Male hormone health guidance content

The underlying logic of male hormone health (the core is testosterone) has never been to rely on Internet celebrity supplements and home remedies to pile up numerical values, but to "give priority to lifestyle adjustments, supplemented by individual indicator monitoring, and strictly follow medical treatment for pathological problems" - 90% of subclinical low testosterone (that is, not diagnosed yet) The degree of pathological problem) does not require medication at all. Adjusting work, rest, exercise, and diet can bring it back to the normal range in 3-6 months. The remaining 10% are confirmed to be pathological problems such as hypogonadism. Do not believe the wild prescriptions on the Internet. Regular endocrinology consultation is the only reliable way.

Believe it or not, I helped a 32-year-old programmer friend read the physical examination report a while ago. He was 996 every day. In the past six months, he always felt tired, lost his hair, and had no energy. He secretly bought an imported testosterone supplement from an internet celebrity and took it for three months. During the reexamination, his testosterone did not increase much, but his sperm motility dropped by 30%. When I asked, I found out that he bought an exogenous testosterone supplement. Indiscriminate consumption of healthy people directly inhibits their own testosterone secretion, which is not worth the gain.

Speaking of this, many fitness enthusiasts will definitely mention the saying of "leg training to stimulate testicles". There is indeed data support in the fitness circle: within 2-4 hours after heavy-weight lower limb resistance training, serum testosterone will increase by 15%-20% in a short period of time. Many people rely on this rule to arrange training, and the muscle-building efficiency will indeed be higher. But if you ask a regular endocrinologist, most of them will pour cold water on you: this short-term fluctuation has minimal impact on the long-term baseline testosterone level. If you stay up late playing games, licking skewers and drinking cold beer after training, the increased testosterone will have been wiped out long ago, and it will not even be as high as the baseline level of people who do not practice. Both of these statements are correct, but the applicable scenarios are different. What you want is the state on the day of training, so leg training is indeed useful. ； What you want is long-term stable hormone levels, and leg training alone is definitely not enough.

Oh, by the way, there are also the "testicle-stimulating foods" that everyone talks about so much, such as oysters, leeks, and kidneys. To be honest, most of these are psychological comfort. There are actually only two nutrients that can affect testosterone synthesis: vitamin D and zinc. I have compiled nearly a hundred male physical examination reports before, and found that eight out of ten men who work in offices have insufficient vitamin D, do not see the sun every day, and eat a lot of takeaways. The baseline testosterone of these people is generally 10%-15% lower than the normal level for the same age group. Instead, they spend more time in the sun and eat deep-sea fish two or three times a week, which is much more effective than eating ten pounds of oysters. There are also many friends who are trying to lose weight and go to extremes. They eat boiled vegetables every day, and the fat intake accounts for less than 10% of the total calories. Then the synthesis of testosterone directly lacks raw materials - testosterone itself is a steroid substance. If you don't touch any fat, how can it be synthesized? Not long ago, there was a 28-year-old fitness blogger who had reached 6% body fat and was preparing to compete. However, half a month before the competition, he was in terrible condition and his desire dropped drastically. When he found out that his testosterone was only one-third of the normal value, he quickly adjusted his diet and added fat. It took more than a month for him to slowly come back.

The most controversial thing on the Internet right now is testosterone replacement therapy. Many people in the fitness circle regard it as a muscle-building miracle drug, and a lot of them secretly use it in private. It can indeed quickly build muscle and improve physical condition. However, the guidelines of the formal endocrinology department clearly stipulate that only patients diagnosed with primary/secondary hypogonadism can use this type of therapy. If used indiscriminately by healthy people, it can permanently suppress their own testosterone secretion, and in serious cases, it can increase the risk of thrombosis and cardiovascular disease. However, I have also checked some research in the field of anti-aging in recent years. Some scholars believe that if men over 45 years old have obvious symptoms of male menopause (hot flashes, fatigue, depression, decreased sexual function), and their testosterone levels are indeed lower than normal, they should closely monitor liver function. , blood lipids, and prostate indicators, the use of low-dose testosterone replacement can significantly improve the quality of life. However, this conclusion is currently not supported by large-scale evidence-based medical evidence. Therefore, no matter what the situation is, you must seek evaluation from a regular doctor before using it. Do not buy it privately.

Many people always think that if there is a hormonal problem, they need to take supplements. Instead, they ignore the two factors that most affect levels: sleep and stress. You can do an experiment yourself. Stay up until after 2 o'clock for a week, and then check six sex hormones. Your testosterone level will definitely drop by more than 20%. If you are still anxious and stressed every day, and your cortisol remains high, your testosterone will only be lower. Cortisol and testosterone are essentially in a "one waxes and wanes" relationship. As cortisol rises, testosterone will naturally be suppressed. I used to have a friend who was an entrepreneur. When financing was the most stressful last year, he only slept 4 hours a day for two consecutive months. He was so weak that he couldn't even take two steps. He took all kinds of supplements to no avail. After the financing was completed, he shut down his phone and went to the beach for half a month's vacation. He ate and slept every day without taking any medicine. When he came back to review the indicators, he returned to the normal range.

To be honest, male hormone health is not as mysterious as it is advertised on the Internet, and it does not require you to spend a lot of money on all kinds of magical supplements. If you really feel that your current state is not right, don’t make any guesses first. Go to the hospital to get a blood test to check the six sex hormones. If the indicators are low and not pathological, then stay up less late, drink less, exercise three or four days a week, and get more sun. That’s better than anything else. If you really have a problem, follow the doctor's advice. Don't believe those who sell supplements to fool you. After all, your body is yours, and if you mess around with it and cause problems, it's you who will suffer.