Limit the duration of your exercise sessions to under 60 minutes (and never exceed 75 minutes) to avoid an excessive rise in stress hormones and thereby preserve recovery.

noli's read

Intense physical activity naturally causes a temporary rise in cortisol, a hormone essential for mobilizing our energy reserves during exertion. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) led by Dr. Peter J. Gianaros further shows that regular exercise reduces our baseline stress levels over time. However, the idea that a strict 60- or 75-minute threshold triggers a hormonal surge detrimental to recovery is an oversimplification. Physiology research, synthesized by Dr. Anthony Hackney, confirms that these cortisol increases are normal and self-regulate in less than 90 minutes after exercise, even for longer sessions. It is the accumulation of a general lack of rest over several weeks, rather than the simple duration of an isolated session, that persistently disrupts our bodily equilibrium. Limiting workouts to one hour remains, however, an excellent organizational benchmark for maintaining good intensity and avoiding overall fatigue.

the sources

1. 1NIH Office of Dietary Supplements 2026
2. 2Manson JE et al. 2019
3. 3Bhatt DL et al. 2019
4. 4Khan SU, Lone AN, Khan MS, et al. 2021
5. 5Liao Y, Xie B, Zhang H, et al. 2019
6. 6hubermanprotocols.com (fan reference guide)