Health24.com | This might be why your guy hasn’t wanted to have sex recently

If you’re noticing that your man seems pretty uninterested in any activity in the bedroom, you might want to check out his activity in the gym. According to a new study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, high amounts of super-intense training and workouts (think: triathlon or marathon-level training sessions) may be associated with lower libido in men.

To get this data, the study authors created a survey that asked participants questions about their exercise habits and libido. The first part about exercise asked for information such as history of regular exercise, intensity of training (defined as the number of light, moderate, and hard sessions per week), duration of exercise (hours per session and total hours per week), and more. The second part asked questions about their sexual activity, arousal, desire, attraction, fantasies, needs for intimacy, and infertility issues.

Read more: 5 Low Libido Causes That Have Nothing To Do With Hormones

The authors were able to use data from 1 077 respondents, and categorised the responses about libido into “low” and “normal/high”. Men who fell into the “low libido” category consistently stated that they lacked desire and that their sexual frequency was also low, even for those in relationships.

The findings: While the researchers weren’t able to determine what specific number of exercise hours led to a dip in sex drive, many of the men with low libido noted that they competed in events that would require a lot of intense, long-term training, such as marathons and triathlons.

While the effects of intense exercise on women are well-known (think: issues like athletic amenorrhoea, or missed periods due to intense training), this is one of the first studies to look into how workout habits can affect men. And study author Dr Anthony C. Hackney, professor of exercise physiology and nutrition at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is coining a term for the male equivalent of athletic amenorrhea: “exercise hypogonadal male condition (EHMC)”. In short, guys who exercise a ton may not produce as much testosterone.

Read more: 4 Surprisingly Common Things That Are Messing With Your Libido

“It relates to energy availability,” Hackney tells Women’s Health. “During periods of a lot of energy expenditure, your body views that as a short-term starvation scenario, so it tries to conserve calories. And conceiving a child takes a lot of energy, so it’s saying let’s stop producing as much testosterone since it’s not a good time to conceive.” And lower levels of testosterone can mean a dip in sex drive and fertility.

But unlike women, who exhibit more of a visual cue that over-exercising is taking a toll on hormones (read: lack of period), men might not be able to pinpoint that something’s up. Some other potential signs? “If he’s starting to experience chronic fatigue or soreness, lasting up to two weeks after a workout, or starting to have a lack of motivation to do his workouts, he could be exhibiting some low testosterone,” says Hackney.

Read more: 3 Easy Ways To Boost Your Ebbing Libido — Almost Instantly

You guy’s best bet to up his sex drive and fertility is to cut back on gym time, but that can be easier said than done, of course, especially if he’s training for a competition. So Hackney recommends he at least try to lower the intensity of workouts. If that doesn’t quite do the trick, he should lower the volume as well, meaning more rest days and fewer consecutive hours breaking a sweat. “In the context of exercise training, intensity is playing with fire,” says Hackney. “Too intense, it will beat you up.” And even if he does cut back, it can still take time (up to several months) for his testosterone and libido to return to normal levels.

The only way to really determine his testosterone levels is to get a blood test, but unless you’re doing so to test for fertility issues, that can be expensive and impractical. If it’s just his bedroom enthusiasm that’s lacking, try talking to him and asking him to ease up.

This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com

Image credits: iStock

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Health24.com | Your itchy vagina might be caused by one of these hidden culprits

Three out of four women will at some point have a yeast infection, with its itching and burning and annoying clumpy, white discharge – usually remedied with anti-fungal medications (some even OTC). 

Bacterial vaginosis, the most common vaginal infection in women ages 15 to 44, can also cause itching, pain or discharge; it often requires antibiotics.

If you’ve got a down-there itch but no discharge, consider under-the-radar causes.

Read more: 7 common reasons why you have an itchy vagina

Hidden culprits

The combination oestrogen-progesterone birth control pill and contraceptive ring suppress ovulation and therefore also the natural lubrication produced when an egg is released, says gynaecologist Dr Alyssa Dweck, author of The Complete A to Z for Your V.

The fallout? Dryness, which can prompt itchiness. Consider an OTC vaginal moisturiser once or twice a week, and if that doesn’t calm the area, talk to your gynaecologist about alternate forms of birth control, such as the non-hormonal copper IUD or a diaphragm.

Read more: “Is it totally normal if my vagina is always wet or should I be worried?”

Allergies can also make you squirm down below, says Dr Dweck; they’re usually brought on by fragrance in pads or tampons (opt for unscented) or by the latex or spermicide on some condoms.

Occasionally, though, a woman is allergic to her partner’s ejaculate. No, it’s not a sign a breakup is imminent, but you’ll need to see an allergist for a skin test.

If you’re diagnosed, use condoms or pop an antihistamine at least 30 minutes before sex.

This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com

Image credit: iStock

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Health24.com | Build superhero muscle at any age – like this guy

Imagine for a few seconds that you’re a 38-year-old actor who just landed a Hollywood dream job – playing a Marvel superhero.

But there’s a catch: you’ll need to pack on 13kg of muscle, despite your sciatica, so you can realistically kick ass like a bulletproof superhero.

That’s exactly what happened to Mike Colter in 2015. He was holidaying in Paris when he got the news, and he knew the transformation into Luke Cage for a Netflix series wouldn’t be easy.

But in four months, Colter went from 93 to 106kg, despite bouts of overtraining and a torn rotator cuff during filming. And he’s maintained his physique, proving that it’s never too late to turn your comic fat to Marvel-lous muscle.

Here’s how Colter did it – and how you can, too.

Read more: What’s better for building muscle: morning workouts or evening ones?

Put pins in your workout

Unlike many celebs, Colter didn’t have a personal trainer or a nutritionist shadowing him. He consulted with trainer Salim Rahman for a few months but did most of his own research, studying up on the best fitness and workout ideas the Internet had to offer.

His favourite source was Pinterest, where people routinely post new moves and programmes.

“I got great ideas on a weekly basis,” says Colter. This kept his regimen from getting stale, which is key to maintaining motivation and momentum – bellyoff.co.za can offer you similar inspiration.

Bring the iron with you

When you’re trying to find time to train, is your career a villain? Then keep a pair of dumbbells on the job. Do a few curls when you have free time. This is often the only way Colter can work his exercise in.

“I’ve kind of given up on working out when I want to,” he says. So he trains when he can, like during downtime on shooting days.

In one dressing room on the set of The Defenders is a curling bar and a long barbell. The stunt rehearsal area has a bench that Colter uses for dumbbell presses. If you can’t get yourself to the gym, then bring the gym to you.

Read more: Lessons from the Cape Town trainer who gets celebs into Hollywood shape

Accept your limits

Even superheroes need rest days. Colter didn’t realise this when he began his training – and he paid the price. “I was so sore, I couldn’t get back in there,” says Colter, who had been a casual gymgoer before.

“When you’re younger, you can just look at a weight and feel a change. But at 41, I need more rest after I train, and I have to watch what I eat. If I don’t get a good night’s sleep, there’s just no point in working out.”

You shouldn’t obsess on getting to the gym every day: stay focused on your long-term goal, and don’t sweat the short term.

Adapt, adapt, adapt

Even if everyone at your gym is doing a certain exercise, that doesn’t mean you should too. Colter’s sciatica – shooting pain that radiates from the lower back – made him view deadlifts as his supervillain, but he also knew he needed to train his legs.

So he found a different way: the reverse deadlift. To try it, set up as usual but with your legs in front of the bar. (Your butt is directly over it.) Then lift.

Colter says the move feels natural – and best of all, it safely conveys the benefits of a classic deadlift.

Have some fun!

You’re just picking things up and putting things down, so don’t take your gym time so seriously.

That’s how Colter approaches everything, from his fitness regimen to his Luke Cage role to his Men’s Health photo shoot, where he cracked jokes and made fun of himself. (Colter is amused at how often he is mistaken for actors from other shows.)

“It’s tough if you’re the lead guy on something, and everybody is afraid and nervous around you,” he says. “People don’t work well in those situations.”

Go ahead and lift heavy. But otherwise, lighten up.

Read more: Olympian Cameron Van Der Burgh’s gym routine for explosive power

This article was originally published on www.menshealth.com

Image credit: Supplied

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