The Triphasic Cortisol Management Principle: Managing Cortisol for Leaner, More Powerful Athletes
Triphasic Training Principle 33
Over the years, I’ve worked with numerous professional athletes, particularly in the NHL, and noticed a recurring issue at the end of the season—many of them appeared “skinny fat.” They had low overall body fat but carried excess fat around their midsection. This led me to explore a potential cause: chronic high cortisol levels due to prolonged training in glycolytic energy zones.
The Cortisol Management Hypothesis
Cortisol is a stress hormone that plays a key role in metabolism, fat storage, and recovery. When chronically elevated—often due to high-intensity, long-duration training—cortisol can lead to increased fat storage, particularly around the abdomen.
My hypothesis was that by avoiding extended bouts of glycolytic training (typically lasting 40–240 seconds), I could better manage cortisol levels in these athletes. Instead of subjecting them to long, lactic-acid-producing sets, I structured their workouts to focus exclusively on ATP-CP (creatine phosphate) energy system training, which lasts 10 seconds or less.
The 10-Second Training Approach
For an entire summer training block, I programmed every set to be 10 seconds or less for a group of NHL players. The focus was on maximum speed, power, and explosiveness in each rep, ensuring they never pushed into the glycolytic zone. While this may seem counterintuitive—given hockey is often considered a lactate-based sport—the results were undeniable.
What We Observed
- Leaner Athletes – Despite doing less overall work per set, athletes lost excess belly fat while maintaining or even gaining muscle mass.
- Improved Speed & Power – Players became more explosive and could repeat high-intensity efforts more efficiently.
- Less Fatigue & Faster Recovery – By avoiding prolonged lactate accumulation, they experienced less fatigue and better energy retention throughout their training sessions.
To validate this further, we applied the same method to a college baseball team. Over a seven-week period, several players put on 12–16 pounds of lean muscle mass, supporting the idea that short-duration, high-intensity work could lead to substantial performance and body composition improvements.
Why This Works
1. Avoiding Excess Cortisol Production
Prolonged high-intensity training can spike cortisol levels, leading to increased fat storage—particularly in the midsection. By keeping work durations short, we minimize excessive stress responses.
2. Maximizing ATP-CP Energy System
The ATP-CP system fuels short bursts of high-intensity movement. By training within this window, we improve neuromuscular efficiency, power output, and repeat sprint ability without excessive fatigue.
3. Enhanced Recovery & Performance
Athletes recover faster between efforts, allowing for more high-quality reps over time. This leads to greater speed, power, and durability in competition.
Final Thoughts: Test It Yourself
While I don’t have DEXA scans to provide hard data, I’ve observed this pattern across multiple seasons and teams. If you coach high-speed, power-based athletes, I encourage you to experiment with 10-second training blocks and observe the effects.
Science may one day validate or disprove this hypothesis, but the results speak for themselves. If you want your athletes to be leaner, faster, and more explosive, keep their training under 10 seconds—and watch the improvements unfold.
