What Is The Thyroid And How Does It Affect Weight Trainers?

The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland that sits just below the larynx or voice box. It plays a vital role in maintaining body temperature and regulating the amount of body fat you carry. It stores and releases hormones that greatly impact your metabolism as well as having an affect on cholesterol levels. Thyroid issues significantly affect women more than men, but it can run in the family and problems associated with the thyroid will tend to increase with age. Smokers are also at greater risk of developing thyroid issues. Overall, there are roughly 25 million Americans with thyroid disease and the numbers are increasing daily.

Weight trainers, in particular, need to be concerned with the thyroid because it manipulates how fast fuels are used for basic functions of the body which, in turn, can increase the amount of body fat. T2 (diiodothyronines) is a major metabolite of the Thyroid hormone. The 2 stands for the number of Iodine molecules attached to the hormone and is an active hormone in the liver and fat cells. T2 is an isomer that could be a direct mediator of thyroid hormone regulation on energy metabolism and declines with age. This explains the physical slowing down of the body as we get older. Ultimately, those who weight train or body build need to be concerned with T2 as it is used to produce ATP which is the fuel for our cells. T2 is vital for cells to function and although a healthy thyroid gland does not make very much T2, certain cells in the body depend on it.