Low testosterone levels may boost the risk of fractures for men over 60, an Australian study finds.
The researchers tracked 609 men (average age 72.6) between 1989 and late 2005.
The University of Sydney researchers collected information about the men’s bone mineral density, lifestyle habits, and blood levels of testosterone and estradiol (an estrogen).
During the study period, 113 men suffered low-trauma fractures (caused by a fall from standing height or lower). Of those men, 25 suffered multiple fractures.
There were a total of 149 fractures, including 55 vertebral, 27 hip, 28 rib, six wrist and 16 upper- and 17 lower-extremity fractures.
The risk of fracture was much higher among men with low testosterone levels, the team found.
Even after adjusting for a variety of potential risk factors, low blood levels of the two hormones “were associated with overall fracture risk,” the study authors concluded. Fracture risk was associated “particularly with hip and non-vertebral fractures,” they noted.
The findings are published in the Jan. 14 issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
Vitacost.com’s Daily Health Tip
Category: General training (Page 8 of 18)
When it comes to building an impressive set of arms, the triceps cannot be overlooked. Consisting of three different heads, the triceps contributes to more than half of an arms circumference. Though large biceps are striking, it’s the triceps that give the upper arm a thick powerful look.
Irrefutably one of the best ways to add size to your triceps is to perform triceps extensions. If you’re like most who’ve been working out for a year or more, you’ve tried various extension movements. More-over you probably like performing extensions, whether overhead or lying, but your elbows hurt when you use any appreciable weight for a period of time.
Are you tired of elbow pain getting in the way of progress when performing effective exercises like triceps extensions? Are your triceps lagging behind in size? have you reached a plateau in arm development? Are you looking for an exercise to stimulate growth?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, I have the exercise for you. In an article discussing the ten best exercises, the California press is mentioned as being one of the best triceps exercises for size and strength. I’ve been using this particular exercise on and off for many years and can attest for it’s effectiveness.
I’ve always attained great gains from performing triceps extensions, especially lying supine, but had to stop performing them due to pain. No matter what angle or bar I would use, as soon as I would start using heavy weight, it always resulted in pain in the triceps tendon. As a matter of fact, I developed tendinitis several times, which I’m sure many of you know, can be difficult to get rid of.
Once I started to incorporate the California press into my triceps workout, I found I got the benefit of lying extensions without the wear and tear on the elbows. In fact, you’ll soon find the California press is a much more effective exercise than extensions because you can use a much heavier load; this will result in a much greater stimulus, which will yield a greater adaptive response.
If you’re interested in trying the California press go to bullz-eye.com.
Protein is by far the single most important supplement/nutrient you can consume in your quest for size and strength. Just the mere mention of it, however, gives most doctors and dietitians an anxiety attack. I?m sure you?ve heard much of the unfounded non-sense: ?All you need is food; supplements aren?t necessary.?, ?Too much protein can lead to kidney and liver problems.?, ?An average person can only absorb 30 ? 40 grams of protein at one sitting.?, ?Vegetable protein is just as good as meat, fish or milk protein.?, ?Eating more protein will make you fat.?, and so on and so on. There is not one reputable, reliable study to support any of these previous statements, and I cannot tell you how tired I am of dealing with this groundless garbage.
Protein repairs and maintains everything in our bodies from hormones to muscles to bones. Proteins are made up of building blocks called amino acids. There are nine essential amino acids. Essential meaning we have to ingest these for survival because our bodies cannot manufacture them. Many researchers now believe we have many other amino acids that should be considered ?conditionally essential?, because of their significance and our inefficiency at producing them. These include; glutamine, arginine, cysteine, taurine, glycine, tyrosine and proline.
If your protein intake or quality is low your body will get the essential aminos it needs from its most abundant storage system, muscle tissue. Knowing this explains why strict vegetarians, especially vegans, have a lower percentage of muscle than dairy, meat and fish eating humans and a harder time building muscle or strength in the gym. The quality of protein inherent to a vegetarian diet, especially vegans?, is dismal at best and a few studies have shown vege males have less testosterone then their meat eating counterparts; especially true if soy is part of their diet. What else should you expect consuming food inferior to human physiology?
Consciously consuming a diet low in protein has no benefits; is not based on good science, and merely a matter of ignorance. There are two things that begin with the letter ?P? that I would never cut back on; one is protein; the other ends in ?Y?. Having said that, how much protein should one consume? The International Society of Sports Nutrition, in a 2007 position statement, concluded that bodybuilders and strength/power athletes require just under a gram of protein per pound per day; consistent with my recommendation of 1 g/lb of lean body weight. However, if you train intensely, which is how you should train, empirical data suggests you may need upwards of 1.5g/lb to 2g/lb. Have no fear; this extra protein will not make you fat.
Protein, in and of itself has little to do with getting fat; protein consumption is inversely related to fat accumulation. The more protein you eat the more fat you burn as fuel. Protein consumption is directly related to thermogenesis and satiety through multiple mechanisms. It?s what you eat more than how much you eat that will determine how lean strong and muscular you will get.
A calorie is not a calorie. The assertion that macro-nutrients are all processed the same between individuals is just foolish. This is the basis for the calorie theory. A calorie of a carbohydrate does not equate to a calorie of protein when being metabolized in our bodies. Protein calories are not likely to be stored as fat as compared to carbs, because protein requires more energy to metabolize and assimilate and has numerous functions. Carbs are simply an energy source, and if not used as fuel, they are stored as fat without much effort; carbs also stimulate the release of high amounts insulin, the fat storage hormone. The higher your insulin, the more fat you’ll store. Keeping your insulin levels low is a key to becoming and staying lean. As an added bonus, protein helps to stimulate the secretion of glucagon, which helps mitigate the fat storage effects of insulin.
We all recover from exercise at different rates. Many people who recover quickly have reached a high level of success performing a high number of sets. Many who recover slowly have also been very successful performing low numbers of sets. Because everybody is unique in their ability to adapt and recover from different programs, the number of sets needs to be individualized.
A very important component of a training program that should be given consideration is training frequency. How often can, or more importantly, should I train per week? Optimum recovery time between training sessions is essential if one is going to continue to make progress. Training frequency, which is determined by ones recovery ability, is often a forgotten part of most training protocols.
Don’t be so concerned with how many training sessions you can handle per week. Be more concerned about the optimal amount. More is not always better. In fact, when somebody comes to me for advice because they’ve stopped making progress, usually I either reduce the workout volume or add days off. There is no reason to go to the gym if you’re not going to make progress.
Does it make sense to keep doing the same routine if gains are not being made? Isn’t the definition of “crazy”, doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. If your current program is not working, change it. The number one complaint people have is they’re not making progress or their progress has come to a halt. In both cases, the answer is more recovery time. Understanding the fact our bodies have a finite amount of recovery ability should help explain this concept.
The following is Mike Mentzer’s explanation of overtraining and recovery. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting.
In bodybuilding, the idea is to impose a training stress onto the body that will serve to induce the biochemical changes which result in muscular hypertrophy. Applying any more of the training stress (high-intensity) than is required by nature will result in the equivalent of over-dosing on a medicine; or, as we say typically in bodybuilding – overtraining.
A person exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays at the equator in summer would not have the slightest concern whether the intensity of the sunlight stress is high enough to disturb the physiology sufficiently to induce an adaptive response, i.e., the buildup of a suntan. His only concern, his overriding consideration, would be to properly regulate the volume (or duration) and frequency of exposure time so as not to overdose on the stress/stimulus; and, thereby, incur a sunburn or, in extreme cases, death. A person seeking to develop a suntan at the equator, or wherever the intensity of the sunlight is high has no concern that he will develop a suntan; but only if he doesn’t overexpose. (Note that bodybuilding science is largely based on the medical discipline of stress physiology. Also, that the end result of the healing of a sunburn is not a suntan, just as the end result of the healing of overtraining is not greater strength or added muscle.)
As the stresses grow progressively greater, they will eventually reach a critical point such that they constitute overtraining. The first symptom will be a slow down in progress; and if the individual continues with the same volume and frequency protocol, the stresses will continue to increase until there is a complete cessation of progress, typically referred to as a “sticking point.” One need not ever experience a slow down in progress, let alone a sticking point, if he bears in mind all the while that as the weights grow progressively greater so do the stresses; and he must do certain specific things to compensate for them.
The following is a list from an article on Bullz-eye.com. From begginners to advanced lifters and health enthusiasts, I think all will benefit from this article. Many people, no matter what their level never seek professional advice, and consequently continue to stall their progress with basic mistakes. Do your self a favor read the following, read the article and incorporate it into your fitness lifestyle.
1. You shouldn’t work your abs everyday.
2. You should keep a training Log.
3. You shouldn’t use the pull-down machine like a rowing machine.
4. You should keep your protein intake high.
5. You shouldn’t eat a diet high in carbohydrates.
6. You shouldn’t use your entire body to do curls.
7. You should warm up before every workout.
8. You should make recovery your #1 priority.
9. You shouldn’t scream while training in a gym.
10. You should visualize your goals.
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