Hypothalamus

Hypothalamus... The primary organ responsible for regulating metabolism is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is located on the brain stem and forms the floor and part of the lateral walls of the third ventricle of the cerebrum.

The hypothalamus is one of the busiest parts of the brain, and is mainly concerned with homeostasis. Homeostasis is the process of returning something to some “set point.” It works like a thermostat. The hypothalamus sends instructions to the rest of the body in two ways. The first is to the autonomic nervous system. This allows the hypothalamus to have ultimate control of things like blood pressure, heartrate, breathing, digestion, sweating, and all the sympathetic and parasympathetic functions. The other way the hypothalamus controls things is via the pituitary gland. It is neurally and chemically connected to the pituitary, which in turn pumps hormones called releasing factors into the bloodstream. As you know, the pituitary is the so-called “master gland,” and these hormones are vitally important in regulating growth and metabolism. This unit functions by means of interaction of the nervous and endocrine systems whereby the nervous system regulates the endocrine system and endocrine activity modulates the activity of the CNS.

Since it's possible to stimulate endocrine activity by stimulating the central nervous system, and since the viscera and limbic area of the brain are closely connected, Body'Fit pH Fitness™ stimulates the hypothalamus via exercises that move the lumbar vertebrae and stimulate the brain at the beginning of the warm-up routine during the abdominal series, and again more specifically by stimulating the pituitary gland about halfway through when working the cervical spine (these vertebrae set the tone for the rest of the spine, if the muscles surrounding them stiffen, this is felt throughout the entire body). In response to stimuli such as stress, pain and emotions, the hypothalamus can exert effects on the anterior and posterior pituitary gland in order to respond rapidly to environmental change as well as to feedback from internal systems.. An example is current work involving the recently discovered peptide hormone, Leptin, which has shed light on the existance of an adipose tissue- brain endocrine axis. Massaging and stretching the cervical spine stimulates the limbic system helping to balance it's function is placed in the Body'Fit™ exercise sequence after stimulation of circulation to the adipose tissue during the abdominal series.

The chief functions of the hypothalamus are:

control and integration of activities of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS regulates contraction of smooth muscle and cardiac muscle, along with secretions of many endocrine organs such as the thyroid gland (associated with many metabolic disorders). Through the ANS, the hypothalamus is the main regulator of visceral activities, such as heart rate, movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract, and contraction of the urinary bladder.
production and regulation of feelings of rage and aggression
regulation of body temperature
regulation of food intake, through two centers: The feeding center or hunger center is responsible for the sensations that cause us to seek food. When sufficient food or substrates have been received and leptin is high, then the satiety center is stimulated and sends impulses that inhibit the feeding center. When insufficient food is present in the stomach and ghrelin levels are high, receptors in the hypothalamus initiate the sense of hunger. The thirst center operates similarly when certain cells in the hypothalamus are stimulated by the rising osmotic pressure of the extracellular fluid. If thirst is satisfied, osmotic pressure decreases.
All of these functions taken together form a survival mechanism that causes us to sustain the body processes that BMR and RMR measure.
In one of the more recent discoveries, it seems that there is a protein called leptin which is released by fat cells when we overeat. The hypothalamus apparently senses the levels of leptin in the bloodstream and responds by decreasing appetite. To help release leptin, circulation in adipose tissue is stimulated through dilation of blood vessels with adenosine release, along with Body'Fit exercise techniques which increase venous return, centrifugal force, and the pumping action of the movements during the abdominal series.