same time.
A further exceptional ingredient in the formula is the hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which obstructs the formation of citrate lyase, the enzyme that transforms surplus carbohydrate sugars into fat. Various studies on HCA have established that, as well as blocking lipogenesis (fat formation), HCA increases thermogenesis (the generation of heat by the body) and curbs the appetite.
The next ingredient, gymnema silvestre is a plant extract with some pretty unique traits. The gymnema acid that comes from the plant has a similar structure to glucose and, on account of this, slots into the glucose receptors to temporarily dull the taste of sugar, taking away the craving for sugary goods. This is hugely important when you’re on a conditioning diet. The extract also plays a part in glucose metabolism and prevents insulin levels from rising, which would otherwise cause fat to form.
The final ingredient in TH 101 is a further plant extract, dandelion root, and is perhaps the most powerful natural diuretic around.
These dozen ingredients synergise to make this the mightiest formula there is for regulation of the metabolism.

Avoid the Rebound Effect
Remember that the body is equipped to put right any kind of imbalance, particularly where fluctuations in hormone levels are concerned. Admittedly, self-injection with thyroid hormones will step up the disposal of fat and enhance conditioning, but the rebound effect of no longer injecting yourself with these hormones will be that your body forms much more fat than before. And worse still, you run the risk of suffering hypothyroidism for the rest of your life and becoming chronically overweight because of it if you do this for a long time.
Here you have been suggested a few natural ways to keep your thyroid gland active and take off body fat. TH 101 is a further excellent and natural way to boost your metabolism, within your own capacity and without any side effects in the short, medium or long term. 

Bibliography
· Kim B, ‘Thyroid hormone as a determinant of energy expenditure and the basal metabolic rate’, Thyroid, 18:141-4, 2008.
· Bianco AC and Maia AL, et al. ‘Adaptive activation of thyroid hormone and energy expenditure’, Biosci. rep, 25:191-208, 2005.
· Kohrle J, Brabant G, et al. ‘Metabolism of the thyroid hormones’, Horm. Res, 26:58-78, 1987.
· Fox CS, Pencina MJ, et al. ‘Relations of thyroid function to body weight: cross-sectional and longitudinal observations in a community-based sample’, Arch. Int. Med. 168:587-92, 2008.