Does HIIT increase cortisol?

Recently, some self-declared "health practitioners" (not actual doctors or scientists) have been spreading misinformation (clickbait) by saying HIIT (high-intensity interval training) causes an increase in cortisol production, thereby making it difficult to lose weight.

So let me set the record straight...

First, cortisol is a stress hormone and many things can cause it to increase -- emotional stress and physical stress, among other things. 

The problem is, when your body produces too much of it, it can lead to weight gain.

So does HIIT cause your cortisol to spike?

Here are the facts:

A spike in cortisol production can be caused by ANY type of exercise,  if you overtrain. That's the keyword here...overtraining.

That's why it's so important not to overdo things no matter what kind of exercise you're doing.

That's why my HIIT workouts are no more than 25 minutes. Some people say they teach HIIT and then ask you to do a 45 minute workout, which is totally not HIlT! And yes, that could spike your cortisol levels. Just like long, steady-state cardio does.

Additionally, recovery is key to avoiding overtraining, no matter what type of workouts you do. 

Inside Burn360, you get a complete recovery system, Recover360. (I've got you covered, girlfriend!). It takes only a few minutes to do and you only need to do it a few times per week. And, it works like gangbusters to reduce soreness, increase blood flow, and massage out those muscles. (If you are already a Burn360 customer, Recover360 is here).

The bottom line is that you are not going to send your cortisol into overdrive with Burn360. I have designed every workout and program with this in mind, so you never have to worry about that!