The Relationship Between Prolactin Release and Exercise by DrJim

The Relationship Between Prolactin Release and Exercise
by DrJim

Greetings from DrJim,

I have been asked to share some of the things that could be helpful to the members of this board. I will do so, but a little at a time due to time constraints for me. When Ken and others give good answers I will not say anything rather just on things that no good answer is provided that I might have something to add.

Here is a comment on the type of things that I find interesting in the experiences of the members of this board. Some time ago (about 3-4 months) a member on the board stated that she had induced and was lactating and that she enjoyed going to the gym several times a week walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes. She experienced her breasts filling with milk and expressing a much larger amount at her session after the workout than otherwise. What is happening here? Is there any reason for this? The answer is yes. Ladies take note because this is a great way to enjoy greater success and may even be the key to some who put much effort into inducing and get very little milky success.

The relationship between Prolactin release and Exercise

The endocrine system is an amazingly sophisticated control system. When your body experiences exercise or cold stress (two of many stimuli) the hypothalamus in the brain is activated to put out a hormone called TRH. This hormone in turn stimulates the Pituitary to put out two hormones; TSH and Prolactin. TSH in turn stimulates thyroid function. Prolactin, among other things, stimulates milk production in the breasts. The curious result of this crossing of hormone pathways is that 30 minutes of aerobic exercise will probably result in as much Prolactin release as two sessions of pumping during the day.

(exercise > Prolactin) Other results that have been recognized:

30 minutes of aerobic exercise will increase the metabolism to double the number of calories burned at light activity for 8 hours. (exercise > thyroid)
Tibetan Monks can sleep in a cold environment with a thin wrap on without dying of hypothermia because cold stress raises the metabolism to make the body generate more heat. They have conditioned their body to generate a strong response to cold stress. (cold stress > thyroid)
Women living in cold climates such as Minnesota lactate more copiously than women living in warm climates such as Florida. (cold stress > Prolactin)
Some young women who stay thin and underweight because they practice bulimia in combination with lots of exercise such as running may have paradoxically larger and more developed breasts than expected for their thinness. This is not good or healthy of course and is due to the increased Prolactin production that keeps the breasts from decreasing in size with the weight loss. Increased Prolactin also may induce amenorrhea. (exercise > Prolactin)

In addition to above, exercise stimulates increased Growth Hormone release, which also promotes lactation, speeds up the changes that take place during lactation induction and causes the breasts to be more firm.

Doing 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day has so many benefits. For women it helps their body to function well physically, sexually and promotes more vigorous lactation. So, women, work up a sweat, it is good for your breasts because after all, the breasts are just modified sweat glands!

DrJim

HOME