🦉Night-Owl Guys? Open Up.

🦉 Any night-owl guys out there?

If you think you don’t need sleep 😴, you’re fooling yourself.

Here’s a partial list of ways that sleep affects men’s health & hormones:

✔️ Good sleep is needed for the release of growth hormone, which is needed to build muscle, decrease body fat, and maintain brain health.

✔️ A study of more than 2000 men in the United States found impaired sleep to be linked to lower testosterone levels.

✔️ Sleeping less than 5 hours per night has been linked to a 10% - 15% decrease in testosterone levels.

✔️ Sleep is essential for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and maintaining a healthy weight.

I know that sleep is a real challenge for some people (we have strategies to fix that!), but if cutting your sleep short is a conscious choice you are making, you might want to reconsider.

References

Patel P, Shiff B, Kohn TP, Ramasamy R. Impaired sleep is associated with low testosterone in US adult males: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. World J Urol. 2019;37(7):1449-1453. [link]

Leproult R, Van Cauter E. Effect of 1 week of sleep restriction on testosterone levels in young healthy men. JAMA. 2011;305(21):2173-2174. [link]

Exercising for Men’s Hormones

⬇️ Exercises for Men’s Hormones ⬇️

Before asking about testosterone prescriptions or supplements, consider this:

Exercise is one of the best ways to support men’s hormone health. Any exercise helps, but especially resistance training and high-intensity interval training:

🏋️ 4 weeks of strength training (3 days a week) has been shown to boost testosterone levels in men—both in the short term AND over time.

🏃 Interval training that alternates between intense running and recovery periods for 90-second bursts for 45 minutes is more effective at boosting testosterone than just running straight for the same amount of time.

Everyone is different, and if you absolutely hate lifting weight or doing interval training, that’s okay! I work with my patients to find healthy habits they love and can sustain.

References

Timón Andrada R, Maynar Mariño M, Muñoz Marín D, Olcina Camacho GJ, Caballero MJ, Maynar Mariño JI. Variations in urine excretion of steroid hormones after an acute session and after a 4-week programme of strength training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2007;99(1):65-71. [link]

Hackney AC, Hosick KP, Myer A, Rubin DA, Battaglini CL. Testosterone responses to intensive interval versus steady-state endurance exercise. J Endocrinol Invest. 2012;35(11):947-950. [link]

Men’s Hormonal Health 🦐🍅🥬

✨Foods for Hormonal Health in Men✨

A common hormonal pattern that emerges in men as they age is a decline in testosterone, accompanied by an increase in estrogen. While this is a normal part of aging to some extent, this pattern can contribute to weight gain, fatigue, and worse.

Diet and lifestyle can optimize men’s hormonal health by reducing stress, triggering hormone production, and providing nutrients as essential building blocks.

Like these foods:

🐠 Fatty fish contain omega-3 fats that support testosterone levels in men.

🦐 Oysters and shellfish are rich in zinc, a mineral needed for testosterone production.

🍅 Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which is key in protecting prostate health.

🥬 Green leafy vegetables provide antioxidants to fight free radicals and magnesium to support testosterone levels.

🥤 Pomegranates and pomegranate juice are rich in antioxidants and have been shown to support testosterone levels.

Sometimes health improvement is as simple as making one small change.

Fish Oil for Men...

Should men take fish oils?

Hormonal imbalances in men can cause problems that range from infertility to low libido to weight gain or mood changes. So, can fish oils help?

Fish oils provide omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA and EPA. Here are some ways they interact with men’s health and hormones:

🐠 Fish oils support testicular health (including sperm count and free testosterone levels) in young healthy men.

🐠 Fish oils increase testosterone levels and improve insulin resistance in overweight and obese men.

🐠 Fish oils help to lower triglyceride levels, which are commonly elevated in metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes.

We always take into consideration individual differences when recommending supplements to our patients. We’re here to help you make sense of your natural healthcare options—including the wild world of supplements.

References

Abbott K, Burrows TL, Acharya S, Thota RN, Garg ML. Dietary supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid rich fish oil increases circulating levels of testosterone in overweight and obese men. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2020;163:102204. [link]

Jensen TK, Priskorn L, Holmboe SA, et al. Associations of Fish Oil Supplement Use With Testicular Function in Young Men. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(1):e1919462. [link]

Testosterone & Toxins: What’s the Deal?

Why are testosterone levels tanking?

Low testosterone levels in men correlate with:

▪️Low energy

▪️Weight gain

▪️Low libido

▪️Moodiness

▪️And more.

We know that testosterone levels decline with age, but there’s also evidence that testosterone levels have declined over the years—meaning that a 60-year old man today is likely to have lower testosterone levels than a 60-year old man did 20 years ago. 

Levels have even declined in teens and young adult men 😬

Why?

Nobody knows for sure, but hormone-disrupting chemicals could be to blame ☠️

Many chemicals that men are exposed to every day are “xenoestrogens,” meaning they mimic estrogen and disrupt hormonal balance. For example: 

🔹 BPA in plastics 🔹 parabens in lotions 🔹 phthalates in shampoos

If men only focus on testosterone, they could miss the most important piece of the puzzle for lifelong health. 

Here are some ways to minimize exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals:

✔️ Store food in glass instead of plastic 

✔️ Drink out of glass or stainless steel instead of plastic

✔️ Cook in stainless steel rather than non-stick pans

✔️ Avoid air fresheners and artificial fragrances

✔️ Read ingredients on personal care products to avoid anything that resembles “-paraben,” or “-phthalate,” or “fragrance”

We take all of these variables into account when working with men to achieve hormonal balance, weight loss, healthy aging, and energy, and well-being. 

Want to feel better? 

References

Cariati F, D'Uonno N, Borrillo F, Iervolino S, Galdiero G, Tomaiuolo R. "Bisphenol a: an emerging threat to male fertility". Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2019;17(1):6. [link]

Lokeshwar SD, Patel P, Fantus RJ, et al. Decline in Serum Testosterone Levels Among Adolescent and Young Adult Men in the USA. Eur Urol Focus. 2021;7(4):886-889. [link]

Travison TG, Araujo AB, O'Donnell AB, Kupelian V, McKinlay JB. A population-level decline in serum testosterone levels in American men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(1):196-202. [link]

Woodward MJ, Obsekov V, Jacobson MH, Kahn LG, Trasande L. Phthalates and Sex Steroid Hormones Among Men From NHANES, 2013-2016. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020;105(4):e1225-e1234. [link]