How does training affect your sex life? (part 2)

For men who train, it can be a pressing concern: How does training affect your sex life? Does frequent sex impact your training sessions?

Sex and strength
The next point in this scenario is how having sex will affect your strength and workout performance. Some guys are so intently focused on their training that they want to be sure that frequent sessions in the bedroom are not going to have a negative impact on their sessions in the gym.

Generally speaking, having frequent sex won't impact your weight-lifting performance. If anything, it should increase your workout performance since, once again, sex causes a release of the hormone testosterone, and the more testosterone one has circulating throughout the body, the more muscle tissue can be built.

Further examination of the connection between training and sex...

The one time it might come into play is if you have just finished having sex and then head straight to the gym. You may find your performance isn't as good, because for some men, sex can cause muscular fatigue; for others, though, it actually energizes them. This is solely dependent on the individual and his sexual aftermath.
Indirect effects of training on your sex life
Finally, the last thing to take into consideration is the indirect effect of training on your sex life.

For those of you who are trying to reach extremes and taking your body fat levels to low single digits, this can definitely impact what your sex drive levels are like. At very low levels, most men will start to find that their desire for sex drastically decreases and they lose pleasure in the act. Furthermore, those on very low-fat diets may notice a similar occurrence as well.

Overtraining, as briefly touched on above, can also play a key role in declining libido levels. When overtraining occurs, not only will you likely lose interest in many of the daily activities you used to enjoy, but you'll also lose your sex drive.

Being sure to monitor your body fat levels closely and ensure that you are getting enough rest in between training sessions is extremely critical to your general health and your sexual health.

Another indirect effect of training that can impact your sex life in a positive way is the stress reduction working out provides. Many men use weight lifting as a way to rid themselves of stress they are experiencing, and since stress is one of the biggest sex-drive killers, this will obviously have a beneficial effect.

The last factor to consider that could be affecting you is any type of supplements you are taking to improve your results at the gym. Steroids will increase sex drive drastically; however, you must be warned that they, at the same time, can have the negative side effects of increasing breast size, causing impotence and creating testicular atrophy. More often than not, the benefits of using steroids are outweighed by the adverse side effects seen. Therefore, this is not the best idea when it comes to trying to boost your sex drive.

Other supplements that can influence the sex drive in some males include yohimbe, tribulus and horny goat weed (even though that last one might sound good for your sex drive, it really isn't). Note that sometimes these supplements will be combined with others in a stack, so be sure to check the ingredient listings.

Some men fall into the trap of thinking that taking human growth hormone (HGH) will increase their sex drive, but this supplement actually isn't all that beneficial unless it's administered medically (which is both extremely costly and only given in extreme situations). Therefore, it really isn't going to have much of an impact at all on your sex drive.
train to get down
So, next time you are debating about whether your training may be impacting your sex life, keep these factors in mind. As long as you're not going to the extreme with either, you'll likely find that regular training enhances your sex life, not only by giving you more energy and thus making you "up for it" on a more frequent basis, but also by physiologically tilting the sex hormones to work in your favor.

If you do feel like you are suffering and are having a problem, first try taking a full week off from your training program. You might find that this in itself is enough to remedy the situation. If that still doesn't work, consider speaking to your doctor about the problem because there could be larger factors at play.

How does training affect your sex life? (part1)

For men who train, it can be a pressing concern: How does training affect your sex life? Does frequent sex impact your training sessions?

One of the key hormones in the body that affects both training and sex is testosterone, which just happens to be one of the main sexual hormones. Accordingly, it's not hard to see how these two factors would go hand in hand.

Your sex drive
The first thing to consider in this picture is your sex drive. Will training impact how frequently you want to have sex?

Let's take a closer look at the testosterone connection here:

It's no secret that a higher testosterone level in males increases their sex drive. When a man's testosterone level begins to fall as he ages or due to other health-related factors, the libido will usually start to diminish as well.

Sometimes, if the condition is severe enough, doctors may place certain men on testosterone replacement therapy to help bring their hormonal levels back up to normal. Once these levels have been increased again, libido should rise and the desire and sexual performance (sometimes low testosterone can contribute to erectile dysfunction) should improve as well.

It only stands to reason, then, that anything you can do to increase your natural testosterone production should serve to further enhance sex drive levels. This is where weight lifting comes in.

When a man participates in heavy weight training, the levels of testosterone in his body will shoot up — assuming, of course, that this program is appropriate. Do note that overtraining is one of the biggest killers of testosterone, so taking this point too far and doing a very large volume of weight lifting will actually work against you and your testosterone levels.

Getting on a proper program where you are doing 20-40 sets maximum per workout will help to ensure that you aren't going overboard. Additionally, be sure that when you are lifting, you are lifting heavy amounts. The weight is really the key here — just be sure you are still using proper form and not overdoing it.

Additionally, certain exercises will also affect your sex drive more than others will. To fully maximize testosterone, full squats are a must. These will use so many muscle fibers in the body that it would be hard not to get a good testosterone release because of them.

Aside from squats, all the other compound movement lifts will be your best allies when it comes to increasing your sex drive. These exercises include:

    Bench press
    Bent-over row
    Stiff-legged deadlift
    Lunges
    Shoulder press
    Back squat
    Pull-ups

Incorporating these movements into your workout routine would be highly beneficial to your sex drive.

Treatment for Low Sperm Count

A man is diagnosed of suffering from low sperm count when less than 20 million spermatozoa are present in a milliliter of seminal liquid and a series of medical tests are performed in order to establish that. The condition can be caused by a lot of factors, among which testicle injuries, smoking and a stressful routine are the most known. Although the sufferers have fewer chances to become father, numerous methods of treatment for low sperm count are available, helping them to overcome this problem.

Here is a list with the five best known treatments.

Hormone-based Medicines

Hormone-based medicines are prescribed when the problem comes as a consequence of a hormonal imbalance. The body secretes insufficient or too many hormones that play an important role in helping many internal organs, including the reproductive system, to function properly. Steroids help the secretions to be restored to normal levels, improving the quantity, quality and motility of the semen. However, besides benefits, they can also have side effects, so it is best to follow treatment based on them under strict medical supervision.

Surgery

Surgery is also used as a method of treatment for low sperm count, when the problem is caused by an inflammation of a blood vessel that irrigates the testicles. Obstructed veins can also lead to low sperm count, and a surgical procedure is usually required in order to correct the dysfunction.

Oral or Injectable Antibiotics

Identifying the cause of this problem is the best way to treat it, but, sometimes, doctors need to look elsewhere in order to find the origins of low sperm count. When this problem is caused by the presence of another infection in the body, the administration of oral or injectable antibiotics can solve it in a relatively short period of time.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been used for millennia in the traditional Chinese medicine as a method of treatment for many ailments including low sperm count. It has no side effects and the patient does not experience any pain or discomfort when the needles are stuck in the energy points.

Herbal Extracts and Teas

Herbal extracts and teas are also used as cures for this problem. Horny goat weed brings about an increase in the sperm quantity and motility by improving blood flow in the genital area. On the other hand, Tribulus terrestris helps the body to secrete a greater amount of testosterone, a hormone that influences the quality of the seminal material. Ginseng, mucuna pruriens, salabmisri and maca are other herbs with great effects in treating low sperm count.

Anabolic Steroids and Fertility

There are a number of side effects users will experience when taking Anabolic Steroids. Some are short term and others may have long term side effects. Unfortunately any side effects will in most cases also effect the male fertility health. Some of these side effects can include:

Short term effects

    Puffiness and swelling in the face and neck due to increased water retention.
    Development of breast tissue in males.
    Increased risk of injury to muscles and joints.
    Increase in muscle mass.
    Heightened aggression, sleeping disorders, anxiety and irritability.
    Stunted growth if taken during adolescent growth spurts due to skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty changes.
    

Long term effects

    Growth of breasts due to the high level of testosterone some of which the body converts to oestrogen.
    Increased erectile dysfunction and shrinking testicles.
    Heart and liver disease - some steroids are toxic to the liver.
     Kidney disease due to the increase in toxins to be broken down.
    Aggressive behaviour and depression.
    Jaundice from high levels of steroids - affects liver function.
    Increased blood pressure.
    Prostate enlargement.


Anabolic Steroids and male infertility are often linked due to the effects on the body as mentioned here.  Any increased toxins in the body have the potential to affect the sperm being produced.

A semen analysis will give a good indication of the health of the sperm if a male has used steroids previously and is now having difficulty with infertility. A low sperm count will also be detected by going for a semen analysis.

Fortunately medical technology and advancement in procedures such as sperm washing as well as ICSI - Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection could assist men whose fertility may have been affected by the usage of Steroids.

Your doctor will be able to advise you on using an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) procedure in the event of being diagnosed with infertility due to this usage.

Natural remedies for infertility

In order to get rid of the toxins and increase your health status and hormonal balance, changing your infertility diet and considering the alkaline diet may assist in correcting your sperm problems.

Many of the side effects mentioned can be corrected by immediately stopping the usage of these substances, as well as considering lifestyle changes and partaking in moderate exercise such as walking and swimming or yoga.

Gynaecomastia causes and problems.

Gynaecomastia (often referred to as ‘man boobs’) is the enlargement of male breast tissue. Gynaecomastia appears as a rubbery or firm mass that starts from underneath the nipple and then spreads outwards over the breast area. The tissue is enlargement of glandular tissue, not fat tissue. In about half of cases, enlargement is found in both breasts; in the other cases it only affects one breast.

Gynaecomastia can happen in males of any age or weight. Obese men can appear to have man boobs as they have fat tissue all over the body including the breasts; this is not true gynaecomastia.

The growth of breast tissue can be painful or tender. This should always be checked by a doctor. Gynaecomastia can appear as a small lump that becomes tender as the mass becomes larger.
How common is gynaecomastia?

Gynaecomastia is very common in boys going through puberty, happening in more than half of all normal adolescent males, and usually goes away over time. In older men, enlargement of the breast tissue happens in about one-third of men.
What causes gynaecomastia?

Gynaecomastia commonly appears during infancy, puberty and older age. All males have the male sex hormone testosterone as well as low levels of the female hormone oestrogen, which controls breast tissue growth. When the testosterone to oestrogen ratio changes (that is, there is an imbalance in the levels of these two hormones with relatively higher amounts of oestrogen), breast tissue can grow.

Some men with gynaecomastia have higher than normal oestrogen levels.

Many newborn male babies have enlarged breast tissue because of transfer of oestrogen from the mother during pregnancy. The oestrogen goes down after birth so this type of gynaecomastia is temporary.

During mid to late puberty more oestrogen than testosterone is made by the maturing testis until the time when the testes start to make testosterone at adult levels. Gynaecomastia starting during puberty often goes away, but in less than one in 20 adolescent boys it continues into adulthood.

As men get older there is often a gradual decrease in testosterone levels (and therefore the ratio of oestrogen relative to testosterone goes up) and this can lead to gynaecomastia.

Gynaecomastia can also be caused by genetic problems, chronic diseases (especially kidney and liver disease) or some medicines. Men who take anabolic steroids for sporting performance or body building often develop gynaecomastia. In rare cases, gynaecomastia can be caused by a tumour in the testis or adrenal glands that makes large amounts of oestrogen.
What genetic problems cause gynaecomastia?

Klinefelter’s syndrome (KS), a chromosomal problem that affects one in every 650 males, is the main genetic cause of gynaecomastia. Men with KS have an extra X chromosome and do not make enough testosterone for the body to function normally. Male physical and reproductive development is affected and men with KS have small testes, are almost always infertile and often develop gynaecomastia.

Men with KS have an imbalance in their oestrogen to testosterone ratio because they have low testosterone levels. Testosterone therapy brings the ratio back to normal and helps prevent (when started at puberty) or improve the gynaecomastia, but it may not completely fix it and plastic surgery may be needed.
How can medicines or drugs cause gynaecomastia?

Medicines that can cause breast growth in men include certain antidepressants, medicines used for high blood pressure and tuberculosis, and some chemotherapy agents. Antibiotics, anti-ulcer and cardiovascular medicines have sometimes been found to change the balance of hormones in the body.

Drug abuse, especially the use of anabolic steroids, but also marijuana, opioids and excessive alcohol intake (that has caused chronic liver disease) can cause gynaecomastia.

Medicines that block the effects of testosterone are used in the treatment of prostate cancer and can lead to gynaecomastia.

In rare cases, the partners of women using topical oestrogen cream or gel for hormone replacement therapy may absorb enough oestrogen through regular, prolonged contact to cause gynaecomastia.

Testosterone Boost No Help in Erectile Dysfunction

Preliminary data shows that testosterone supplementation failed to improve mild to moderate erectile dysfunction.

Testosterone supplementation failed to improve outcomes among elderly men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, even though testosterone levels were improved, researchers said here.

The Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) scores showed no differences if the men in the study were treated with testosterone 25 mg a day, testosterone 50 mg a day, or placebo, said Lauren W. Roth, MD, from the University of Colorado in Denver.

The SHIM scale ranges from 1-25, with a score of 1-7 reflecting severe erectile dysfunction and a score of 22-25 indicating no erectile dysfunction. The study participants were about 65-years-old, and more than 90 percent were Caucasian.

In her oral presentation at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Roth said that men did experience an increase in testosterone levels at six months and one year for both the low-dose and high-dose treatment when compared with baseline levels. But that change did not translate into better sexual improvement for the men.

Transdermal testosterone did improve testosterone levels to a normal range. But SHIM scores did not improve.

Erectile dysfunction is not just a problem of low testosterone. It amazing that men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other factors that impact erectile function will perceive that it is low testosterone that is causing their erectile dysfunction. Maybe 10 percent to 15 percent of men with erectile dysfunction can be helped with testosterone supplementation.

Anabolic Steroid Abuse

Anabolic steroids are substances similar to the male hormone testosterone. They are used to promote masculine features, increase growth, build muscle tissue, and strengthen bones. Common anabolic steroid medicines include fluoxymesterone and nandrolone. All anabolic steroids available in the United States require a prescription and are used to treat conditions that occur when the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence.

Some people take legal dietary supplements that have certain steroid hormones also made by the human body. One such drug is dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The body can turn DHEA into other steroid hormones, including testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol. People use it to try to make their muscles bigger. Whether such products actually work has not been proved. But if you take them in large amounts, they can cause the same side effects as anabolic steroids.

When anabolic steroids are taken without a medical reason, it is usually to improve performance in sports or to increase muscle size and reduce body fat. Some teens abuse steroids along with other drugs.

When these medicines are taken to supplement physical development, the dose is 10 to 100 times higher than when they are taken for medical conditions. They may be taken as a pill, an injection into a muscle, or a gel or cream rubbed on the skin. Often more than one of these drugs is used at the same time (stacking), or the drug is taken in a cycle from no drug to a high dose over a period of weeks to months (pyramiding).

Anabolic steroid use can cause a wide range of side effects affecting many systems in the body. Some of these effects can be permanent. Systems affected include the:

    Hormonal system. In men, anabolic steroids reduce sperm count, shrink testicles, cause male-pattern balding, and enlarge breasts. In women, they cause masculine effects, such as decreased breast size and body fat, enlarged clitoris, and a deeper voice.
    Musculoskeletal system (muscles and bones). A teen who abuses anabolic steroids may not reach his or her full adult height, because these drugs can stop bone growth before it is complete.
    Cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels). Some anabolic steroids affect the level of fat (lipids) in the blood and may cause a heart attack or stroke, even in a very young person. Anabolic steroids also increase blood pressure.
    Liver. Anabolic steroids can cause liver cancer.
    Skin. Anabolic steroids cause oily skin and acne. Skin infections can occur if the person injects steroids. And an infection can become severe if the drug was contaminated with a virus or bacteria during its preparation.
    Brain. Anabolic steroids may cause irritability, homicidal rage, uncontrollable activity level (mania), or false beliefs (delusions).