Playing League of Legends might be killing your gym gains and you don’t even realize it. The game constantly puts you in a high-stress, fight-or-flight state. Every ranked match, every gank, every toxic teammate spikes your adrenaline and cortisol. Your body doesn’t know it’s a game—it reacts like you're in real danger.

High cortisol = muscle growth killer. It lowers testosterone, increases muscle breakdown, and wrecks recovery. Even if you lift hard, your body stays in a catabolic (breakdown) state if you're always stressed. No rest, no recovery, no gains.

On top of that, gaming burns you out mentally. CNS fatigue from overstimulation affects coordination, motivation, and strength. You might hit the gym the next day and feel weaker, slower, or unmotivated—and this is why.

If you're lifting and serious about progress, but still grinding ranked every night, you're fighting yourself. Gaming after the gym should help you relax—not keep your body in a survival state.

TL;DR: League puts your body in stress mode, spikes cortisol, wrecks your recovery, and nukes your gains. Either chill with casual games, limit ranked, or accept that your progress will suffer. Your nervous system doesn’t care if the stress came from a barbell or a Baron steal. Stress is stress