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THYROID HORMONE
Thyroid Hormone
Thyroid Hormones are released from the thyroid gland which lies at the front
of your neck between your breastbone and Adams apple. The thyroid gland releases
thyroid hormone when stimulated by the pituitary gland in the brain which responds
to low levels of blood thyroid hormone by releasing thyroid stimulating hormone
(TSH).
There are two essential thyroid hormones, Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine
(T3). T3 and T4 denotes the number of iodine atoms in the hormone molecules.
There is 50 times more T4 in the blood than T3. Only T3 is chemically active
in the cells, non-active T4 is converted to T3 when it is required by the cell.
T3 directly influences insulin secretion and is therefore vital for the body's
anabolic drive. When levels of T3 are low insulin response to food is hindered
and the anabolic benefits of the insulin drive are reduced. T3 also interacts
with insulin to inhibit protein catabolism in the muscle, it is therefore both
anabolic and anti-catabolic and as such is vital if your goal is to build muscle.
Again, it is not as simple as increasing T3 to increase muscle growth as too
much thyroid hormone is in itself catabolic to all tissues.
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