Renowned Doc Reveals The Simple Secrets To Being A Healthy Man

Dr. Frank Lipman talks about “the male way of seeing” health and how it got us to this men’s health crisis point.

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Fatherly.

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Our Takeaways:

· One of the greatest challenges for men getting appropriate medical treatment is resistance through lack of caring.

· Biohacking can provide some solutions to medical challenges for men.

· Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is usually a systemic issue.

One of the biggest threats to men’s health has always been the challenge of getting them to care about it. “It’s hard to say the exact reason, but men don’t really do anything preventatively,” explains physician Frank Lipman, M.D. Through nearly 40 years of experience practicing functional medicine, he has found that men generally “are not interested in subtle changes in their body, and they traditionally wait until they have a heart attack or something serious,” Lipman says. And although he can’t point to a single catchall reason for why this is, it’s always been the case. “That’s the male way of seeing things: It’s not a problem until it’s a big problem.”

That’s not to say there haven’t been attempts to engage men to take a more proactive approach to their health and wellness. But much of this has been geared toward optimizing their performance. That’s why erectile dysfunction and low testosterone have been a major part of these efforts, because they affect men’s ability to perform in bed, at work, and on the field. As a result, these are the concerns that might get men in to see their doctors and screened for more serious risks such as heart disease and diabetes.

But now, thanks to a combination of telemedicine, wearable tech, and the mainstreaming of biohacking, doctors like Lipman have been able to spin this competitive edge into a more holistic approach to healthcare. “A lot of guys are learning that they can do a lot of health testing at home, use wearables, and do things in order to perform better,” Lipman says. Being able to track things like their sleep, exercise, and how much alcohol they’ve cut back on, and bond with other guys while competing over these progress, might be what gets them paying more attention to their minds and bodies.

“Men generally are more competitive, so if that can be spun in a positive way, then they will take more notice,” Lipman says. “Being able to measure these things at home and compare it to their friends is a positive.”

Although the overall outcome remains to be seen, Lipman sat down with Fatherly to discuss his optimism about the future of men’s health, and how we can gamify it for the better.

Over the course of your career, how have you seen men’s interest in their health change? What’s different now, and what is still the same?

Traditionally it’s been the spouse or significant other bringing men into the doctor. But there’s been a shift, and now men seem to be paying more attention to athletes and other role models for men, on Twitter and social media, talking about how when they started doing ice plunges, they started performing better. A lot of them are athletes because there’s a lot more awareness about health for them. All of that has made men more aware. Instead of their spouses getting them to care about their health, there are successful role models.

With so many men getting this information from social media, are there concerns about misinformation?

There’s always going to be some misinformation, but overall I think it’s much more positive. There’s much more good coming from it. And if it brings them into the doctor, they can do more testing, and their health can be a little bit more controlled.

What conditions are guys coming into your office worried about?

They’ve become more aware of heart disease, which usually is a disease that’s easily picked up from biomarkers. I think men are usually more concerned about performance and issues related to that, like Alzheimer’s and other cognitive issues. They’re worried about not having the energy to play basketball with their friends. They’re worried about not being able to perform as well as the younger people at work.

It seems like men aren’t that interested in worrying about diseases like cancer that could develop. Is it fair to say, when you try to get men to worry about preventative healthcare so far in the future, it may not work?

Yes, you’ve got to present it in a way that’s going to make them make changes. You can’t say, “If you don’t do this, you’re going to get heart disease.” Or, “If you don’t do this, you’re going to put on weight.” It’s more about, “If you don’t do this, you’re not going to have the energy to do the thing you want to do.

Having heart disease or a problem with your health is going to affect your penis as well, because ED is not isolated to that particular organ. Usually when someone has ED, it’s a systemic thing — it’s vascular disease all over the body. That’s a generalization, but you’ve got to scare men in a way that’s going to change the way they’re going to see things.

You mentioned biomarkers. For someone who’s new to telemedicine, wearable tech, and biohacking, what are some biomarkers they should pay attention to? Or what sort of things should they have tested?

A lot of the blood work done by doctors is not particularly helpful. Guys should be asking for an advanced lipid panel that looks at the particle size of the cholesterol molecules — that measures inflammatory markers. It’s a much more extensive test that gives us much more information about heart disease and inflammation than regular tests.

They should have their uric acid checked. They should have nutrient levels checked, which are not usually checked. For instance, they should have their Omega-3 levels checked. They should have their red blood cell magnesium checked. They should have their B-12 checked.

And then hormones; men should not only have their testosterone and free testosterone checked, they should check for estrogens as well. Too much estrogen can be a problem for men as well as women.

What are the limits to biohacking?

The biggest things that get ignored are moving your body, how you sleep, meditation or stress reduction, spending time in nature, having some purpose in life, having some connection, or being connected to family or a community. Those to me are the primary biohacks of the body.

The secondary hacks are when you want to take it to the next level. So guys who are biohacking by measuring their blood glucose and their sleep and taking all these crazy supplements, it’s all fine, and I don’t think they’re dangerous. But to me, those are secondary hacks. If you’re thinking of biohacking, you can’t ignore the primary biohacks.

Sleeping seems to be a big thing that men can track for the sake of their mental and physical health.

Poor sleep puts you at risk for almost every chronic disease from Alzheimer’s to heart disease to diabetes to obesity. So poor sleep is the first place you need to do some work, because men don’t take sleep seriously enough. Sleep is when your body is recovering and repairing. It’s when your brain cleans all the toxins out. Sleep is crucial to one’s health.

Alcohol seems similar, in that it puts men at risk for a lot of problems, but it also can be managed and tracked easily with apps. Does it work the same way?

Yes, too many people drink too much alcohol, which not only affects sleep, but it can affect so many other parts of the body and predispose you to so many problems. Three to four drinks a week isn’t a problem, but most men are drinking three to four drinks a night for three or four nights a week, and that becomes a problem. It puts a load on most organ systems, and is probably one of the primary risk factors for many of the diseases men are presenting with.

Sleep and alcohol also seem to have a large effect on men’s mental health, which has been said to be in a state of crisis. Do you believe men are facing a mental health crisis, and has it always been this way?

I’m not sure the problems with men’s mental health are a new thing. I think it’s probably more of an issue now because there’s more stress in people’s lives, whether it’s financial or otherwise. And men are starting to deal with it instead of suppressing it. Younger men are much more aware of their mental health and are in therapy, again because there have been more role models. People like Michael Phelps make a difference and help things.

I think younger men are more aware of their mental and emotional health, and it’s great that that’s shifted. But also, there is more pressure on everyone, including men, than there was 20 years ago.

And how can paying attention to physical health in the ways we’ve discussed help with mental health?

To me, mental and physical health are all one thing. Men paying more attention to their physical health will absolutely help with their mental health. I think teletherapy has made men more comfortable going to therapy from their home and that’s also helped a lot with that.

If you were to take into account all the avoidance and mental and physical health risks we’ve discussed, do you think that being a man should be considered a pre-existing condition, or a medical diagnosis in itself?

I don’t see it that way. We all have different pre-dispositions. Especially with genetic testing now, we can tell who’s more genetically predisposed to heart disease or diabetes or whatever. Certain diseases might happen more for men, but I don’t see being a man as a health risk, to be quite honest. I think it comes down to how health information is presented, and I think now it is being presented to men in a more accessible way.

Hard Gainers (from The Ultimate Guide To Male Enhancement)

The following is a chapter taken from the book: The Ultimate Guide To Male Enhancement.

Editor’s note: Some of the concepts below (e.g.- microtears) apply to muscle building and are used as an example of work, but may not apply to male enhancement specifically.

Are you a “Hardgainer”?

There are quite a few trainees who have not had success with male enhancement techniques. Many of these trainees consider themselves “hardgainers.” But what is a true hardgainer?

For one, we have to accept there are going to be some individuals who, for whatever reason, make gains quickly and easily. This could be due to genetics, high EQ, a disciplined mindset, or a combination of the above.

There are many attributes self–professed hardgainers see as obstacles to their training. Here are some common causes/excuses:

● Low EQ
● “Steel cord” (tough septum)
● Multiple layers of/tough tunicae
● Injuries
● Mental blocks

EQ can be a very real limitation. You should have a high–degree of EQ before embarking on a full routine. 

To address the perceived physical limitations listed above, the problem with those assessments is there’s no true control to compare it to. How do you judge if they have tough tunicae and the like unless you have something to
compare it to?

There are more than a few trainees who practice a strange cycle of training and recurring injury. Real cases where trainees injure themselves repeatedly should be investigated to determine if there’s a structural problem with the penis and with the routines/training methods in question. Often, trainees in this situation fail to get adequate medical reviews to determine what, if any, injuries might be occurring. It’s likely there’s a psychological component to this action which allows you to make excuses for your training failures.

The latter part of the last paragraph goes into the mental block portion of this section. Besides the huge number of men who are aware of the concept of “male enhancement” but who make excuses for not attempting it. There are those who have barely crossed over from this category but are insistent on creating mental barriers to their potential success.

Male Enhancement is NOT Magic

Male enhancement isn’t magic. It’s not quick–fix. It’s not a Minute Rice solution to a very real problem. Male enhancement is work and dedication. There are five basic components to male enhancement success.

● The right exercises – Are you doing the exercises that are appropriate for you to reach your goals? If you’re only doing length exercises, but want to gain girth, you’re not going to be successful.

● The right intensity – Are you using the right level of intensity to get the gains you want? Think of it this way – you can curl one–pound dumbbells all day long and you’ll never get huge biceps.

● The right repetitions – Are you doing enough repetitions to create the microtears needed to facilitate growth?  On the other side of the above example, if you curl a 150–pound dumbbell, but if you only do one rep, you’re never going to build those biceps.

● The right duration – Are you working out long enough? And, just as importantly, taking the right amount of rest days. Without rest, your body will not be able to recuperate and grow.

● The right consistency – Are you exercising consistently or do you miss your scheduled workouts? Using traditional exercise as an example again, the guy who works out sporadically – coming to the gym just now and then, when he has time, isn’t going to see the gains the guy sees who is at the gym religiously five days a week.

If you think you’re a hardgainer, honestly review these five facets of success. Missing out on just one of them may be the real reason you aren’t seeing the results you were hoping for.

How to Increase Testosterone: A Guide

Medically Reviewed By Kelly Wood, MD
— Written By Dr Christopher Oseh Updated on August 15, 2022

This article is a repost which originally appeared on healthgrades.

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Our Takeaways:

· Testosterone controls a number of physiological functions in adult males.

· Older males typically experience a reduction in testosterone levels due to a number of factors.

· There are many ways to naturally increase testosterone levels.

There are different interventions to increase testosterone. Testosterone naturally reduces in males as they grow older. Individuals with low testosterone may notice symptoms such as decreased sexual drive and unusual tiredness.

Read on to learn more about the treatment methods and natural remedies that could boost your blood testosterone level.

What is testosterone?

Testosterone is a male sex hormone produced in the testis — the male reproductive organ. Testosterone binds to albumin and sex hormone binding globulin as it circulates in the blood, while some exist in an unbound form. Regulatory hormones in the pituitary gland regulate the production of testosterone.

Testosterone production starts from the seventh week of gestation in a male embryo. The amount gradually rises and helps in the development of the male genitals in utero. A few months after birth, the blood concentration of testosterone in male infants drops and peaks again at puberty.

The liver, prostate, and reproductive tissues contain an enzyme called 5α reductase, which converts testosterone to its metabolite — dihydrotestosterone.

Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone are responsible for the development of male sexual characteristics.

Testosterone controls physiologic functions in adult males, such as:

‧ sexual drive
‧ muscular tone
‧ sperm production
‧ red blood cells

Adult males may notice a decline in these functions when their testosterone level drops.

What are the symptoms of low testosterone in males?

Symptoms of low testosterone levels are nonspecific. However, if you have low testosterone, sexual and nonsexual symptoms may manifest.

Here are some sexual symptoms you could notice:

‧ decreased sexual desire or libido
‧ reduced frequency or rigidity of nocturnal erections
‧ erectile dysfunction

Nonsexual symptoms include:

‧ unexplained fatigue
‧ decreased energy
‧ difficulty concentrating
‧ decreased sense of well-being
‧ depressed mood

These symptoms alone are not adequate to diagnose low testosterone. Your doctor will typically conduct a physical examination and order some investigations to identify the possible causes of low testosterone levels.

Low testosterone causes vary depending on the age of the individual. For instance, genetic and acquired conditions that affect the testis may lead to low testosterone levels in young males.

In addition to medical conditions affecting the testis, older males typically experience a natural reduction in blood testosterone. This is due to the gradual decline in regulatory hormones that influence testosterone production.

The combination of your clinical history and investigation findings is essential in diagnosing low testosterone.

However, if you experience any of these symptoms, contact your doctor.

How can doctors help increase testosterone?

After confirmation of low testosterone, your doctor will typically initiate a treatment called testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). TRT involves administering testosterone medication to boost testosterone concentration in your blood.

Testosterone medication exists in various preparations. Your doctor will generally carry out a clinical assessment to identify the most effective type of medication for your individual needs, best formulation, or route of delivery for you.

Oral testosterone replacement therapy

This type of medication involves the oral intake of testosterone capsules to boost the blood testosterone level. However, as a result of low absorption and liver toxicity, doctors do not typically prescribe testosterone capsules to individuals with low testosterone.

Buccal testosterone replacement therapy

Buccal testosterone preparations have adhesive features that enable adhesion to the gums in the mouth. After dissolving in the gums, the blood vessels in the gums absorb the medication. This allows the medication to bypass the liver and the gastrointestinal tract.

Because of the above characteristics, buccal testosterone formulations are generally more tolerable than oral capsules.

Nasal testosterone replacement therapy

This form of TRT involves self-administering nasal pumps to administer intranasal testosterone gel into the nasal cavity. The blood vessels in the nasal mucous membrane absorb the nasal gel into the systemic circulation. Some individuals who use Intranasal testosterone may have side effects, such as:

‧ sinusitis
‧ nasal discomfort
‧ rhinitis
‧ nose bleeds

If you use intranasal testosterone and you experience any of these symptoms, contact your doctor.

Intramuscular testosterone replacement therapy

This type of medication entails injecting oil suspensions of testosterone into the muscles. Your doctor may prescribe long-acting intramuscular testosterone preparations for weekly injections. This ensures convenience and also improves compliance and adherence to therapy.

Transdermal testosterone replacement therapy

This form of TRT involves administering transdermal testosterone gels or patches over the skin. Your doctor will typically apply transdermal patches or gels on the skin where the blood vessels absorb it.

These areas generally include:

‧ surfaces of your abdomen
‧ upper arm
‧ thigh

To reduce the onset of local skin irritations, rotate the skin area where you apply the transdermal gels or patches.

Contraindications to testosterone replacement therapy

Though testosterone replacement therapy is effective, it is not suitable for some individuals. Some contraindications to TRT include:

‧ hematocrit above 48%
‧ prostate cancer
‧ uncontrolled heart failure
‧ a recent episode of myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident
‧ untreated obstructive sleep apnea
‧ fertility planning in males
‧ elevated PSA above 4 ng/mL

How can you naturally increase testosterone?

A 2018 study showed that eating foods rich in specific vitamins and minerals can maintain testosterone. However, it may not be possible to increase it without medical intervention. Here are some foods and supplements that can support the blood testosterone level.

Natural cocoa products

Natural cocoa products such as cocoa powder contain flavonoids — plant-based antioxidants with potent anti-inflammatory properties. These flavonoids promote the formation of steroids required for testosterone production and support the testicular cells.

A few studies reveal that flavonoids facilitate the process of testosterone production in the testis.

Magnesium-rich foods

A 2011 study suggested that magnesium increases insulin-like growth factor 1, which stimulates the process essential for testosterone formation. Intake of some fruits such as avocados or leafy vegetables, which are sources of magnesium, may maintain your testosterone level.

Selenium foods

Animal and human studies of selenium demonstrate its potential benefits and support in the male reproductive system. Selenium has strong antioxidant properties that promote male fertility. However, more clinical studies are essential to show its potential benefits in humans.

Herbal extracts

Certain herbs may support the production of testosterone. A 2020 research review revealed that some leaf and root herbal extracts positively affected testosterone concentrations in male study respondents.

However, as a result of dosage variations and safety concerns, further studies are critical in establishing the efficacy of these herbal extracts.

Reduce alcohol intake

Frequent consumption of alcohol adversely impacts testosterone production in multiple ways. Firstly, a high intake of alcohol disrupts the balance in the pituitary hormones that regulate testosterone production.

Also, a high concentration of alcohol in the blood may cause damage to the testosterone-producing glands and cells in the testis.

Studies with male rats showed that chronic alcohol intake negatively impacted their overall fertility and the structures in their reproductive tracts.

Therefore, reducing your quantity and frequency of alcohol intake can have a positive reproductive health impact.

Summary

Testosterone is a male steroid hormone produced in the testis. In older males, blood testosterone levels typically drop naturally. However, young adult males may have low testosterone levels if they have medical conditions that damage the testosterone-secreting glands in the testis.

You may notice symptoms of low testosterone levels such as decreased sexual desire or libido, erectile dysfunction, unexplained fatigue, and reduced energy.

Even though intake of certain fruits like natural cocoa products or some herbal extracts may maintain testosterone levels, testosterone replacement therapies are typically the most effective treatment for low testosterone.

Contact your doctor for clinical evaluation and to discuss the most appropriate TRT intervention for you.

Sources:

1. Cohen, J., et al. (2020). Low testosterone in adolescents & young adults. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6966696/
2. Emanuele, M. A., et al. (n.d). Alcohol and the male reproductive system. https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-4/282-287.htm
3. Hu, T-Y., et al. (2018). Testosterone-associated dietary pattern predicts low testosterone levels and hypogonadism. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6266690/
4. Maggio, M., et al. (2011). Magnesium and anabolic hormones in older men. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2605.2011.01193.x
5. Martin, L. J., et al. (2020). Improvement of testicular steroidogenesis using flavonoids and isoflavonoids for prevention of late-onset male hypogonadism. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/3/237
6. McBride, J. A., et al. (2015). Testosterone deficiency in the aging male. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1756287215612961
7. Shoskes, J. J., et al. (2016). Pharmacology of testosterone replacement therapy preparations. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5182226/
8. Smith, S. J., et al. (2020). Examining the effects of herbs on testosterone concentrations in men: A systematic review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8166567/
9. Testosterone and aging: Clinical research and directions. (2004). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK216164/
10. Qazi, I. H., et al. (2019). Role of selenium and selenoproteins in male reproductive function: A review of past and present evidences. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6719970/

 

How to Be Better With Your Time Management

by Lisa Jaster

This article is an installment of the Everyday Warrior series, featuring advice, key interviews, and tips to live a life of impact, growth, and continual learning.

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Premier Men’s Journal

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Our Takeaways:

· Prioritization is important for time management.

· Keeping notes of the things you need to get done and listing them in order can be helpful to develop better time management skills.

· Outsourcing your tasks can be a more efficient way of saving time.

Ever wonder how everyone else seems to have so much more time than you? A buddy drones on about his twice-a-day workouts and meal prep. Another friend has what appears to be an immaculate car, house…and basically life. Oh, and that guy who’s always asking you if you’ve seen the latest episode of whatever is currently hot on Netflix. Where the hell do these people get the time?! Between work, family, and a constant barrage of life’s little brush fires, it can make you feel like you’re on a treadmill vs. getting ahead on the road of life.

We all have 24 hours in the day, some people just use theirs better. How to spend your time wisely isn’t as complicated as one might think. It’s all about prioritization. It’s simple, but not easy.

Prioritize

Your neighbor doesn’t have more time to clean their car, they make time to do so. Choosing what’s important to you is more than just making an organized checklist and starting at the top. It’s more complicated than spending a day creating neat work and life environments where you can go about your day efficiently. It’s about calculus where the two variables are need and benefit. There are several ways to deal with each task.

1. Ignore it.

2. Pay someone else to do it.

3. Get it done.

Which option you choose is based on your goals and internal calculus.

Ignore It

At any given time, I have a three-page “to do” list. I still like to put it in my notebook that I carry around. Here’s the thing, if I’m putting a task at the bottom of the list, it’s probably not really all that important to me (think organize sock drawer). Rather than building register of things I feel guilty about not doing, to streamline my life, I’ve ditched the menial tasks that don’t add value to my day and aren’t really required. I’ve oriented on my goals and try to be decisive.

For a while I had stacks of The Economist laying around the house. The print version came free when I paid for the app. I love reading the articles on my phone when I have an opportunity, such as waiting to board the next flight. But I know that the app lets me sort and search for topics I’m interested in, and I should at least browse the hard copy to see more of the world outside my immediate interests. I end up spreading the magazine around the house in spots where I might pick one up and page through it—the bathroom, next to my chair in the living room, or even by the coffee pot. I really want to read the old issues but deep down I know this is a waste of counter space and a constant reminder I’ll never read all those great articles. Time to adjust using the “ignore” technique. I still get excited when the print version shows up, but if last week’s edition is still on the coffee table when the new one arrives, I feel no guilt recycling it.

Taking time reviewing my list with realistic expectations has really opened up time for things that add value. I started with the bottom and worked my way up asking myself, “Is this necessary?” If the answer was no, I simply X’d it out. Admitting that I would never alphabetize my client business cards, repaint the garage shelves, or read that stack of magazines was liberating.

Pay someone else do it

After crossing off a significant amount of non-value-adding tasks, I still had two pages left, which was overwhelming and intimidating. I had the privilege of asking Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Facebook, how she juggled so many things at once. Her response was shockingly simple: “Outsource that which doesn’t really matter.” When you start placing a value on your time, you make decisions differently. Sometimes time is worth more than money.

Finding someone to clean your house, cook your food, and mow your lawn are commonplace in today’s dual-income households. But is that the best use of your money? If not, maybe you mow the lawn and use the money to accomplish other items. If it is, can you take more off your plate with additional petty cash? How much does it cost to have someone else drive you places? One of my favorite time savers is taking an Uber to the airport. Once I did a little fuzzy math, I realized that getting someone else to drive me was only slightly more expensive than gas plus parking. If I can force myself to be productive in the back seat of a stranger’s car, I can be more present when I’m at home or with clients. I order my groceries online, check emails, call my mom, read up on certain topics that are important for my current contract, and even remember to check in on extended family or old friends. Changing your daily drive into a bus commute is a great way to come into the office with all your emails read, a plan made to tackle the day’s tasks, and avoid the stress of traffic. And when you do drive yourself, keep the productivity going. An audiobook is literally paying someone else to read a book to you. For me that’s a great use of my money.

What about things you do with your kids? Is that quality time? Could you be more present if you farmed out some “parenting” tasks? We spend a lot of time in school drop-off lines, making lunches, cooking fancy meals they don’t appreciate, and checking homework. If these activities don’t bring you closer with your kids, don’t do them. Carpool, let them eat in the cafeteria, make quick meals or buy from a delivery service, or get a tutor to look at that algebra.

If you’re only doing certain necessary activities because it feels like you should, ask yourself if there’s a way to accomplish them more effectively through a third party.

Do it yourself

In my house, we have a saying, “If it matters, you’ll find time for it.” There are some things you just can’t avoid (e.g. doctor’s appointments, prepping for family to visit, building a presentation for your boss). These are the must-dos of being an adult. Here’s where prioritization meets organization. When assessing my three-page to-do list, I threw out page three because I never would make time to replace the plastic seat adjustment handle in my car, I paid others to do page two including swapping curbside pickup for grocery store trips, but I still have to figure out how to most effectively own the remaining tasks. These are not only ones that lie squarely in my lane, but they’re also the ones where I need to be present and in the moment. For me, this includes coaching cheer practice, eating dinner at the table each night with my family, getting adequate sleep, training in the gym, and being fully engaged when prepping for each client meeting. After separating the wheat from the chaff, the activities that require my personal attention are doable if I stay focused and organized. Of course, organization is a completely separate rabbit hole to dive into.

Prioritization is the first of many steps to make each day a little less stressed and start spending the 24 hours in your day a bit more deliberately. If you do, you might actually have time to catch up on the next episode of Stranger Things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Is Peptide Therapy?

What Every Man Should Know About Therapeutic Peptides

Billy Williams
July 25, 2022

This article is a repost which originally appeared on AskMen

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Our Takeaways:

· Peptides are short chains of amino acids

· Peptide supplementation can be used to accelerate healing and recovery.

· Peptide therapy was originally used to treat diabetes.

The modern age has given men a lot to be grateful for. Better nutrition, the benefits of exercise, and medical breakthroughs have helped to extend life far beyond the experience of our parents or grandparents. Still, at a certain point, the “machinery” starts to falter and break down.

Old injuries can only be patched together for only so long. The aches and pains of your earlier years begin to take over on cold winter days or during tough training sessions. Weights that you use to warm-up with start to become a greater struggle for you to overcome. The long days in the office you used to put in, day after day, become more of a grind as your focus begins to nosedive as the day goes on.

No man can outrun Father Time forever.

It is one of the great paradoxes of life that just as you accumulate the knowledge, skills, and experience of life, aging causes you to lose your edge.

When that happens, it is easy to fall into the trap of competing for average, slowing down, holding back, or not pushing yourself too far. Worse, the danger of what follows is rationalizing low standards and expectations. Of course, the effect of that decision usually marks the decline of living life more fully and productively.

Instead of rationalizing your way to lower standards and a below-average existence, view that decline as the challenge — to retain your physical edge while capitalizing on all the experience you have accumulated up to that point.

To do that, you must fight it at a molecular level.

In the past, this was not possible, but now a new breakthrough has emerged that may hold the key.

A New Breakthrough

There is a prevailing theory that declining protein synthesis is the cause of aging at a molecular level. Protein synthesis is the process of creating protein molecules from amino acids. At the heart of this process are peptides.

“Peptides are short strings or chains of amino acids, anywhere from 2–50 amino acids. Amino acids are also the building blocks of proteins. Proteins, as you may know, are what make up our muscle tissue and other tissues of your body. Peptides may be easier for the body to absorb than whole proteins. They are smaller than typical proteins which allows them to penetrate the skin and intestines more easily. This allows them to enter the bloodstream more rapidly from either taking orally in supplement form or via injection subcutaneously,” explains Dr. Jerry Bailey, a functional medicine physician.

As a person gets older, their ability to synthesize proteins at the molecular level begins to decline. As a result, aging begins to set in. As it does, your health, ability to heal, strength, cognitive abilities, and all bodily functions begin to decline as well.

To counteract that, you must get down to that molecular level and boost your body’s ability to influence protein synthesis.

Early History

Peptide therapy is not a new idea.

In 1922, peptide therapy was medically used in the form of insulin to help Type 1 diabetics control their blood sugar which revolutionized diabetic care. Since then, over 7,000 peptides have been discovered and cataloged for medical use.

“Their function within medicine ranges far and wide,” reports Dr. Bailey. “From slowing the aging process, to wound healing, building lean muscle and strength, hair growth for baldness, digestive repair, weight loss and, for what many seek out, to make you superhuman like Wolverine in the comic books. You fully optimize your ability to regenerate tissue and fully slow the aging process.”

Are Peptides Drugs?

Peptides are like the concentrated orange juice you buy at the store, concentrated extracts of naturally occurring protein molecules consisting of amino acids that are linked in a chain. Some of these peptides are created naturally in your own body. Others must be consumed through plant and animal protein to be broken down. As such, they are a part of our natural existence and essential to our health.

Going even further, each organ and body function has its own unique peptide bioregulator that regulates its functions in your body’s systems. Acting like both neurotransmitters and hormones, each organ and body function has its own unique peptide bioregulator. It is the peptides that regulate the activity of your body’s molecules, and because of this, they influence body functions in several ways.

By kickstarting your body’s own peptide production via peptide bioregulators, specific organs, systems or conditions in the body can be targeted and influenced with specific peptide formulas.

“The world of age reversing is growing immensely,” reports Dr. Bailey. “As people are wanting to slow their aging down and live healthier and longer than our parents or grandparents.”

“Peptides work on the molecular level of the body stimulating or inhibiting specific signal proteins in the body such as mTOR, Sirtuins, PPARg, FOXO3, NFkB and AMPK. These terms may not mean much to many people but as physicians and scientists these are how the body regulates inflammation, aging, cellular senescence, cellular growth, and regeneration. It is how cells regulate energy, repair themselves, and also go through cellular death (apoptosis). These are what we know as the control mechanisms within the body from cell regulation,” says Bailey.

By customizing certain peptide compounds, you can positively target, and effect change in key areas such as:

‧ Faster muscle repair and cell regeneration
‧ Increased insulin sensitivity
‧ Greater capacity to use and distribute oxygen to improve endurance
‧ Increased muscle mass for better physical strength
‧ Improved sexual performance
‧ Enhanced weight loss
‧ Improved skin and complexion
‧ Initiate the repair of damaged muscles
‧ Promote muscle growth and fat loss
‧ Help with the recovery and repair of distressed tissues, muscles, and joints
‧ Boost insulin sensitivity for renewed muscle growth
‧ Help stimulate the natural release of HGH (human growth hormone)
‧ Accelerated healing processes
‧ Enhanced cognitive function and memory
‧ Increased levels of energy, stamina, and strength
‧ Improved immune functions

Taking the First Steps With Therapeutic Peptides

You start by defining your goals and what you are trying to accomplish. Once you are clear on that, the next step is to consult with a physician that is well-versed on peptide therapy.

A trained physician in peptide therapy can consult with you on their use and advise you on what regimen to follow.

“Peptides can vary in cost. Some are around $40-50 while some can range up to $100-200 per vial or supplement bottle. Often people will stack them in use, taking two or three at a time or up to five or six in cycling processes. I know of people in the biohacking world that spend about $1,000 per month on these alone in addition to their other supplements, IV’s and injectables to slow the aging process and create the most optimal function system possible,” says Bailey.

“Peptides are taken in several ways, but most individuals go with injectable forms. These are given either in single injection doses daily to attain the regenerative/superhuman results you wish or throughout the day to attain weight loss and/or a fertility response. Cycling them is also important to allow rest of the body and its metabolic processes,” Bailey adds.

The simplest regimen is daily injections over a period of 6 to 12 months. It is also important to have reasonable expectations. Peptide therapy is not a sprint, but a marathon. You will start to notice results in 6 to 8 weeks, give or take a couple of weeks, with the best results coming long-term. The benefit is that these results can become permanent as your body’s natural processes are influenced at the molecular level by the peptides you are taking. That means you can stop at a certain point or tailor your approach to improve in other areas.

For best results, take injections in the morning and evening but avoid eating 60 minutes after your injections. This way your digestion does not interfere with the absorption of the peptides.

Resisting the Gravitational Pull of Aging

If you are like most men, you are eating well, exercising, and doing all the things you should be doing to take care of yourself but still not performing like you want, then peptides may be worth exploring.

Being ambitious and hard-working in your pursuit of achieving excellence in all areas of your life requires you to maximize your health. Without a strong body and being physically optimized, you will lack the energy to achieve excellence and fall short in your goals.

Peptides may be the bridge to get you from where you are now to where you want to be.

 

 

 

Men’s health: Employers must tackle low testosterone levels

by Helen Lake

Low testosterone is sapping the energy levels of two million men in the UK. Helen Lake discusses some of the issues and misconceptions surrounding low testosterone, as well as outlining the actions that employers can take to support their staff who are suffering with this hard-to-spot condition.

27th Jul 2022

This article is a repost which originally appeared on HRZone.

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Our Takeaways:

· A large percentage of men suffer from emotional concerns in silence.

· 40% of men aged 45 or older have clinically low levels of testosterone.

· Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) should be considered a tactic of last resort for men with hormonal issues.

It’s estimated that around two million men in Britain suffer from low testosterone levels, making it a very real issue for a large proportion of the UK workforce.

For those working men suffering with it, symptoms can include low energy levels, poor concentration, memory loss and side effects that are often misdiagnosed as depression. Longer term, men living with a testosterone deficiency are more susceptible to serious health issues including cardiac arrest, infertility and osteoporosis.

Recent research by Peppy found that 39% of employees experience disruption due to men waiting until a health problem becomes severe before talking to their HR team.

With low testosterone impacting a man’s general wellbeing, as well as his performance at work – increasingly, there are calls for greater workplace support and awareness around male testosterone deficiency.

Men’s Health Awareness Week recently took place, but we shouldn’t only focus on men’s health during this time. At any point in the year, organisations should examine what can be done to raise the bar for men’s health, including their ‘t-levels’.

Who is impacted by low testosterone?

The research also revealed that an estimated 40% of men aged 45 and older have low testosterone. But, since this is an issue unique to men, it’s likely that the true figures are much higher than are reported.

Testosterone is the male hormone produced that boosts bone strength, powers sex drive, and helps to maintain muscle mass.

An estimated 40% of men aged 45 and older have low testosterone, with the true figure thought to be much higher.

It is mostly produced in the testicles, with production rising rapidly during puberty, triggering a whole host of teenage side-effects in young males and peaking around the 20s.

Levels begin to decline naturally in men by around 2% a year from their mid-30s. By their 40s, the more common symptoms – such as mood swings, low energy, loss of muscle mass, and poor concentration – are more likely to occur.

The imbalance of such a crucial part of a man’s hormonal make-up can have wide-ranging implications, both for him and his workplace.

A wide range of symptoms

While concerns around the impact menopause can have upon women in the workforce have taken deserved precedence in recent years, the issue of low testosterone in men of a working age is a cause for increasing concern among medical professionals.

And it should be for employers, too.

The ‘andropause’, as it’s been dubbed, may not present with as severe a set of symptoms as those experienced by some women during menopause, but the gradual decline in testosterone levels can have a devastating impact on the long-term health of men.

At the heart of the problem, is the fact that low testosterone isn’t always correctly diagnosed. Symptoms are commonly attributed to ‘working too hard’ or just getting older, and are often mistaken for depression – or else not identified at all.

The gradual decline in testosterone levels can have a devastating impact on the long-term health of men.

The symptoms of low testosterone vary between individuals. In some cases, low levels of testosterone do not appear to cause many symptoms for reasons that are not clear.

Impacts on men’s mental health and emotional wellbeing include poor sleep quality, mood swings and irritability – making it an issue employees and employers need to be aware of. Erectile dysfunction is another common sign, but is often viewed as an embarrassing issue that contributes to men suffering in silence.

In more severe cases, a decline in testosterone can affect sperm count and cause men to grow ‘moobs’ or man boobs, due to changes in the body’s fat distribution. The knock-on effect of low testosterone can therefore impact body image, self-confidence, and even family plans.

Most cases are caused by ageing, or through being overweight or type 2 diabetes – both of which are prevalent in the male population of the UK. In addition, low levels of testosterone can affect younger men as a result of stress, lack of sleep, poor diet and lack of exercise.

The impact on male mental health

For many men, low testosterone levels are the real culprit for that general feeling of low mood and exhaustion that so many experience.

But, when men are half as likely as women to visit their GP, many go years if not decades experiencing high levels of fatigue and decreased energy levels without finding out that it is hormone related and treatable.

In the UK today, one in eight men struggle with a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression, and this is likely to be higher than is officially recorded. One in three men also attribute poor mental health to their job, making this a serious issue for workplaces.

In the UK today, one in eight men struggle with a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression.

Directly or indirectly, the impact low testosterone levels can have on a man’s health and lifestyle – from loss of libido, to weight gain, to lack of quality sleep, to low mood – is very likely to trickle through to their mental and emotional wellbeing.

For organisations committed to improving their male workforce’s mental health, tackling testosterone must become part of the conversation.

How workplaces can tackle the problem

At present, accessing specific support is difficult for men suffering with low testosterone. Tests are only available on the NHS to those with severe symptoms, and these people must firstly have made an appointment with the GP and made it through the system, just in order to be diagnosed with low testosterone.

Workplaces are uniquely placed to give employees the practical and emotional support they need – and this starts with raising awareness.

Employees of all genders, ages and life stages should be made aware of the signs, symptoms and risks of low testosterone, so they know what to look out for in themselves, their colleagues and even their partners. Providing resources in the workplace for improved physical and mental health for employees should also be a priority.

Organisations should make the pathway to support as easy to access as possible by giving employees access to specialist men’s health support, including highly-trained urology specialist nurses, as well as nutritionists and fitness experts. Crucially for men, support should be available remotely and entirely confidentially to maximise uptake.

The help provided should include access to at-home hormone tests and personalised, expert advice on how to treat the side-effects of low testosterone.

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) should always be the last resort.

There is no ‘quick fix’ when it comes to low testosterone levels. Simple lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, sleep and work-life-balance can have a miraculous impact on an individual’s testosterone levels and should be explored first.

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) should always be the last resort, with any potential underlying medical cause excluded.

Leading employers are transforming men’s health

Forward-thinking employers and their employees are already reaping the rewards of connecting their people to a team of real, human experts.

With the right tools at their fingertips, individuals from leading consultancy firms, high street retailers and law firms are able to work alongside nutritionists, personal trainers, urology specialists and mental health experts – building the habits that can help to restore healthy testosterone levels.

Because eliminating the unwanted effects of low testosterone won’t just benefit the individual, but their workplace as well.

With the right holistic support and wellbeing initiatives, employees can spot the signs, identify the causes and take immediate, practical steps towards rebalancing their hormone levels, enabling them to bring their best selves to work each day.

Sleep Health Is Associated With Physical Frailty in Older Adults

July 11, 2022

Julia Bonavitacola

This article is a repost which originally appeared on AJMC

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Our Takeaways:

· Better sleep will reduce the chance of becoming more frail in advanced age.

· Men and women appear to have different risk factors concerning bone and muscle loss.

· Those with more consistent sleep profiles also reported functioning better during the day in areas of alertness and cognitive function.

A study found that having a better sleep health composite score was associated with a lower risk of physical frailty, with men and women possessing different risk factors.

A study published in Sleep Health found that there was an association between healthy sleep in multiple dimensions and the risk of becoming physically frail. The risk was different in men and women.

The study took place in Taiwan and data were obtained from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA), which includes patients 60 years and older. Patients who were younger than 65 years and/or were living in a long-term care facility were excluded from this study. Patients with missing information or other covariates were also excluded.

Modified definitions of frailty under the Fried criteria were used for this study. Sleep measures were self-reported using the 5 sleep health dimensions in the SATED model: sleep satisfaction, daytime alertness, sleep timing, sleep efficiency, and sleep duration. Physical activity was assessed by frequency of engaging in gardening, walks, bicycling, jogging, hiking, and other outdoor physical exercise.

There were 2015 participants for this study, of whom 9% were considered frail. The mean sleep health composite score was 2.51; the most prevalent good sleep health dimension was daytime alertness (91%) and least prevalent was sleep efficiency (11%).

Participants who were frail scored significantly lower on the sleep health composite compared with participants who were not frail, and significantly fewer frail participants indicated satisfaction with sleep, being alert during the daytime, and having adequate sleep duration.

The adjusted logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between frailty and the multidimensional sleep health composite (odds ratio [OR], 0.57; 95% CI, 0.49-0.68). The effect remained significant after adding comorbidity, cognitive function, pain, depressive symptoms, drinking, smoking, and exercise to the model (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64-0.94). Individuals who scored 1 point higher on the sleep health measure were approximately 22% less likely to be frail.

The multidimensional sleep health composite effect on frailty was significant in both female (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.48-0.72) and male (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.39-0.75) participants. A significant effect was only observed in women (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.63-0.98) after adjusting for comorbidities.

The adjusted logistic regression analysis found that sleep satisfaction (OR, 0.34; 95% Ci, 0.24-0.48), daytime alertness (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.14-0.31), and sleep duration (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.34-0.74) were associated with frailty. When considering individuals’ health, only daytime alertness remained as a significant association (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.29-0.75).

Sleep satisfaction (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.19-0.44), daytime alertness (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.18-0.47), and sleep duration (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.30-0.78) were associated with frailty in women but were no longer significant when adding health and risk behaviors to the model. Sleep satisfaction (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.24-0.94) and daytime alertness (OR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.05-0.21) were associated with frailty in men, although only daytime alertness remained significant after adding health and risk behaviors to the model.

There were some limitations to the study. The cross-sectional design of this study could cause reverse causality. The investigators used self-reported responses to construct an adopted frailty index due to constraints of archival data. Napping, which is often associated with frailty, was not found in the TLSA data set, and therefore couldn’t be tested. Sleep disorders can also increase the risks of frailty but were not available in the TLSA data set.

The researchers concluded that the first empirical evidence of sleep health being an early risk factor of frailty was demonstrated in the study.

Reference

Chen TY, Lee S, Buxton OM. Multidimensional sleep health is associated with physical frailty in a national sample of Taiwanese community-dwelling older adults: sex matters. Sleep Health. Published online July 3, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2022.05.003

Assessing the Effectiveness of Exercises, Stamina Later, and the “60 Minute Rule”: Ask The Experts

Assessing the Effectiveness of Exercises, Stamina Later, and the “60 Minute Rule”: Ask The Experts

Big Al, of MaleEnhancementCoach.com, answers questions about assessing exercises during training, training stamina at a later time, and utilizing the “60 Minute Rule”.

If you have questions you’d like answered in an Ask the Experts article, please PM Big Al

Q. How do I know my enlargement exercises are having an effect? I see a good pump after my workouts but is this enough?

Both my conditioning and erection quality are very good so I can train at a high rate of volume and intensity.

Al: A post-training “pump” is a good sign you’re on the right path.

ALL enlargement exercises require hitting a “sweet spot” between not enough and too much. In the case of conditioned trainers such as yourself, you can train intensely without incurring negative symptoms- but what happens when you go overboard is a toughening response- as opposed to the desired flexibility.

For assessing length, using BPFSL before AND after your sessions. If you’re noting a 1/2″ increase or better in the post-training measure, you’re on the right track. Anything under 1/4″ elongation is a sign you’re either not getting enough stimulation, or (from heavy sessions) too much.

You can do the same with girth exercises, but halve the figures given above.

Q. Is it OK for me to perform the stamina portion of my training at a later time?

Al: If you have scheduling issues and aren’t able to perform all of your training in one sitting, then splitting your workouts is better than missing the session altogether- though it’s not an optimal scenario.

A well designed routine will be set up so that each exercise cascades into the next one. The stamina exercises are great on their own, but when you’ve pre-stretched the tissues with enlargement specific exercises the stamina exercises in and of themselves become effective ENLARGEMENT exercises.

Q. You mention a 60 minute rule for edging requirements.

There are some weeks where I’m sexually active more than others. How would this work then?

Al: The BEST form of stamina training is live, vigorous sexual activity. It surpasses any form of manual training for obvious reasons. The only instance where it would be recommended for you to perform manual edging (Stop and Starts) instead of live activity is if you don’t feel ready for sexual contact.

The “60 Minute Rule” applies to your estimated level of vigorous sexual activity. In essence, if you’re getting 60+ minutes of said activities then you’re fulfilling all of your edging requirements for the week. Less than this, and you can make up for the balance with manual edging.

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Do you want Al to answer your questions?  Please check out MaleEnhancementCoach.com