How Does Exercise Help Men Sexually?

How Exercise Improves Men’s Sexual Health

Being active is good for everyone, but there are benefits specific to males.

Author: Laura Williams Bustos, ACSM EP-C
Published: February 21, 2023

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Giddy

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

Key Points

‧ Everyone can benefit from exercise.

‧ Men have specific reasons for maintaining fitness as they age.

‧ Exercise may help to prevent erectile dysfunction.

Men, women, children and anyone else can reap the benefits of exercise. From helping prevent weight gain to reducing the risk of major chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, exercise is something for which everyone should make time.

But there are reasons men, specifically, should consider including physical activity in their day-to-day lives. These reasons include sexual health benefits as well as reducing the risk of sex-specific issues such as erectile dysfunction (ED) and prostate cancer.

Men’s exercises

The ins and outs of exercise are similar for all adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlines that all healthy adults should aim to accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, every week. In addition, adults should perform at least two days of strength-building exercises, which target major muscle groups.

If you’re not currently exercising, this may sound overwhelming, but it breaks down to about 30 minutes of exercise per day, five days per week. And if strength-building exercises are performed in a circuit format, with little rest between exercises or sets, they can actually double as the recommended moderate-intensity cardio, too.

While there are lots of ways to meet this goal, a sample schedule may include:

  • Monday. A 15-minute morning walk plus a 15-minute evening walk.
  • Tuesday. Thirty minutes of strength training exercises performed as a circuit. For example, perform 10 repetitions each of bodyweight squats, pushups, walking lunges, dumbbell overhead shoulder presses, dumbbell row, triceps chair dips, dumbbell biceps curls and sit-ups. Then repeat the series two more times without rest between exercises or rounds.
  • Wednesday. Thirty minutes of pickup basketball or playing soccer at the park with your kids.
  • Thursday. Thirty minutes of strength training exercises performed as a circuit.
  • Friday. A 15-minute morning walk plus a 15-minute evening walk.

It’s important to remember that exercise preference plays a key role because if you can choose exercises you enjoy and can do confidently, you’re more likely to continue doing them.

For instance, a study published in 2018 by researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University found men were significantly more likely than women to enjoy weightlifting, while they were less likely to enjoy moderate-intensity cardio. So even if the CDC’s guidelines suggest doing “moderate-intensity cardio” for 150 minutes per week, it’s important to find options—like playing sports or strength training—that are most appealing to help you meet those overarching goals.

“Regular exercise decreases the risk of all diseases and mortality from all causes,” said Kirk Parsley, M.D., a sleep expert and retired Navy SEAL based in San Diego as well as a medical team member for LegacyExpeditions.net Triple 7 Expedition. “It also helps men maintain blood flow throughout the body, enhancing muscularity and reducing the severity of male pattern baldness. Blood flow to the skin and genitals also makes sexual dysfunction less likely and improves sensation during sex. Maintaining cognitive function through balanced neurochemistry and blood flow is one of the major benefits of regular exercise and, in many cases, can counteract the risk of inherited genetic diseases.”

Risks and benefits

When started slowly, conscientiously and progressively, an exercise program carries very few risks and offers a slew of potential benefits.

“If a man is completely untrained—has never exercised regularly in his life—and he is over 30-ish, he should be evaluated by a physician for serious cardiovascular risk as well as musculoskeletal stability and movement prior to starting an exercise program,” Parsley explained. “For example, if a man has always been overweight, has never played sports or wasn’t active growing up, he may well have some biomechanical deficits that would make certain exercises more dangerous than would be worth the risk. However, generally speaking, men are no more or less likely to get any specific injury from exercise. The exercise dictates the risk.”

If you haven’t exercised in some time, schedule a quick health screening with your doctor to make sure there aren’t any specific exercises to avoid. Then consider enlisting a trainer for a few sessions to help you perfect your form and start a safe, well-designed program.

Certain exercises pose a higher level of risk because performing them incorrectly (or doing too much too soon) can place undue stress on the joints. If you’re new to exercise, it’s best to ensure you’re doing each movement correctly.

“Dead lifts are risky for low back injuries, running is risky for knee and hip injuries, [and] swimming, boxing or any racket sport has a higher risk of shoulder injuries,” Parsley said.

Even if the risk of an injury is slightly elevated due to the specific movement, the risk can be mitigated by perfecting proper form and gradually increasing workout intensity.

“If you start by exercising at a moderate pace, tempo and intensity, and gradually add short bursts of higher-intensity exercise progressively over months to years, you can do any exercise without unreasonable risk-to-reward benefits,” Parsley said.

And about those rewards? They’re extensive. The National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus information resource highlights the following:

  • Boosts mental health and mood
  • Enhances sexual health
  • Helps keep cognitive health sharp with age
  • Helps manage blood sugar and reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
  • Improves sleep
  • Increases the likelihood of living longer (and living better as you age)
  • May help you quit smoking
  • Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
  • Reduces the risk of falls
  • Reduces the risk of some cancers, including colon, breast, lung and prostate

It’s important to note that while these benefits apply to men and women, a few of them should be of particular interest to men.

“Regular exercise lowers the risk of diabetes and high cholesterol, as well as lowers the risk of high blood pressure, which is elevated, in particular, in this gender,” said Rathna Nuti, M.D., an orthopedic physician at DFW Sports Medicine in North Texas.

Exercise and sexual health

One of the reasons exercise is so beneficial for men lies in how it can benefit sexual health. Arguably, this could be one of the biggest motivating factors for starting and maintaining an exercise program.

Benefits to sexual health are not emphasized as often as some of the other reasons to exercise, such as reducing the risk of heart disease. However, the increased blood flow that helps reduce the risk of heart disease is actually the same reason exercise can improve sexual health.

“Regular exercise impacts men’s sexual health by increasing the circulation of blood flow to various areas of the body, which helps ensure a healthy circulatory system,” Nuti explained. “A strong, smooth blood flow is key for arousal, which helps with erections and increases libido in men. Men who exercise more often are less likely to suffer from sexual dysfunction.”

“Sexual health is hugely impacted by fitness, for endurance, strength, the ability to move in certain ways, hold certain positions and carry your partner’s weight,” Parsley added. “However, high-intensity interval training [HIIT], a certain form of exercise, has been shown to increase testosterone levels, as can weightlifting or competitive sports. Testosterone has an impact on sexual desire, sexual confidence and oftentimes erection quality and duration. Cardiovascular fitness is not only beneficial to sexual performance, but the reverse is true, too. Poor cardiovascular fitness is often associated with greater difficulty getting and maintaining an erection.”

Exercise and ED

As Parsley and Nuti both pointed out, the impact exercise has on blood flow and circulation can positively influence the ability to get and maintain an erection. Believe it or not, studies have investigated the kinds of exercise that make a difference.

A study published in 2018 in the journal Sexual Medicine observed the impact and results of multiple exercise interventions to improve ED and concluded 160 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise performed each week for six months would help decrease erectile problems in men with ED. The study authors recommended 40 minutes of this kind of training four days per week.

If you currently aren’t exercising and the thought of carving out two and a half hours per week from your schedule for exercise seems daunting, remember that something is better than nothing. You can work your way up to the goal of 150 to 160 minutes of exercise each week by starting with 10 to 15 minutes of exercise per day.

Consider all the ways it can benefit your health, including your sexual health, and you’ll soon realize that once the habit is formed, it’s going to be worth the effort and time. The trick is simply finding the form of exercise that you enjoy.

What is NAD+ and what are the benefits of NAD supplements and NAD+

NAD+: is this new wonder supplement the secret to looking and feeling younger for longer?

May 23rd 2022 / Ingeborg Van Lotringen

This article is a repost which originally appeared on GET THE GLOSS

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

Our Takeaways:

· NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a naturally occurring cellular component.

· NAD+ is responsible for cellular repair as well as energy.

· Exercise and fasting can raise levels of NAD+ in the body.

MOVE OVER COLLAGEN THERE’S A NEW SUPPLEMENT WITH A GROWING FAN BASE PROMISING TO HOLD BACK THE YEARS. IS NAD MORE THAN A FAD? WE ASKED DOCTORS TO WEIGH IN 

Vitamin A, collagen powders, CBD… Not a month goes by when we hear about a new ‘wonder’ ingredient that is going to blitz our ailments and hold back the years. The latest contender is NAD+ (pronounced ‘N.A.D. plus’). Already crowding the shelves of health food stores in the US, where preventative medicine and supplements are an even bigger ‘thing’ than here (and a sign of what’s heading our way!), the energy-generating co-enzyme – a compound naturally found in the body – is beginning to make waves in the UK too.

The claim is that it may improve our health and, by extension, our skin, in a myriad of ways, from giving us more energy to reducing cravings to protecting against cell damage, and much more. It’s even touted as the ultimate anti-ageing pill for its ability to keep youthful energy levels topped up, with fans including biohacker Davinia Taylor. “It helps me get rid of brain fog and actually gives me a feeling of confidence. For me, it peps up my mood and changes my mental clarity, making me feel as if I’m 20,” she told us recently.

In the US, where it’s one of the fastest-growing and buzziest supplements, people have long stopped asking what is NAD+?. “They only want to know what the best supplement is,” says molecular biologist and UK supplement entrepreneur Dr Nichola Conlon. So will it prove to be the game-changer everyone’s looking for, putting a spring in our step, making us feel and look younger or even live longer?

The doctors we spoke to were open-minded. Cosmetic physician Dr David Jack, who has his own range of supplements says: “I’ve seen numerous studies in recent years showing benefits of NAD supplementation in modulating inflammation, metabolic decline and cellular and DNA repair,” he says. “Although the evidence is in its early stages, given the low chance of side-effects it may be a very useful supplement for patients either suffering from neurodegenerative conditions or as part of an anti-ageing supplement routine”.

Let’s investigate further…

What is NAD used for?

NAD+ (sometimes called NADH or NAD) stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a natural chemical found in every single cell in the body. Think of it like a battery. It plays a major role in generating cellular energy, as well as in the maintenance and repair of our cells, including our DNA. It’s thought to be involved in more than 500 different reactions that keep cells in good health. No biggie, then.

How does NAD+ work to help fight ageing?

If we have high levels of NAD+, it means we have lots of cellular energy – our cells function optimally and we feel more energetic and alert. It also means the body can repair itself quicker, which helps keep our organs, including our skin, in pristine working order. But just like collagen, our levels of NAD+ decline with age. It’s thought they halve every 20 years, from the day we’re born. With age, the body becomes less able to generate it, plus older and naturally more damaged cells use up NAD+ stores at a higher rate. A downward spiral of NAD+ correlates with the onset of many of the complaints associated with ageing including wrinkles, memory loss, heart problems, dementia, Parkinson’s, vision loss, and more. NAD+ decline is seen as one of the nine main hallmarks of ageing, according to Conlon.

How to increase NAD+ levels

You cannot stop the decline of your body’s ability to produce NAD+, but you can slow down the rate at which the body uses it up. Basically, the healthier you are and the less damage your cells sustain from things like disease, stress, unhealthy lifestyle choices and an unhealthy environment, the more NAD+ you have available for keeping your organs in ‘homeostasis’, i.e. strong, healthy and ‘young’ for their age. So: a good old healthy lifestyle with lots of stress management is, as per usual, the best way to keep this important powerhouse ticking over. Conlon adds that research has shown that the well-known positive benefits of exercise and fasting are down to the fact that they ignite the body’s production of NAD+. “They create an energy stress in the body, which responds by increasing NAD+ to switch on cellular maintenance and repair in order to overcome this temporary strain,” she says. “HIIT and resistance training have been found to be the most effective.”

But in the States, and increasingly over here, supplementing NAD+ is thought to be a way of off-setting its natural decline as well. “Multiple studies have demonstrated that NAD+ boosting strategies have benefits at cellular, animal and human level,” says Conlon. One study suggests that one of the ways NAD+ supplementation can do this is by activating the protection and stabilisation of telomeres, which helps prevent cell death and therefore the risk of long-term diseases setting in. Ultimately, says Conlon, “while I would stop short of saying NAD+ boosters help you live longer, it is clear they improve healthspan, which is the proportion of your life you spend in good health.”

But there is a caveat. There have been thousands of papers written on NAD+ supplementation in animals, and about 20 human studies, says Conlon. But at present, there is no conclusive, long-term proof that it can reverse or delay ageing, and it is important to keep in mind that we are talking about a nutritional supplement here, not medication. That doesn’t stop people from leaping on the chance to try it, of course, preferring to take their chances in the pursuit of a longer, healthier life.

NAD+ benefits

With most of the evidence circumstantial, anecdotal, or based on animal studies, below are some of the things that NAD+ supplementation may be good for. It is prescribed in America (and increasingly, here) by functional medicine practitioners and nutritionists to aid in the recovery of these, but again, not as medication.

NAD to improve sports performance

Due to its energy-boosting abilities (many users report an increase in energy, resilience and recovery) and positive impact on muscle function, NAD+ is popular with athletes and sports performance coaches, says Paul Leadon, co-founder of UK supplement company Hinnao Technology. It is also used (in the US at least) to help treat chronic fatigue syndrome. “I know people use it to support mitochondria (the batteries of cells) so it’s good for those with fatigue,” explains nutritional therapist Daniel O’Shaughnessy.

NAD for sleep issues, hangovers and long Covid

In one study, it was shown NAD+ seems to re-set our internal ‘body clock’. So NAD+ supplementation is sometimes used by people who want to treat jet lag and insomnia. And because it fortifies cells’ defence systems, it is used by some as a hangover cure to help protect the liver from the damage alcohol does. As O’Shaughnessy comments: “it’s used in addiction to support the withdrawal from alcohol and some drugs. It’s also being researched for long-Covid support.”

NAD+ and skin ageing

The world of aesthetics and ‘tweakments’ is keeping a beady eye on NAD as well. No wonder, as high levels of cellular energy mean that the body can more effectively prevent and clear up signs of skin ageing such as brown spots and fine lines. “Not only that, but the basic principle of ‘tweakments’ is that a level of controlled damage is inflicted on the skin, which then sets off a repairing, collagen-boosting mechanism in the skin,” says Conlon. “However, if the body is low on cellular energy, it has trouble performing this tissue repair and it won’t generate much additional collagen, leading to disappointing or even negative results. Boosting NAD+ reserves is thought to shore up this collagen supply and can therefore be the essential missing ‘prep’ step in skin rejuvenation procedures.”

NAD and symptoms of menopause

The booming menopause market is also ready to pounce. “We are super interested in the implications for menopause relief, and are chasing scientific data for this,” says Dr Conlon. “Menopause causes a huge increase in cellular ageing in a short space of time, turning off the energy and repair mechanisms that you so desperately need right at this time of life.” She says the company has lots of anecdotal feedback on NAD+ supplementation having a major impact on how women feel when they take it to offset menopausal symptoms.

“NAD+ is good at mopping up DNA damage and oxidative stress,” says O’Shaughnessy. “Supplementing it may also support memory and cognition.” That means it could help with the dreaded ‘brain fog’.

NAD and fatigue

Cosmetic physician Dr Sophie Shotter says that in her experience NAD+ works to treat tiredness, especially hormonally-related fatigue. “I definitely notice the difference when I supplement; for starters, I don’t get that mid-afternoon energy slump.”

NAD and preventing cravings

Apart from the aforementioned protective effect on the liver and delivering much-needed energy when you’ve been burning the candle at both ends NAD+ can, according to Dr Conlon, “help suppress the cravings that plague addicts of all kinds.” The theory is that this is because having enough NAD+ in your system stops the body ‘running on empty’ from substance abuse. As a result, it craves fewer ‘fresh hits’ of more stimulants.

Biohacker and author Davinia Taylor, a recovering alcoholic, recently told us that she noticed that effect after having a NAD+ IV drip. “It gets rid of any cravings. Think sugar, shopping…. I didn’t even fancy the chips I was trying to treat myself with,” she said. “It shuts down the body’s addictive mechanism and its need for a dopamine rush. It makes me feel not high, not buzzy, not wired like you would from Red Bull – but chipper. It’s like an alternative to hair of the dog that’s actually good for you, and an antidote to the fact that hangovers get worse with age. It’s an awake, clean energy that helps you deal with any stress better; that’s one of the things we get worse at as we get older, and when our hormones are on their way out. This is the ultimate energy shortcut that works for me.”

NAD supplements: what is the best way to take NAD+?

NAD IV drips

Taylor gets her drips from GP Dr Enayat of London biohacking health clinic Hum2n, who offers a ‘substance detox programme’ of five IV drips in one week, starting at £2795, and a three-drip anti-ageing protocol from £1295.
Beware, though: apart from the substantial financial investment, having these drips is also an investment in time, as they typically take three hours to infuse. Unless you take the ‘speedy’ half-hour option which, according to people we’ve spoken to has an unpleasant side effect of feeling temporary stomach and brain pressure as the active works its way into your system.

The payoff, says Leadon, who’s had NAD+ IV drips himself, is a sustained high and clarity of mind. “Drips are great to prepare for a major event or to aid recovery,” he says. “But my preference is always to supplement in a way that’s as close as possible to what the body does naturally. So a little-and-regular approach in the shape of daily oral supplementation is, in my opinion, the best way forward for sustained overall age prevention and support.” He considers the liposomal NAD+ supplement he’s about to launch, will be the next best thing (of course) to an IV drip.

NAD+ liposomal drops

Getting NAD+ into your cells is tricky. “NAD+ is a very large molecule that cannot just penetrate the skin or the mucus membranes in the mouth [ie taken under the tongue] to enter the bloodstream,” says Leadon. “And taken as a capsule, it won’t survive the gut intact.” To get around the issue, Leadon has created a nano-sized version of NAD+ and stabilised it in a ‘liposomal’ delivery system (protected in microscopic lipid bubbles). It’s been shown to go straight into the bloodstream when you place some drops of it under the tongue. “NAD+ is also very sensitive to heat damage so the drops may have to be kept in the fridge,” he says. Currently, the company is in the process of doing third party testing to back up its claims.

Supplements that help the body make NAD+

According to Conlon, getting NAD+ into the bloodstream doesn’t mean it actually gets into the body’s cells. “Right now, there’s very little proof that it can, apart from some indication that it can permeate some neuronal [brain and nervous system] cells. The exact same, by the way, goes for NAD+ IV drips,” she says.

This is why most NAD+ supplements provide not NAD+, but NAD+ precursors (since you ask – nicotinamide riboside or niagen tryptophan, or nicotinamide mononucleotide – NMN). Unlike the whole NAD+ molecule, these are readily absorbed into the system, and the body then converts them into NAD+.

But as far as Conlon is concerned, this is not enough. “Every cell in your body is like a small factory that needs power to function,” she says. “But with age, these ‘cell factories’ sustain major damage, which means the fuel you supply them with leaches away.” For her, it means that a good NAD+ supplement needs to provide a blend of nutrients that help repair and maintain your cells, alongside the fuel for making NAD+. Her Nuchido Time+ supplement is an example of this and has just been subjected to a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study to prove its claims. “We’ve tested the blood of human volunteers and we’ve seen an increase in NAD+ of 242 per cent in 16 days, on the basis of taking six capsules a day,” she says.

Can you take NAD when pregnant?

NAD+ is vital for normal organ development in babies but the advice is to, out of caution, hold off on taking NAD+ supplements in pregnancy. An Australian 2020 study on animals concluded that supplementing with precursor NMN improved the quality of ovarian cells in adult mammals but it’s not known what effect it had on their unborn young.

Are there any side effects of taking NAD+?

From the research so far (which has been done mostly on animals, with a few human studies), very few contra-indications have been flagged for taking supplements with NAD+ precursors, they seem to be very safe ingredients. In the human studies, 1000-2000mg of nicotinamide riboside (one popular precursor) a day had no harmful effects – and most supplements contain 250-300mg a day. However long-term effects in humans are still relatively unknown.

The verdict: is NAD+ the next big thing?

She would say so of course, but Conlon believes it is. “Whether it was Covid that inspired it or not, consumers in the UK have really embraced the idea of long-term preventative healthcare much more than they did before, and they’re looking for solutions that really hold water,” she says. “We’ve seen the popularity of collagen supplements, but the proof is dicey and few people are prepared to take the amount of collagen supplementation required to really see a difference.”

“While the research is growing, the possibilities are far-reaching because cellular energy is at the heart of longevity,” says Dr Conlon. For her, NAD+ supplementation is a way to stay mentally sharp and physically active for as long as possible throughout what are set to be longer lives than ever before.

Dr Sophie Shotter believes in NAD+ supplementation as well: “ I do recommend NAD supplements to patients, often those struggling with hormone-related energy levels,” she says. “But it’s important to note that we cannot supplement NAD directly,” she says. “I opt for NAD+ precursors, but I believe it’s also important to support our cellular ability to produce NAD+ as it decreases with age.”

Dr Shotter supplements patients as well as herself through IV drips with NADH “not a precursor but the ‘reduced’ version of NAD+; it easily converts into NAD+” she explains. She’s also a fan of the Nuchido Time+ supplement. “The fact that it has additional ingredients designed to boost both the cells’ ability to produce as well as recycle NAD+ is a real bonus,” she says. “With consistent use, I believe [supplements] can be very beneficial.”

But despite his strong interest in biohacking, this is one hack that nutritional therapist O’Shaughnessy isn’t getting behind just yet. He feels it’s expensive and certainly not a magic bullet. “NAD+ therapy should just be used as a tool,” he says. “If you’re suffering from fatigue, then it’s vital you consider the functional elements. These include being over-stressed, tackling vitamin and mineral deficiencies (particular in vegan diets which are often lacking iron, vitamin B12 and protein), digestive imbalances, sleep hygiene, food sensitivities, toxin overload, and more.” Taking NAD+ supplements, he says “will be a drop in the ocean if there are all sorts of imbalances in the body. The priority should be on addressing these.”

If you want to invest in an energy supplement, “a vitamin B complex is a cheap all-rounder,” he says. “Common sense says that we should function with optimal energy without the need for NAD+.” Try Healthspan High Strength Vitamin B Complex, £8.99.

Will studies prove him right or wrong? IS NAD+ a fad or the key to helping us age better? We’ll have to wait and see.

 

 

 

How biohackers use fasting, sleep monitoring, and low-meat diets to ‘turn back’ their biological clock

Ulrike Bartholomäus and Nathan Rennolds , Business Insider Deutschland Feb 1, 2022, 12:48 PM

This article is a repost which originally appeared on BUSINESS INSIDER

Edited for content.

Intermittent fasting may improve blood fat levels, and can lower blood pressure.

‧ Biohacking is a US sports trend. It involves trying to hack your body to look and feel younger.

‧ Intermittent fasting, eating less meat, and HIIT are some of the tools used.

‧ These work to improve blood lipid levels, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep.

The dream of eternal youth is as old as mankind, but it seems some researchers are one step closer to figuring out how to slow the ageing process.

Even 70- to 77-year-olds can lower their mortality with high-intensity interval training (HIIT), a Norwegian study has found.

In the study, researchers at the University of Trondheim compared the exercise activities of 1,567 people, who averaged 72 years of age, over a five-year period. 

Those who completed the HIIT (“high intensity interval training”) program outperformed the other two groups, who did moderate exercise or normal sports at a significantly lower heart rate. 

Biohackers, who follow a trend originating in the US, are using “hacks” to try and “turn back” their biological clocks.

One of the most prominent biohackers is Silicon Valley entrepreneur David Asprey. He weighed around 309 lbs as a 26-year-old because his diet was centered around pizza, chips, and Coca-Cola. His arteries were as old as his grandfather’s. 

“I decided to radically change my life because if I hadn’t, I would have dropped dead soon enough,” recalled Asprey. 

That’s when he started trying everything possible to rejuvenate his body and brain cells. 

“The first thing I do is skip my breakfast and just drink my Bulletproof coffee, which is an organic coffee that has a little ghee mixed in, as well as a little MCT oil,” he explained. 

The clarified butter, which is all ghee is, suppresses the feeling of hunger, as does the caffeine. The MCT oil is based on coconut oil and contains saturated fats called caprylic and capric acids. 

“They help the body create important fasting substances called ketone bodies. They dispose of excess cellular waste during the morning fasting period,” Asprey said. 

Max Gotzler is a well-known German biohacker. His book, “Der tägliche Biohacker” (The Daily Biohacker), published in October, promises to teach you “how to be more efficient, healthier, more resilient, more balanced, and more productive every day in small steps.”

If only it were that simple. 

“Intermittent fasting improves blood fat levels”

Renowned aging researcher David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School, who’s been studying longevity genes for decades, confirmed that skipping breakfast or dinner — intermittent fasting — can rejuvenate us. That’s because the temporary starvation changes our metabolism — instead of sugar, we burn fat, disposing of useless cellular waste. In this cleansing phase, we get rid of inflammatory cells, for example, which can do great damage to our bodies.

“Studies show that intermittent fasting improves blood fat levels, and can lower blood pressure,” said Berlin cardiologist and general practitioner Natascha Hess. 

“Especially when combined with exercise,” she added. 

Fasting rejuvenates blood vessels in 95% of all cases. 

“However, those who have a genetic lipid metabolism disorder are dependent on medication in addition to lifestyle changes,” Hess said. 

So biohacking doesn’t always work.

“Those who don’t sleep enough suffer from more pain”

Biohackers also focus on improving sleep. To do this, they use watches and fitness bands with apps — or wearables — that record sleep phases. A popular example is the Oura Ring.

Using small sensors on the inside, the ring measures sleep phases in a similar way to fitness bracelets. With the help of an app on your smartphone, you can check how many deep sleep and REM sleep phases you have gone through. REM sleep is the time during which we emotionally process the experiences of the day and store them in our memory. 

“If you have too few deep sleep or REM sleep phases, you can only renew your cells insufficiently. You age faster,” said Berlin orthopedist, sports physician, and pain specialist Christopher Topar, who’s been testing the Oura ring for a few months. 

“60% of my pain patients say they sleep badly. Those who don’t sleep enough suffer from more pain,” he said. 

Knowing which apps, smart fitness watches, or wearables his patients can use to improve their sleep is part of his holistic approach. 

In recent years, scientists have discovered how ill lack of sleep can make us. It’s not just daily exhaustion we struggle with; poor sleep increases the risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Headaches and depression also occur when we sleep too little or too poorly.

Not everyone is going to improve their sleep by wearing a fitness bracelet, watch, or ring to track their sleep stages. 

“However, such gadgets help us find out why we sleep poorly, wake up repeatedly at night, or wake up too early in the morning,” Topar said. 

Some people may have eaten too late, others may be sleeping badly due to too much alcohol or television.

It’s also known that reading on a smartphone or tablet suppresses the release of the hormone melatonin, which the body normally releases in the evening and is supposed to make us tired, due to the blue light that these devices emit. This would also explain why so many children who play games with a computer or tablet until the evening suffer from trouble falling asleep.

Nutrition plays a key role

Another important part of the biohacker lifestyle is nutrition. They advise eating less red and processed meats.

David Sinclair believes your plate should look colorful with yellow, red, or green vegetables rich in phytochemicals called polyphenols. 

“These substances inhibit the growth of inflammatory and cancer cells,” said the Harvard professor.

Biohackers have also been known to use some controversial methods.

David Asprey, for example, had his body’s own stem cells transplanted into other parts of his body, including his sex organs. 

You can read about his biohacks in the book “Super Human: The Bulletproof Plan to Age Backward and Maybe Even Live Forever.” 

This is just as unadvisable as overdoing diet, exercise, and sleep control. 

“Our health should be at the center of our lives, but controlling it should not rule us,” said cardiologist Hess. But she advises a bit of self-measurement using apps for many of her patients. 

“You’re often surprised how many calories are in a ‘small snack’ and that it takes half an hour of exercise to burn them off again.”

Relaxation is another important factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and it’s often overlooked. If we’ve had a particularly stressful day, it’s important to tell our body that it’s allowed to relax in the evening. Doing this should stop the release of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, allowing the body and mind to properly rest.

The Diet and Workout I Used to Build Muscle and Get Ripped at 63

The Workout and Diet I Used to Build Muscle and Get Ripped at 63 Years Old

“Small successes add up. One more rep can make a big difference.”

By Philip Ellis   Jun 23, 2021

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Men’sHealth

Edited for content.

Airline pilot Bruce Endler, 63, shares with Men’s Health how he overcame a quarantine slump and transformed his body in just 60 days.

I have always been involved in some form of physical activity, from weight training to martial arts, and around my 60th birthday I got into bodybuilding. However, it was not unusual to miss several months at a time for various reasons. In addition to family and work issues, several surgeries caused me to suspend training. I’ve had both shoulders decompressed, a deviated septum corrected (a result of my Tae Kwon Do studies) and a spinal surgery that cost me three months.

As an airline pilot, I would plan my trips around layovers where I knew I would have have access to a gym and time to train. I would also work out with my trainer Bob Holper at Life Time once or twice a week depending on my work schedule. But starting in late March 2020, the airline industry suffered a dramatic reduction in passenger traffic due to the pandemic.

Coupled with the inability to train on the road, the shutdown of gyms meant that I was solely working out at home. I have never found pure bodyweight workouts appealing, and had only minimal equipment available at the beginning of quarantine. I ordered some resistance bands, but the global logistics issues resulted in a lengthy delay in their arrival. The same issue affected the building of my garage gym .The result was that my workouts became markedly inconsistent.

On the nutrition side, I also struggled to stick to the macronutrients and calories in my healthy eating plan: in order to support the struggling restaurant industry, my wife and I routinely ordered from three or four of our favorite local restaurants. And like many others, we also found ourselves drinking too much and watching too much television.

I decided to sign up for Life Time’s 60-Day Challenge. My younger son, Andrew, had just competed in his first bodybuilding show, and he any my trainer Bob (an IFBB pro) encouraged me to give it a shot. I have always been goal-oriented and driven to succeed. I was disappointed with the extra body fat I had acquired, and wanted to return to a healthier state. Ultimately, I decided to enrol a couple of weeks prior to the challenge start date.

Bob and I set up two three-day training splits. The first was heavier compound movements, and the second was higher rep isolation movements. He left cardio up to me, but encouraged me to begin each day with fasting fat-burning cardio. I began each day with 16 ounces of water, a cup of coffee, and a 45-minute walk. Then it was meal one. I then did my weight training for 60 to 90 minutes followed by meal two. Another 45-minute walk was followed by meal three and a shower, with meals four and five about three hours apart. On non-weight training days, I would add to or replace one of the walking workouts with a 30-minute HIIT session on an elliptical machine.

Nutrition started off low carb for the first few weeks to get my metabolism going. I then moved into a few weeks of carb cycling. Bob tends to like five low days followed by two high days, but I have found that three low and one high works better for me. Since the challenge ended, I have been adding additional daily carbs on a weekly basis. This has slowed the rate of weight loss but increased my metabolism further.

Getting back into consistent training was fabulous. I have always enjoyed the endorphin high. Additionally, despite the weight loss, my strength was mostly maintained. Fortunately, motivation was not a factor since the pilot side of me thrives on routine. Additionally, my wife’s trainer provided her with a nutrition plan that was similar initially, so we could eat together.

I began the 60-day process at a little over 165 pounds and 22.9% body fat. I ended the contest at 152.1 pounds and 17.8%. Since then, continued training has put me at 15.1%. I feel so much more confident as a result. Pullups are also a lot easier, which means I am about ready to make them weighted rather than bodyweight.

The most important advice I could give anyone is to understand your own journey. There will always be setbacks or detours, but you must press on with the effort. Consistency is the key to success, but don’t let an inability to maintain consistency keep you from undertaking the journey. Small successes add up. One more rep, another 5 pounds, or a few more minutes can make a big difference. Never, ever quit. Or, if you are a Galaxy Quest fan: “Never give up, never surrender.”