HOW TO LOSE BODY FAT ON THE LEGS, Part I: The Role Of Estrogen Metabolism
One of the most oft-asked questions that I hear in personal training and bodybuilding in New York City is: “How can I lose body fat on my legs?” This problem, like so many other body fat issues, is easily solved with the right nutritional protocols and exercise approaches. This several-part article reviews the causes of and solutions to the lean legs goal.
Body Fat on the Legs and It’s Causes: Heredity, Environmental Estrogens, and Growth Hormone
The storage of excess fat in the legs occurs because of a few major issues: poor detoxification pathways for environmental estrogens (also referred to as xenoestrogens), lack of production of growth hormone, and, (especially) in women, a preponderance of alpha-2 adrenoceptors. In this first part, we will examine the role that environmental estrogens play in increasing the amount of fat storage in the legs.
Estrogen, Training, and Lean Legs
The inability to detoxify environmental estrogens is a cause of fat legs, as is a preponderance of estrogen in the body. The question most frequently asked by women is, “But don’t I need estrogen?” YES. But, there are two pathways along which estrogen may be metabolized:
Estrogen Metabolization
The 2-hydroestrogen pathway is associated with lower risk factors for breast, cervical, endometrial, and prostate cancer. It is also the preferred method of estrogen metabolism from a training standpoint, as a higher ratio of 2-hydroestrogens is associated with lower fat storage in the legs.
The 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone pathway is associated with greater risks for those cancers. Unfortunately, it is often the preferred method of estrogen metabolism in the human body, mainly due to an increase in xenobiotics (substances found in our bodies that are not supposed to be there) in the form of plastics.
In order to get the best results from your personal training efforts, you should work with professionals who understand the role of estrogen metabolism in getting leaner.
