From the Guidelines
The human body relies on a complex network of hormones to regulate various physiological processes, including growth, development, metabolism, and reproductive functions, with hormones such as insulin, cortisol, thyroid hormones, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, growth hormone, adrenaline, melatonin, serotonin, and oxytocin playing crucial roles. The main hormones in the human body serve as chemical messengers that regulate numerous physiological processes, as noted in a study on the hazard and risk assessment of endocrine disrupting chemicals 1. Some key hormones and their functions include:
- Insulin, produced by the pancreas, which regulates blood glucose levels by facilitating glucose uptake into cells
- Cortisol, released by the adrenal glands, which manages stress responses, regulates metabolism, and reduces inflammation
- Thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), which control metabolic rate, heart function, and development
- Estrogen and progesterone in females, which regulate reproductive functions, menstrual cycles, and secondary sexual characteristics
- Testosterone in males, which promotes sperm production and masculine traits
- Growth hormone from the pituitary gland, which stimulates growth and cell reproduction
- Adrenaline (epinephrine), which triggers the fight-or-flight response, increasing heart rate and blood pressure during stress
- Melatonin, which regulates sleep-wake cycles
- Serotonin, which influences mood, appetite, and sleep
- Oxytocin, which facilitates childbirth, breastfeeding, and social bonding These hormones work through feedback mechanisms, binding to specific receptors on target cells to initiate cellular responses, as hormones mediate effects via specific, context-dependent interactions with receptors 1. Hormonal balance is crucial for overall health, with imbalances potentially causing various disorders requiring medical intervention, and it is essential to understand the complex interactions and functions of these hormones to maintain optimal health and prevent hormone-related disorders. The effects of hormones differ based on an individual’s stage of development, and hormones often exhibit non-linear and non-monotonic dose responses, highlighting the complexity of hormonal regulation in the human body 1.
From the Research
Main Hormones in the Human Body
The human body has several key hormones that play important roles in various physiological processes. Some of the main hormones include:
- Testosterone: considered the primary anabolic hormone, with an anabolic influence largely dictated by genomic and possible non-genomic signaling, satellite cell activation, interaction with other anabolic signaling pathways, upregulation or downregulation of the androgen receptor, and potential roles in co-activators and transcriptional activity 2
- Growth hormone: presents new complexity with exercise stress, with differential influences depending on the "type" of the hormone being assayed and the magnitude of the physiological stress 2
- Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) superfamily: exquisite regulation of IGF-1 by a family of binding proteins (IGFBPs 1-6), which can either stimulate or inhibit biological action depending on binding 2
- Cortisol: a glucocorticoid with a profound opposing influence on human skeletal muscle anabolism in many instances, with circadian patterning and newly discovered variants of glucocorticoid isoforms largely dictating glucocorticoid sensitivity and catabolic, muscle sparing, or pathological influence 2
- Insulin: a polypeptide hormone that coordinates with glucagon to modulate blood glucose levels, acting via an anabolic pathway to regulate glucose levels in the bloodstream and induce glucose storage in the liver, muscles, and adipose tissue 3
Functions of Main Hormones
The functions of these hormones are diverse and include:
- Regulating cellular growth and development 2
- Modulating blood glucose levels 3
- Inducing glucose storage in the liver, muscles, and adipose tissue 3
- Influencing anabolic and catabolic signaling pathways 2
- Affecting the ability of skeletal muscle to generate force 2
- Having implications for pharmaceutical treatments, aging, and prevalent chronic conditions such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and hypertension 2