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10 Tips for Men Who Want to Lose Weight After 40

If you’ve tried to lose weight after 40, you know the truth—it’s not as easy as it used to be.

Before, you could add a mile to your morning run, pump up your lifting for a few days, or cut back on dessert a night or two and your weight would come back in line.

No more. Once you reach middle age and beyond, weight loss gets a lot harder. What used to work doesn’t work anymore.

Why is that? And what can you do about it?

Why Is It Harder to Lose Weight After 40?

Hormonal Changes

Starting around the age of 40, testosterone levels tend to drop. Testosterone is responsible for regulating fat distribution, muscle strength and mass. As levels go down, the body tends to store more fat.

Men also produce less growth hormone as they age, and growth hormone also helps the body burn fat. According to one 2014 study, the production of growth hormone declines by 14 percent per decade.

Muscle Loss Makes It Harder to Lose Weight After 40

Studies indicate that after the age of 40, people typically lose about 8 percent or more of their muscle mass each decade. The process also accelerates the older you get unless you are fighting back with increased resistance training. If you’re dealing with a chronic disease like diabetes or cardiovascular disease, your rate of muscle loss could be faster.

Since muscle burns more calories than fat, the more muscle you lose, the fewer calories you will burn, sending more to be stored as fat.

Increased Stress

At midlife, we often experience more stress than we did when we were younger. You may be experiencing more work-related stress, and stress is known to contribute to weight gain. If you add on family-related stress, particularly if you have aging parents, the effects could be greater.

Changing Lifestyle

As you enter your 40s and beyond, your career is often in full swing, which can present a few challenges when it comes to weight. You may be extremely busy with work and unable to devote enough time to exercise and eating well. You may also be more sedentary than you were in your younger years, particularly if you work at an office and commute every day.

If you have young children you’re taking care of, or even teenagers that are demanding your attention, you may have little time to yourself, which can lead to dietary changes and skipped days at the gym. And though you are working hard throughout the day, you’re not working out like you may have done when you were in your 20s.

You’re Still Focusing on Aerobic Exercise

What you did in your 20s to lose weight likely won’t work after 40. That’s mainly because sticking to aerobic exercise is no longer enough. Whereas you may have been able to do a daily run or bike ride before to lose weight, doing them now may not have the same effect.

Aerobic exercise is excellent for your cardiovascular health, but it does little to build up your lean muscle mass. You need to add more strength training as well.

Your Old Dietary Changes Don’t Help You Lose Weight After 40

You cut back on calories. You limited your portion sizes. And the weight isn’t going anywhere.

That’s because after the age of 40, simply cutting back on calories is no longer enough. It becomes more about what kinds of foods you’re eating. Those that spike blood sugar levels, for instance, will contribute to weight gain after 40 even if you consume less of them.

Simply cutting calories can also slow down your metabolism as it tries to conserve energy, keeping your weight stubbornly where it is.

You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

When you’re sleep-deprived, your body releases stress hormones that stimulate hunger—particularly for high-fat and high-sugar foods. That means if you’re regularly getting six hours or less, your body will be primed to gain, not lose, weight.

Your Gut Microbiome is Unbalanced

We all have a balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. As long as the good guys outnumber the bad, we tend to be healthy overall. But if the bad guys start gaining a foothold, they can cause problems, including those that lead to weight gain.

Researchers found this to be true in a recent study. They analyzed stool samples taken 6-12 months after people started a commercial weight-loss coaching program. The results showed that the gut microbiome could influence the ability to lose weight.

Does a Slow Metabolism Hinder Weight Loss After 40?

It’s long been an accepted theory that as we age, our metabolism slows down, making it harder to lose weight.

A recent study seemed to negate this idea, at least somewhat.

An international team of scientists analyzed the average calories burned by more than 6,600 people as they went about their lives. The participants’ ages ranged from one week old to 95 years, and they lived in 29 different countries.

The results showed that our metabolisms don’t really start to decline until after the age of 60. Then, a person’s cells do start to slow down. By the age of 90, the scientists estimated that people would need about 26 percent fewer calories each day than someone in midlife.

The scientists concluded that midlife weight gain may have more to do with age-related changes in lifestyle and body composition than it does metabolism.

10 Tips to Help You Lose Weight After 40

It’s more challenging to lose weight after the age of 40. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. You simply need to change your approach. We have ten tips to help you do that.

1. One-size-fits-all does NOT work.

One of the biggest mistakes I see men making is following the crowd. If the trend is the keto diet, they try that. If it’s running marathons, they get into that.

Sometimes these approaches work, but often they don’t, and that can leave you feeling discouraged.

The problem is that what works for one person may not work for another. You need to find out what’s making it hard for you to lose weight before you can create a weight-loss plan that will be successful for you.

Your metabolism, hormone balance, microbiome, genetic makeup, and micronutrient status all affect whether or not you can lose weight.

I recommend that men talk to their doctors and get tested to find out what may be going on. In my office, we create personalized weight loss plans that circumvent the frustration and get right to the source of the problem. These may include medical interventions and prescriptions, peptide and supplement management, lifestyle changes, nutrition, and support from certified health coaches.

Once you find out what your body is doing, you can address any problem areas and increase your odds of being able to shed the pounds.

2. Balance your hormones.

As noted above, hormonal changes that you experience as you age can make it harder for you to lose weight.

Balancing your testosterone levels may help. In a 2014 study, researchers found that long-term testosterone therapy in men who tested low for testosterone produced “significant and sustained weight loss, marked reduction in waist circumference and BMI, and improvement in body composition.”

In a later review, researchers found the same results: men with low testosterone who were obese experienced better results when they included testosterone therapy.

How can you tell if you’re low on testosterone? Get tested! According to a 2006 study, 38.7 percent of men tested were deficient in testosterone. The odds were higher in men with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, diabetes, and obesity than men without these conditions.

Obesity and low testosterone levels are also interrelated, according to the research, and “strongly influenced by dietary factors.” More about that below!

Remember that testosterone isn’t the only hormone you want to check. Growth hormone is the other important one. We can treat that with diet and supplements, which can help you lose weight.

In one study of obese adults, researchers found that those treated with growth hormone had a 1.6-fold increase in body weight loss as fat and a greater loss of visceral fat than those who received a placebo.

3. Determine your best weight-loss diet.

Simply picking a diet out of the air is unlikely to lead you to successful weight loss. You may think that you can increase your exercise and make it work, but that usually fails too.

Instead, after you find out what’s going on in your body, you can formulate a diet that will work for you. If you’re low on testosterone, for instance, cutting back on desserts and pastries may be particularly important.

In a 2018 study, those who had a pattern of eating more bread and pastries, dairy products, desserts, and restaurant foods were more likely to have low testosterone levels. These men also had a pattern of consuming too few homemade foods and dark green vegetables.

In general, the following tips are critical when you’re trying to lose weight after 40:

Return to real foods—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and nuts and seeds.
Limit or avoid refined sugars—it promotes weight gain as well as diabetes and heart disease.
Cut back on all processed foods—anything that comes in a bag or box and is likely high in sugar, fat, and sodium.
Make plant-based proteins a cornerstone of your diet. When choosing animal-based proteins, focus on lean meats and fish.
Limit dairy intake. When you do consume it, choose organic and grass-fed.

Beyond these basics, I also recommend bumping up your protein intake. Studies show it helps encourage weight loss, plus it will support your efforts to build more muscle. In a 2017 study, researchers found that those on a high protein diet lost significantly more weight than those in a standard protein diet.

4. Consider fasting to lose weight after 40.

There are a variety of different ways to try fasting. What they all have in common is that they allow your body to go for extended periods without food. This is helpful for a few reasons.

First, fasting forces your body’s cells to resort to other ways to produce energy. That means they are more likely to use fat for energy rather than glucose, which can help you lose weight.

Second, fasting helps bring your attention more fully to what you usually eat. It reminds you that you don’t need to be consistently consuming, and can help you to approach your diet more mindfully.

Finally, fasting can be just what your body needs to jumpstart your weight loss. It pulls it out of its habitual way of burning calories and forces it to regroup.

Most of us fast when we sleep. You can easily extend that time by choosing to stop eating after 8:00 at night and not to eat again until 8:00 the next morning. That simple 12-hour fast can help increase bodily repair and make it easier for you to lose weight.

In a recent review of 27 trials, researchers found that intermittent fasting resulted in weight loss of 0.8 percent to 13 percent with no serious adverse events.

5. Develop stress-management tools.

You may not realize it, but stress could be a tall barrier between you and your efforts to lose weight.

Particularly if your stress is ongoing—or chronic—it could be having a large effect on your ability to reach your health goals.

In a 2017 study comparing stress levels and body weight, researchers found that levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the participants’ hair were significantly correlated to larger waist circumference and higher body mass index (BMI).

In a later study, researchers again found that higher cortisol levels and chronic stress were predictive of greater future weight gain.

The problem is that cortisol is a strong appetite stimulant, meaning that you will be more inclined to eat when you’re stressed out. You know how it goes—you’re having a rough day, so you reach for comfort food. And usually, that food is not good for you.

Worse, any excess calories you consume because of high cortisol are more likely to be deposited in your belly. Hello, belly fat!

We can’t eliminate stress in our lives. But we can incorporate regular activities that will help reduce it. We all know this. The problem is we’re not doing it often enough. Schedule it into your day. Relieving stress is just as important as exercising and eating a healthy diet.

Good stress-relieving activities include:

Daily exercise
Time outdoors in nature
A healthy diet
Social support
Yoga and tai chi
Meditation
Journaling
Pet therapy
Music
Crafts
Deep breathing
Anything that helps you feel calm and centered

6. Check your drinking habits.

Though moderate drinking levels aren’t likely to hurt your weight-loss efforts, if you drink more than 1-2 drinks a day, it may be time to re-examine that habit.

Alcoholic drinks contain extra calories that can contribute to weight gain if you’re not careful. In one study of over 7,600 men, researchers found that heavy drinkers (over 30 grams a day) showed the greatest weight gain and had the highest rates of high BMIs over a five-year period. It didn’t matter what type of alcohol they drank.

In another study of nearly 5,000 participants, men who consumed more than 60 grams per day of alcohol were more frequently obese compared with non-drinkers. They were also more likely to have larger waistlines.

Simply drinking alcoholic beverages may also encourage you to eat too much or eat unhealthy foods. In a 2017 study, researchers found that alcohol consumption could lead to “overeating episodes.” Reducing alcohol could help increase willpower when it comes to diet.

How much alcohol can you drink and still lose weight? Scientists attempted to answer that question in a recent 2021 review. They found that beer seemed to have a direct effect on weight gain, particularly waist circumference in men. According to their results, about 16.9 ounces of beer per day could hinder your ability to lose weight.

7. Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night to lose weight after 40.

When you don’t get enough sleep, you’re more likely to gain weight. It’s that simple.

There are a lot of reasons for this, mainly because of the way sleep deprivation affects your hormones. But the bottom line is that every time you fail to get 7-8 hours of sleep per night, you’re making it much harder for your body to lose weight.

In a 2017 comprehensive review of the literature, scientists found that individuals who regularly slept less than 7 hours per night were more likely to have higher BMIs and to develop obesity than those who slept more.

Lack of sleep stimulates stress hormones, which as noted above, can lead to weight gain. It also increases hormones related to hunger, making you want to eat more foods high in carbohydrates. Finally, it leads to fatigue, which usually leads to less physical activity.

How do you know how much sleep you’re getting? You can check when you go to sleep and get up, but that’s not always accurate. It doesn’t tell you, for instance, about the quality of your sleep.

I recommend you go a step further and track your sleep. We have technology now that allows you to track not only how long you sleep but helps analyze your sleep patterns so you can improve your sleep schedule and environment.

Check out these tools for comprehensive sleep tracking, then choose one that will work for you and get serious about your sleep!

8. Get stronger.

We talked about muscle loss above, and how it’s related to weight gain.

The good news is that the opposite is often true—gaining muscle loss correlates with losing weight.

Several studies show this to be true. It works because building up your muscles through resistance training changes the way fat cells operate. As your muscles are stressed through lifting, pushing, or pulling, cells release a substance that instructs fat cells to start the fat-burning process.

This change affects the muscles, for sure, but it can also set off a fat-burning response throughout the body. The more resistance training you do, the more you can change your body to support long-term weight loss.

In a study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public health, researchers found that men who performed 20 minutes of weight training each day showed a smaller age-related increase in abdominal fat, compared to men who spent those 20 minutes doing aerobic activities.

Resistance training also helps lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But even if you have diabetes, strength training can help. In one study of older men who had already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, two sessions per week of resistance training significantly improved insulin sensitivity and fasting glycemia, and decreased abdominal fat.

9. Incorporate more daily movement into your life.

Yes, your daily workout is important. But as you age, moving more throughout the day is even more important.

That’s because overall, we are more sedentary than we used to be. In a study comparing 19^th– and 21^st-century Americans, researchers found a half-hour decline in daily physical activity. They also found that Americans’ resting metabolic rate—the total number of calories burned when the body is completely at rest—has fallen by about 6 percent since 1820.

This, despite our devotion to daily workouts.

In another study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers found that replacing just 30 minutes of sitting with any kind of movement, every day, could help you live longer. And in a 2018 study, scientists found that standing instead of sitting for six hours a day could prevent weight gain and help people to lose weight.

It can help to keep track of how much time you spend sitting each day, and how much time you spend moving. You may be surprised.

The key to losing weight after 40 is to move more throughout the day. The more you sit, the more your large muscles are not using glucose, which can cause blood sugar levels to rise. Prolonged sitting can also change the activity of genes in such a way that they promote more fat storage.

Try these tips:

Set a timer that reminds you to get up and move around at least once every 30 minutes.
Incorporate walking into your meetings and outings with friends.
Park far away and take the stairs.
Adopt a dog.
Keep a jump rope in your office.
Turn on the tunes and dance.
Make it a habit to head out for a walk or play a quick game of catch when you get home from work.
Keep exercise equipment available.

10. To lose weight after 40: focus on establishing new daily habits.

If you want one tip to lose weight after 40, this is it: change it up!

What you did a decade or two decades ago is no longer going to work. You have to try something new.

After you talk to your doctor and get tested, sit down with your planner and create a new schedule. When can you cook a homemade meal? Add more resistance training to your schedule? Move more?

On what days will you take a walk or get back to your woodworking to reduce stress? When will you get that new sleep tracker? On what days will you fast for 12 hours or more?

You get the idea. Make some real changes in your life, and you’re likely to be more successful.

Remember—you can contact us for a personalized consultation. We can help you create that weight-loss plan that will be much more likely to work for you.

8 Reasons Why People Are Talking About Peptides for Men

Have you heard the buzz about peptides for men?

There is a lot of exciting research behind how these molecules can help men address many of the health issues they’re most concerned about.

I’m talking about weight gain, low libido, fatigue, difficulty burning fat or building muscle, poor workout recovery, issues with sexual performance, and more.

You can choose to “live with it,” or you can be proactive and find out how peptides may help you.

What are Peptides?

Peptides are similar to proteins, just smaller. Like proteins, they are made up of amino acids, but it takes fewer amino acids to make a peptide than it does a protein.

In the human body, peptides are present in every cell and tissue where they perform a wide range of functions.

They may stimulate hormone production, boost the immune system, fight off infections, regenerate bone and muscle tissue, aid in healing, delay the appearance of aging, improve sexual function, and much more.

In general, peptides are short chains of amino acids (typical between two and 50), whereas proteins have more than 100 amino acids. Your body naturally produces peptides, but as you age, your peptide production slows down and levels decline.

There are thousands of peptides, and there’s extensive research underway to identify what they can do. In this post, we’ll focus specifically on those specific peptides that we know help boost men’s health.

What are Peptides for Men?

In the men’s health arena, peptides are garnering lots of attention because they are producing real results. Those things that you care about—like bulding muscle, improving sexual performance, exercise recovery, losing weight, boosting cognitive function—may be improved by using peptides.

In other words, if you’ve got specific goals you’re trying to reach or you’re starting to feel your age, peptide treatments may be ideal for you.

How do Peptides Work?

Throughout your body, you naturally produce peptides for very specific functions. Once created, they act as messengers, giving specific instructions to other cells or organs, often telling them to increase the production of something the body needs.

Traveling throughout the bloodstream, they attach to specific receptors to relay information from one tissue or organ to another, Once attached, they “upload” their message, and then the cell or organ responds.

Signs You May Be Low on Peptides for Men

As you age, your body‘s supply of certain peptides diminishes. How do you know whether you’re coming up short?

Ask yourself if you’re suffering from any of the following symptoms:

Decreased energy
Reduced libido and/or sexual dysfunction
A significant drop in muscle or lean body mass
Difficulty focusing at work
Poor sleep
Memory problems
Increased abdominal fat
Diminished sense of vitality
Anxiety or depression

Though peptide therapy is considered an anti-aging therapy, men of all ages may benefit depending on their specific health goals. The ability to personalize your peptide treatment to focus on certain areas of health and fitness is one of the reasons why peptides have become so popular.

8 Reasons Why People Are Talking About Peptides for Men

Because of the wide variety of available peptides, it’s important to talk to a doctor with experience in peptide therapy before starting to use them. Together, you can determine which ones—and which combination—might be most effective for any issue you want to address.

1. Peptides may help you build lean muscle.

Athletes have long used human growth hormone (HGH) to help build muscle and improve athletic performance. Due to safety concerns, however, it was banned by the International Olympic Committee in 1989 and has been looked down upon in other professional organizations as well.

In a 2017 study, researchers acknowledged that HGH “increases lean body mass, reduces fat mass, increases exercise tolerance and maximum oxygen uptake, enhances muscle strength, and improves linear growth.” They added that long-term studies of the hormone revealed conflicting results regarding its safety.

Peptides have now become a popular alternative to HGH because they can offer similar benefits without the concerning side effects. In a recent 2020 study, researchers noted that these peptides are potent growth hormones and IGF-1 stimulators that can “significantly improve body composition” while improving fat gain and muscular atrophy.

2. Peptides might help you lose weight.

Some peptides effectively help burn fat, particularly visceral fat and fat around the abdomen. Examples include growth hormone-releasing peptides like CJC 1295 and ipamorelin and amlexanox which can improve metabolism and decrease appetite.

In a 2019 review, researchers analyzed studies focused on peptides to treat obesity. They found that many peptides helped decrease body weight while allowing participants to better maintain weight loss.

3. Peptides can improve sexual dysfunction.

The solutions we have for erectile dysfunction today all operate in the same way—they help increase blood flow to the penis so that you can maintain an erection. They are effective, but they can produce side effects, some that may be dangerous for men with cardiovascular disease.

Peptides that are involved in sexual function operate differently. They are part of the nervous system’s response to sexual arousal. Melanocortins, for example, are peptide hormones that are produced in the brain and are known to be involved in the male sexual response.

In an early study using a synthetic form of one type of melanocortin, results showed that it worked far better than a placebo in helping men to attain and sustain an erection. The researchers called it a “potent initiator of erections in men…”

A later study also found that administration of a similar peptide hormone (PT-141) resulted in a rapid increase in erectile activity—so much so that the scientists concluded that “PT-141 holds promise as a new treatment for sexual dysfunction.”

There is also evidence that peptides can help increase testosterone levels, which in turn, may improve sexual function. In a 2014 article published in Molecular Therapy, author Michelangelo Campanella noted that a particular peptide showed the ability to increase testosterone production. Peptides that naturally boost growth hormone levels may also help to improve testosterone production.

4. Peptides may speed up your recovery time.

After a hard workout, you want to recover quickly so you’re ready to go again the next day. Muscle, tendon, and ligament damage can slow you down, preventing you from reaching your athletic goals.

Here again, peptides may help. In a 2019 study, scientists examined whether consuming collagen peptides before and after strenuous exercise would help improve muscle and bone recovery. They tested 24 active males who consumed either 20 grams a day of the peptides or a placebo for 7 days before and 2 days after performing 150 drop jumps.

Results showed that 48 hours after exercise, the peptide group experienced significantly less muscle soreness than the placebo group. They also recovered more quickly and were able to perform higher jumps at their next workout. Peptides seem to enhance the normal process of tissue repair, helping to speed up full recovery.

5. Peptides may help boost the immune system.

We’re all interested in avoiding infections—even more so today given the recent public health issues.

Several studies have indicated that peptides can help encourage immune function—or calm it down if necessary.

In a 2020 study, researchers reported that certain antimicrobial defense peptides (AMPs) could not only fight off microbes, but boost the immune system when needed, or reduce inflammation in cases where the immune system was overreacting.

An earlier study showed that AMPs were “promising candidates” for use against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These peptides could help boost the action of some antibiotics against these difficult bacteria, helping the medications to work more effectively.

Other studies have found that AMPs can protect against pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses, potentially increasing your resistance to infections. Peptides that encourage the production of HGH may help too since HGH plays an important role in enhancing the immune response.

6. Peptides have anti-aging properties.

We all want to stay as youthful as possible. If you’re beginning to “feel” your age, ask your doctor about peptides.

Preliminary research suggests that peptides may act in several ways to help slow the process of aging.

In a recent 2020 study, scientists noted that they could reduce oxidative stress, improve glucose metabolism, lower LDL “bad” cholesterol, improve insulin resistance, and perhaps even extend lifespan.

7. Peptides show promise in maintaining bone health.

Specific collagen peptides may help to improve bone mineral density (BMD). Though women are more likely to experience bone loss with age than men, men can still be at risk, particularly if they:

have low testosterone levels,
smoke,
have digestive disorders,
or abuse alcohol.

In a 2018 study, scientists found that the intake of specific collagen peptides helped significantly increase BMD, which in turn, can help reduce the risk of fractures. The next year, scientists reported again that a collagen peptide solution targeted and modulated the function of bone-remodeling cells, helping to support bone health.

8. Peptides may help you look younger.

Applying a skincare product that includes peptides may help you fade the appearance of lines and wrinkles while delaying sagging.

In a 2020 study, researchers found that the topical application of peptides increased collagen content in the skin, improving wrinkles.

An earlier study also showed that peptides helped reduce the appearance of wrinkles with fewer side effects than Botox.

Are Peptides for Men Safe?

Because peptides are naturally occurring in the body and in food, they are unlikely to cause serious side effects in healthy people as long as they are taking in reasonable amounts.

In a recent review of the scientific literature, researchers stated that the peptides available today “show negligible toxicity,” while another review reported that peptides have a “good safety profile” with a promising future in human health.

It is important to note, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements in the same way they do medications. Manufacturers are not required to study the supplements and then submit clinical data. As long as they use approved ingredients, they can market their products as they please.

For this reason, it’s important to work with a doctor who has experience with peptide therapy and can prescribe peptides from a reputable compounding pharmacy with top-notch quality assurance.

What Are the Most Commonly Used Peptides for Men?

Below are some of the most common peptides used today in men’s health. It’s important to note that peptide therapy is individualized to each man. Work with your doctor to discuss which ones may work best for you.

Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptides

As mentioned earlier, production of HGH tends to decline with age. HGH plays several important roles in the body, including helping build muscle and bone, burn fat, boost workout recovery, improve insulin sensitivity, and boost metabolism.

Boosting production is a key part of an overall anti-aging strategy.

Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptides tell the pituitary gland in the brain to produce more human growth hormone (HGH).

An examples of peptides that promote the release of HGH include ipamorelin, sermorelin, and CJC-1295.

CJC-1295 is a peptide that increases growth hormone releasing hormone secretion from the hypothalamus, which stimulates pituitary secretion of growth hormone. It’s often combined with ipamorelin, a peptide that blocks somatostatin, an inhibitor of growth hormone, thus removing the ‘brakes’ of growth hormone secretion.

Together, these two peptides can increase muscle mass and strength and improve recovery time—helping you get more out of your workouts.

BPC-157 (Body Protective Compound 157)

Fifteen amino acids come together to form this peptide, which was discovered in human gastric (digestive) juice. BPC-157 reduces gastrointestinal, systemic, and joint inflammation. It has been found to accelerate healing, including tendon and bone healing. It may also help prevent stomach ulcers, relieve joint pain, and decrease damage in muscle strains and tears.

Thymosin Alpha 1

Scientists have been researching thymosin alpha for over a decade. It stimulates improved immune function by optimizing T cell immunity.

Thymosin Beta-4 (TB-4)

This peptide is naturally produced in larger amounts where tissues have been damaged. Its primary function is to promote healing in all kinds of tissues. These include those in the eyes, muscles, tendons, heart, and skin.

PT 141

Also known as Bremelanotide, this is a synthetic peptide that mimics the natural peptide alpha-MSH (alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone), which is produced in the brain. It works to help increase sexual desire and improve erectile dysfunction. Because it operates through the nervous system rather than the vascular system (like Viagra and Cialis do), it may be safer for some men with diagnosed heart conditions.

GHK-Cu

GHK-Cu is a naturally-occurring powerful copper peptide. It helps promote healing by reducing inflammation, stimulating collagen production, and reducing pain (including nerve pain). It may also help overcome hair loss.

How Do You Take Peptides?

Depending on your recommended type and dosage, you may take peptides through various routes. These include subcutaneous injections, oral medications, and topical creams.

Should You Use Peptides for Men?

Peptide therapy can provide amazing benefits. Talk with a doctor experienced with prescribing peptides to determine which ones are right for you. They will consider your health status, performance goals, and other factors before the best type of peptide therapy for you.

If you’re curious about how you may benefit from peptide therapy, schedule a free consultation with a men’s health advisor today.

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Food for Athletes: Fueling for Performance

Food for athletes, fueling performance | Gapin Institute

When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, two fundamental pillars are nutrition and physical activity. These can contribute to a lowered risk of so many physical diseases and conditions along with improved mental health and well-being. Healthy dietary recommendations include minimum levels of nutrients you need every day. These include protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. But there are some additional nutrition recommendations for athletes, whether you’re competitive or recreational.

Fueling your body for performance is going to play a key role to help you reach or exceed your fitness goals. When it comes to activity, the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends about 30 minutes of activity 5 days each week (or about 150 minutes per week). You may do that much activity, or you may do much more.

The nutrition recommendations I’m sharing in this article apply to both dedicated, competitive athletes looking for an edge over the competition, as well as recreational “weekend warriors.” Whichever scenario you’re in, if you are active, you need to know these. Read on to learn many of the foods that are filled with the energy and nutrients necessary for training and adequate recovery—and the ideal timing so you know when to consume them.

Nutrients for athletic performance

There are several nutrients to pay attention to when you’re being physically active including fluids, calories, carbohydrates, and protein.

Fluids

Water is the most important nutrient for athletic performance because it keeps the body hydrated and at the right temperature. During one hour of vigorous exercise, your body can lose several liters of sweat. As little as a two percent drop in hydration can negatively impact your performance.

How do you know how much fluid to drink? In general, clear urine is a sign of adequate hydration, so keep this in mind and be sure to drink plenty of fluids even if you won’t be exercising right away. And when you are exercising, drink the recommended amounts at the recommended times outlined in the section below, even if you don’t feel thirsty.

Calories

If you’re very physically active, you’re going to need more calories than someone who is not very active. You need fuel to provide your body with the strength and energy it needs to perform. But, be careful. People tend to overestimate the number of calories burned during their workouts, so be sure not to take in too many extra calories.

For example, a competitive male athlete needs 2,400-3,000 calories per day, and a competitive female athlete needs 2,200-2,700 calories per day. If you’re not competitive, you don’t need this many.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the fuel your muscles burn when they are working.

There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are sugars found in sodas and sweetened foods and often provide a lot of energy, but rarely provide many vitamins or minerals. Simple carbohydrates are also found in white pastas, breads, and cereals. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are starches and contain more nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Examples of foods with complex carbohydrates include fruits, starchy vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

For your everyday carbohydrate needs, stick to complex carbohydrates. However, when it comes to vigorous exercise, simple carbohydrates can be used before, during, and after an intense workout. This is because more intense exercise needs more carbohydrates to immediately burn as fuel. Having simple carbohydrates helps you feel more energized before a workout, work harder, and recover faster, but they’re not recommended as your primary source of carbohydrates.

Protein

Protein is an essential component of muscles (in addition to its importance for other functions such as tissue repair, bones, immunity, enzymes, neurotransmitters, etc.) and that’s why your protein intake is particularly important if you’re focusing on muscle-building resistance exercises. Also, once carbohydrate stores are used up, your body can turn to protein as an alternative fuel source. That’s why some athletes need more protein than non-athletes. For example, many athletes need up to 2 grams protein/kg/day, or if doing intense training, then up to 2.2 grams protein/kg/day.

This doesn’t mean that you need to focus on high-protein foods or use protein supplements if you’re eating enough calories. That’s because most Americans already eat twice as much protein as they really need. Recommended sources of protein include lean meats, eggs, dairy, nuts, and legumes.

Nutrition for different types of exercise

By consistently eating a range of nutrient-dense foods and staying hydrated, you can continue to improve your performance (and health) over time. Here are a few key nutrition recommendations on how to fuel yourself for performance depending on the type of workout you’re doing and how long it’s going to last.

Before any workout

To avoid dehydration, drink about 2 cups of water about 2 hours before your workout.

PRO TIP: If you want to measure the approximate amount of fluids you are losing by working out, weigh yourself immediately before and after your workout. The difference in weight will be mostly due to the amount of water lost so you can follow the guidelines below on what to consume after your workout to replace those fluids.

When it comes to food if your goal is to improve your athletic performance, say for a big game, don’t exercise on an empty stomach. Have a small meal, ideally with fibrous carbohydrates and only small amounts of fat, about 60-90 minutes beforehand.

If you’re going to work out for less than one hour

Water is your fluid of choice. Drink up to 1 cup every 15-20 minutes throughout your workout.

If you’re going to work out for more than one hour

Before you get started, have some carbohydrates and limit the amount of fat you consume. That might look like a glass of juice, cup of yogurt, or an English muffin with jam.

If your 60+ minutes of activity is going to be an intense aerobic workout, you’re also going to want to have lots of fluids and some carbohydrates during that time. Drink up to 1 cup of water every 15-20 minutes for the first hour.

For your second and subsequent hours, you are going to need to replace lost electrolytes and carbohydrates. It is at this point where you can switch your fluid to a sports drink if you want to. Aim for 5-10 ounces every 15-20 minutes. If you choose to stick with water (instead of a sports drink) for your second hour and beyond, add in some food sources of electrolytes and carbohydrates such as 2-3 handfuls of pretzels or a half of a cup of low-fat granola.

After any workout

Exercise depletes the stores of fluids and energy in your body. Depending on how hard you worked out, you may need to top it up. In general, replace the weight you lost during your training session with fluids. This means that for every pound you lose exercising, drink about 3 cups of fluid within the next 6 hours.

If you were active for less than 60 minutes, you can replace your lost fluid weight with water. If you trained for more than 90 minutes, you’re going to want to have more carbohydrates with a bit of protein two hours later. This can be a sports bar, trail mix with nuts, or yogurt with granola.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a seasoned competitive athlete or a recreational “weekend warrior,” fueling your body properly can improve your performance. The first nutrient to consider is water, so be sure to hydrate before, during, and after your workout as recommended. It’s also important to take in enough calories, carbohydrates, and proteins because these will help power your workout, replenish lost nutrients, and give your body the substances it needs to repair itself afterward.

If you’re wondering whether you may need to change up the way you’re hydrating and fueling your physical activities, reach out to me and my team for a free consult! We can review your activity levels, health goals, nutritional status, and more.

References

Bernardot, D. (2018, December 4). American College of Sports Medicine. Ten things you need to know about sports nutrition. https://www.acsm.org/home/featured-blogs—homepage/acsm-blog/2018/12/04/ten-sports-nutrition-facts

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, October 7). How much physical activity do adults need? https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm

Clark, N. (2019, June 18). American College of Sports Medicine. The athlete’s kitchen: Sports nutrition myths busted! https://www.acsm.org/all-blog-posts/acsm-blog/acsm-blog/2019/06/18/sports-nutrition-myths-busted

Clifford, J. and Maloney, K. (n.d.) Colorado State University Extension. Nutrition for the Athlete – 9.362 https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/nutrition-for-the-athlete-9-362/

MedlinePlus. (2019, May 13). Nutrition and athletic performance. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002458.htm

Murray, B. (2019, March 14). American College of Sports Medicine. Everyday nutrition vs. performance nutrition: Clarifying the carbohydrate confusion. https://www.acsm.org/all-blog-posts/certification-blog/acsm-certified-blog/2019/03/14/nutrition-vs.-performance-nutrition-carbohydrate-confusion

Richards, L. (2021, April 20). Medical News Today. Nutrition and athletic performance: What to consider. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/nutrition-for-athletes

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. (2019, March 4). Eating for peak athletic performance. https://www.uwhealth.org/news/eating-for-peak-athletic-performance

athletic fuel exercise Food for athletes Nutrients nutrition Workout

What To Know About Telehealth for Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is awkward. And not just in the bedroom—it can feel uncomfortable to talk about in your doctor’s office, too.

I get that. I’m a board-certified urologist, so ED is one of the most common reasons why men come to see me. Even though I talk about it every day, I know it can still be incredibly uncomfortable for my patients.

And while there have been very few silver linings to the COVID pandemic, there has been one: people are much more willing to engage in telehealth or online doctor visits. And, interestingly, that has made men more comfortable speaking to a professional about ED.

In this article, I want to walk you through what telehealth for erectile dysfunction looks like. I want to dispel some of the myths around it, and emphasize that an online visit with your doctor really can be an effective way to address ED.

It’s accessible, it’s more comfortable, and it can be effective.

Can Telehealth Work for ED Therapy?

Right off the bat: are online ED consultations an effective way to get treatment?

Yes! They certainly can be. Virtually all of the things that I would do in an in-person visit at my clinic to evaluate and diagnose ED, I can do over the phone or via Zoom.

Several studies have even found that online telehealth platforms aimed at treating erectile dysfunction can be effective. Of course, you always want to make sure you’re having your telehealth consultation with a board-certified physician.

Benefits of Telemedicine for ED

There are many benefits for telemedicine:

Access. Telehealth makes getting ED help much more accessible and less embarrassing than in-person visits.
Comfort. Telehealth consultations done from the comfort of your home helps you feel more at ease and comfortable talking about ED.
Convenience. You can have your doctor’s visit from anywhere on your phone or laptop!
Quality of doctor. I’m based in Sarasota, Florida, but telehealth allows men who want VIP-level service to see me from anywhere.
Less waiting. No more sitting around for 45 minutes in the waiting room—you’ll know exactly when your consultation starts, and they’re always on time!
Same high-quality service. According to research, telehealth patients get the same length and quality of consultation as in-person patients do.

What Can a Doctor Do for You Online?

During an online visit, doctors can order any additional testing needed to manage erectile dysfunction. They can:

Conduct a thorough evaluation of erectile dysfunction signs and symptoms
Order blood tests to evaluate your hormone levels
Provide prescriptions for common ED treatment options like Viagra and Cialis that can be delivered to your home.
Provide information on other treatment options for ED and lifestyle changes that support sexual health
Offer follow-up visits to evaluate the efficacy of ED treatments

What Can’t a Doctor Do Online?

There are some cases when you will need to see your doctor in person. If you are experiencing any pain, swelling, or discomfort, an in-person consultation may be necessary so that your doctor can do a proper physical inspection.

And, if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, you should seek emergency treatment:

Inability to urinate together with swelling and pain in the lower abdomen
A sudden onset of pain in the scrotum, or swelling in the testicles
A prolonged, painful erection that lasts more than 4 hours

Those issues require in-person emergency care. But if you’re concerned about difficulty getting or maintaining an erection, telehealth is a perfect option for you.

How To Prepare for Your Telehealth Appointment

Prepare for a telehealth appointment in the same way that you would for an in-person visit. Have a pen and paper handy to take notes if you need to. Make a list of questions that you have beforehand. And make sure you don’t have any appointments right after so that you don’t feel rushed.

Make sure your internet connection is strong and that your camera and microphone work so that we can both hear and see each other. And make sure you have a quiet, private space where you can speak freely.

How it Works: What Will My Telehealth Appointment Be Like?

When I’m assessing erectile dysfunction, I’m going to ask you to tell me what you’re experiencing and about your medical history. Then I’ll ask some follow-up questions like:

How long have you been struggling with trouble getting an erection?
What have you tried so far in terms of ED treatments?
What are your diet, sleep, and exercise habits like?

There are many different possible causes of ED including vascular problems, low testosterone, poor diet, medications, or even high stress. I’ll ask several questions to try to determine the potential causes.

Depending on the situation, I may recommend some blood tests so we can check your hormone levels, cardiovascular function, or other key markers. These test results can help identify certain causes of ED and can lead to more effective treatments than a one size fits all pill.

What Are My Erectile Dysfunction Treatment Options?

Once we understand the cause of your ED, we’ll be able to discuss treatment options. Treatment options for ED can include:

Lifestyle changes
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT Therapy)
Oral ED medications like sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis)
GAINSWave
The Priapus P-Shot
Peptide therapies
Stem cell Injections
And more.

Remember that not all treatment options are appropriate for every person. That’s why it’s so important to understand your situation before we decide on a treatment plan—we want to choose the treatments that are most likely to work, and that don’t have unnecessary side effects.

If we choose prescription medications as the best option to treat your ED, we have the ability to discreetly and conveniently ship medications to your home, avoiding a trip to the pharmacy entirely.

How Is a Telehealth Appointment with an Erectile Dysfunction Expert Different From Mail-Order Services?

You can find many online ED clinics that offer you a quick consultation, which is usually followed by a healthcare provider writing you a prescription for viagra. Unfortunately, with those clinics, the provider is almost never an expert in urology with specialty training in erectile dysfunction.

The other issue with these online clinics is that, because they make large profits selling oral medications, that’s the only solution they tend to provide. While oral medications like Viagra and Cialis certainly can be effective treatment options, they’re not appropriate for everyone.

Sometimes ED can be a signal of more sinister medical conditions—diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and others. Quick visits with online mail-order services may not be thorough enough to catch warning signs of these more serious health conditions that require further testing.

Many of these companies are only in the business of selling you medications. They’re not necessarily providing high quality personalized healthcare. Work with a men’s health expert to ensure you get the most effective and appropriate treatment options available.

Telehealth Can Help You Combat ED

Erectile dysfunction is a legitimate health concern that affects millions of men in the US. We take women’s sexual and reproductive health incredibly seriously, but often ED is trivialized in the public eye. Erectile dysfunction can take a significant toll on the mental health, drive and self-esteem of guys who struggle with it. It can also signal that something else is going on with your health.

That’s why it’s so important to get evaluated and treated for ED. You don’t have to suffer from ED or feel marginalized as a result.

Telehealth is a great option for busy men. It’s private, it’s comfortable, and it’s a convenient way for men to get assessed and treated quickly. Best of all, it is effective. If you need help with ED, reach out and book a call with me today.

References

Badkhshan, S., Ernst, M., Maiers, T., Shapiro, M., & Chevli, K. (2020). Erectile Dysfunction in Telemedicine: The Standardized Patient Experience. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 17(1), S14.

Ellimoottil, C., Skolarus, T., Gettman, M., Boxer, R., Kutikov, A., Lee, B. R., … & Morgan, T. (2016). Telemedicine in urology: state of the art. Urology, 94, 10-16.

Hsiang, W. R., Honig, S., & Leapman, M. S. (2020). Evaluation of Online Telehealth Platforms for Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction. The Journal of Urology, 205(2), 330-332

ED erectile dysfunction gainswave peptide therapies Stem Cell Injections telehealth

Men’s Health Guide to Boost Your Metabolism

Struggling with your weight?

You’re not alone. Weight loss is one of my clients’ most common men’s health challenges. Heck, I’ve struggled with it myself—that’s a big part of what motivates me to help men feel their best.

One reason why losing weight can feel so hard is that it never used to be like this. When we were younger, we didn’t need to worry about what we ate or how often we exercised. We just always used to feel… good. Extra weight just wasn’t a problem.

But things change as you get older. The body takes longer to recover. And the weight stays on even when you exercise regularly.

One of the reasons that it’s difficult to slim down as we get older is that the metabolism starts to slow.

This happens to most people, but you don’t have to accept it as normal. There are some things you can do to rev it back up—even in middle age.

I’m talking specifically about your basal metabolic rate, or how quickly your body burns through the calories you consume. Most people don’t know this, but the majority of the calories we burn each day aren’t from exercise. They’re burned from your body’s normal functioning and maintenance.

Exercising is certainly an important part of any healthy lifestyle and weight loss plan. But if you can also turn up your body’s fire, it’ll make shedding the weight all that much easier. The more your body is burning at its base level, the easier it is to rid yourself of that stubborn body fat.

Lucky for us, there are things you can do to keep your metabolic rate running at a higher gear. So here are some of my top recommendations for boosting your metabolism to slim down.

Exercise

Hands down, the most powerful way to kickstart your metabolism is exercise. It’s effective both in the short term and in the long-term.

Physical activity like intense cardio or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) increases your body’s energy needs in the short term. To feed itself, your body burns calories faster. That exercise revs the metabolism into high gear, it stays elevated for hours after.

But with strength training, there’s actually a long-term effect as well. Weight training challenges your muscles and actually creates micro-tears in the muscle fibers. Your body then spends a bunch of energy to repair them. When it repairs the muscles, your body both increases the size of the existing muscle fibers and also builds new fibers. Together, these increase the size of the muscles.

And bigger muscles have a greater energy maintenance need. They eat through more energy, even when you’re not exercising. So the more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be.

I’m not saying you need to be Arnold Schwarzenegger to give an extra kick to your metabolism. But including strength training in your exercise routine is absolutely critical for every guy, and it will help boost your metabolism in the long term.

Eat a protein-rich diet

It turns out that eating can actually give you a short-term boost in metabolism. This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF). It happens because the body needs energy—a lot, as it turns out—for digesting the food you eat.

But different nutrients lead to different kinds of boosts.

Researchers have found that protein increases your metabolism at a much greater rate (15-30%) than either fat (0-3%) or carbs (5-10%). So higher protein foods can help you maximize that boost in metabolism from eating.

Keep in mind that I’m not saying you should only eat protein! Remember that you need to be sure to stick to the macronutrient ratio that’s best for your body. Too much protein can actually hurt your muscle-building efforts by lowering testosterone. Instead, aim for a healthy, balanced diet that includes proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. You need to avoid saturated fats, trans fats, and refined sugars.

Research also suggests that plant-based diets create a higher TEF. I’m not saying that you need to become a vegetarian to burn fat, but most of your dinner plate should be things that came from plants—whole grains, beans, legumes, roots vegetables, leafy greens, fruits, and so on.

Drinking cold water

Among all its other benefits, water has been found in several studies to increase metabolism and aid in losing weight, and cold water may be especially effective.

Cold water lowers your core body temperature. In response, your body fires up its metabolism to warm you back up. That warming increases the calories you burn.

As an added benefit, water appears to also help you lose weight and burn fat—especially when you drink water in place of sugary drinks. It also helps fill you up so that you don’t overeat or consume too many extra calories.

Water is, of course, essential to your health in a number of ways. Helping rev up your metabolism is just one way it helps.

(And if you get tired of water, green tea is your metabolism’s friend!)

Intermittent Fasting

You might think that fasting could slow your metabolism. You’re right, it can: restricting your caloric intake tells your body you’re not getting enough food, so your body starts doing less work. That slows down your metabolism.

But intermittent fasting—restricting eating to only certain time periods—can help fire up your metabolism. It does that by giving your digestive system a break and puts that energy into other functions like building muscle.

Intermittent fasting has been found to have several benefits, including:

Balancing hormone levels
Encouraging fat lipolysis—the breakdown of fat
Increased growth hormone levels, which helps grow and preserve muscle mass
Lowering blood glucose
Turning off genes related to inflammation.

When we eat, our insulin levels are elevated. And that means we tend towards fat-storing rather than fat-burning. Fasting helps our insulin drop, allowing our body to tap into our fat stores.

How do you do intermittent fasting?

There are lots of ways of doing it. I provide some more detailed advice in my book, but some options include:

Create eating windows. Here, you only eat within a given window of time. For example, you might restrict your eating to only between 10 am and 6 pm.
Skipped meals. Here, you would skip one meal a day. I normally recommend skipping breakfast as a great way to get started with intermittent fasting.

24/48 fast. Here, you fast for a full day or two. You would only do this about once a month.

The easiest one to follow and requires the least amount of adjustment for most people is setting an eating window. If you’re new to intermittent fasting, I would recommend you start here.

From there, you can try out a few different variations and see what works best for you.

Several of my clients have had huge success with intermittent fasting. If you usually eat well and exercise but you can’t seem to shed those stubborn few pounds, give intermittent fasting a shot.

Remember, intermittent fasting doesn’t mean you have to eat fewer calories (although most people do end up eating a little less). It just means that you restrict when you eat.

Sleep

There are a number of systemic factors that have a significant influence on our health. One of the ones that many of us underestimate is sleep.

Getting a good night’s sleep isn’t really sexy, but it is powerful.

And getting enough sleep actually can help you both feel and even look sexier. For one thing, sleep is when our body builds back muscles after a workout. So if you’re trying to put on lean muscle mass, you don’t want to skimp on sleep.

Tons of research has also connected sleep to weight loss. Many people think that as we sleep our body becomes less active. But our body is actually very active when we sleep. And all that activity requires energy. So your metabolism keeps burning as you rest.

There’s also research that connects insomnia with weight gain and obesity. One reason for this relationship is that sleep helps modulate neuroendocrine function—how well your hormonal system works. A less effective endocrine system, in turn, alters glucose metabolism, which is how your blood sugar is turned into energy.

Lack of sleep also seems to decrease insulin sensitivity, decrease leptin (which is involved in how fat gets broken down), increase concentrations of cortisol (the stress hormone), and increase hunger. Together, those things make it harder to break down fat and easier to store it.

So if you’re trying to lose weight and you’re looking for one quick win, cleaning up your sleep hygiene might just be it.

The takeaway: create metabolism-boosting habits

The body is a large, complex system. As a physician, I know that better than anyone.

But sometimes we overcomplicate our health. Or, said differently, sometimes the best things we can do for our health are also the simplest.

Each of the factors above can contribute to a faster metabolism and help you lose weight. But also note that each of these also contributes to your health in a number of other ways, too. They will help you lower your risk for chronic illnesses, and help you just feel better.

I encourage everyone to build those habits—both for a faster metabolism and weight loss, but also just for greater overall health.

At the same time, we need to acknowledge our individual differences. We all have different genes and a different biochemical environment. Our epigenetics also means that we’re all wired to respond differently to food and have different metabolic rates.

Of course, everyone should exercise, eat well, and get enough sleep. But some people may need an additional game plan that’s tailored directly to their particular biology. Some people may need testosterone HRT or hormone therapy; others may benefit from peptide therapies; still others might need to focus on reducing stress.

So focus on the recommendations in this article to help you boost your metabolism and lose weight. But if you’re still struggling, consider finding an approach tailored to your body.

I offer precision medicine solutions that are aimed at creating an individualized plan for you based on your genes and body chemistry. Boiler-plate health advice can be useful, but it may not be enough to help you get through your individual challenges. Get in touch with me for VIP health coaching and an individualized plan.

Schedule a consultation to take control of your testosterone!

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In Male 2.0™, Dr. Tracy Gapin has turned everything we once thought we knew about men’s health and performance upside down. The old model of how to be “a man” is broken. A man who works himself to death. Unfortunately, a man who tries to NOT get sick but isn’t really healthy either. And a man who takes a pill for every ill but is never really cured. That was Male 1.0. Now, imagine being THE MAN ─ owning your performance in the bedroom, the weight room, and the boardroom. Living a fully optimized life. Becoming limitless. This is Male 2.0!

Tracy Gapin, MD, FACS is a board-certified Urologist, world-renowned Men’s Health & Performance Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition, and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance. www.GapinInstitute.com

Want more tips to optimize your health? Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE

References

Du, S., Rajjo, T., Santosa, S., & Jensen, M. D. (2014). The thermic effect of food is reduced in older adults. Hormone and metabolic research, 46(5), 365-369.

Pesta, D. H., & Samuel, V. T. (2014). A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: mechanisms and possible caveats. Nutrition & Metabolism, 11(1), 1-8.

Shechter, A. (2017). Obstructive sleep apnea and energy balance regulation: a systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 34, 59-69.

Zurlo, F., Larson, K., Bogardus, C., & Ravussin, E. (1990). Skeletal muscle metabolism is a major determinant of resting energy expenditure. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 86(5), 1423-1427.

Boost Your Metabolism exercise intermittent fasting protein diet sleep and metabolism weight loss

Manage ED with Cutting-Edge Science: New Therapies for Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an old problem. It’s been around for a long time.

But treatment options are fairly new. The first effective oral ED medication—sildenafil (Viagra)—was discovered in 1989 and was only made available by 1998. Then came tadalafil (Cialis) and more recently vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn) and avanafil (Stendra).

But our understanding of the causes of erectile dysfunction and how to treat it have grown tremendously since the discovery of sildenafil. These days, we’re able to manage ED with cutting-edge science and new technology.

Here are some of the newest therapy options for treating ED and the science behind how they work.

GAINSWave®

GAINSWave is the process associated with a revolutionary new therapy for ED called low intensity shockwave therapy.

How it works: Low-intensity shockwave therapies like GAINSWave treat ED by sending pulses of energy into the target tissue—in this case, tissue in the penis. The low-intensity shock waves induce angiogenesis, which is the creation of new blood vessels. This increases blood flow to the penis, making it easier to get an erection.

The therapy may also help regenerate penile nerve tissues by activating key regenerative signaling pathways (PERK/ATF4).

Is GAINSWave effective? The published literature provides good evidence to suggest that it really works.

In one meta-analysis that included data for 607 patients, researchers found a statistically significant improvement in erectile function in men who received the treatment with no reported adverse side effects.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Platelet-Rich Plasma, or PRP ( sometimes referred to as The Priapus shot or P-shot), involves injecting a concentration of platelets from your own blood into your penis.

How it works: PRP therapy works by injecting platelet-rich plasma from your own blood directly into the penis. Blood has four components: red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, and platelets. By removing the red blood cells and white blood cells, doctors can concentrate the platelets and plasma and administer it directly in the penis.

Platelet-rich plasma contains proteins and growth factors that stimulate stem cells in the penis to promote repair, regeneration, and remodeling of the blood vessels and normal healthy tissue of the penis. After all, remember that an erection is simply increased blood flow to the penis! The idea is that, by injecting PRP into the penis, it helps restore normal, healthy tissue function and improve blood flow.

Is the P-shot effective? The research is ongoing but looks promising. In one recent review of several studies on PRP therapy, researchers found mostly good effectiveness with no major side effects or adverse reactions.

Most of the research on this treatment has been through small studies with low sample sizes, so it’s certainly still in the research phase. More studies are needed so we can better understand how effective this treatment is and for which men it’s best suited.

Peptides

Peptides are simply short proteins – nothing more than short chains of amino acids. But they’re amazing!

Peptides are signaling molecules that your body recognizes for very precise functions. Peptides can be quite effective in turning back the clock on aging in a number of ways. And some peptides also appear to be helpful for treating ED.

How it works: Two peptides that have been found to be useful for ED are Melanotan 2 and PT-141. These can be given by subcutaneous injection or by nasal spray and can immediately enhance erectile function. These peptides improve sexual performance by stimulating melanocortin receptors, which are involved in sexual desire and erectile function.

Are peptides effective? Yes! The research on Melanotan and PT-141 suggests that both can dramatically improve erectile function. In one study, Melanotan 2 caused erections in 85% of the individuals, even in the absence of sexual stimuli.

Side effects can include yawning and nausea.

Stem Cell Injections

Stem cells are ‘progenitor’ cells that are not yet specialized and can develop into any other cell in your body.

For ED treatment, stem cells can be used to regenerate normal healthy erectile tissue. Stem cells are harvested from your bone marrow – typically from the iliac crest (the back of your bony pelvis) – and then injected into the penis.

How does it work? Stem cells are used in a variety of therapies because they have been found to regenerate, remodel, and repair damaged tissues. It’s believed that they contribute to regeneration by secreting bioactive chemicals that boost healing.

Are stem cell injections effective? They appear to be. One recent review that summarized 8 clinical trials in humans found that stem cell therapy could be effective for long-term improvement in erectile function. Stem cell therapy is one of the few regenerative treatments that is specifically FDA-approved for the treatment of ED.

Vacuum Therapy

Vacuum therapy is used both to create erections suitable for sexual intercourse as well as to stimulate growth and recovery of penile tissue to support healthy erectile function.

How it works: With vacuum therapy, a tube-like device is placed around the penis and connected to a manual or battery-operated pump that creates a pressure vacuum. The negative pressure brings blood into the penis and creates an erection. When used for sex, often a constriction ring is placed at the base of the penis to keep the blood in and to maintain the erection.

Is vacuum therapy effective? Yes, the research finds that the method leads to more satisfying erections. It also seems to have a positive effect on the rehabilitation of penile tissue after prostate surgery.

Intracavernosal “Trimix” Injections

Intracavernosal injections (ICIs), sometimes just called penile injections, involve injecting medication directly into the side of the penis to stimulate an erection. While several different kinds of medication can be used, the most commonly injected medications are papaverine, phentolamine, and prostaglandin E1. When these three drugs are combined, it’s called a “trimix”.

How it works: These medications stimulate vasodilation of blood vessels and relaxation of smooth muscles in the penis to allow increased blood flow and thus make it easier to achieve an erection.

Like oral medications like Viagra and Cialis, penile injection therapy is a short-term treatment that helps men get an erection immediately and lasts for a few hours after injection.

Are Intracavernosal injections effective? Yes. Research has consistently suggested that injection therapy can be as effective as PDE5 inhibitors like Viagra, Cialis, Stendra, Staxyn, or Levitra. Injection therapy is a great option for men who can’t take oral medications due to specific contraindications. Always make sure to take medication under the guidance of a doctor, since overdosing with injection therapy can cause major problems!

New ED Therapies Aren’t Always Better

While the newest, cutting-edge technologies are promising for those with hard-to-treat ED, the fact is that new treatments aren’t always better. Indeed, some of the classic advice on managing ED is as pertinent as ever.

That’s because treating ED requires a comprehensive, systems-based approach. In most cases, lifestyle changes can meaningfully contribute to better sex life.

Here is the less exciting—but still effective—advice I give my VIP clients for better sexual health:

Exercise. We know that regular exercise is related to erectile function. It also boosts testosterone, which is an important component in healthy sexual function.
Quit smoking. Men who smoke are about twice as likely to experience sexual dysfunction as those who don’t.
Drink less. Alcohol is one of the most common causes of ED. Consume less alcohol for better erections.
Eat a balanced diet. Switching to a healthy diet and caloric intake are associated with improvements in erectile function.
Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity is a known risk factor for ED and losing excess weight can help treat it.
Manage your stress. Stress can lower your testosterone and make it harder for you to get hard. Finding ways to cope with your stress can improve your sexual health.

Find the Appropriate ED Treatment for You

These days, ED is almost always treatable thanks to new technology and cutting-edge treatments. But don’t assume ED drugs like Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil) are the only option for you.

Instead, get a full evaluation to find the cause of your ED. You want to make sure that it isn’t a warning sign of more significant underlying cardiovascular disease.

As a men’s health expert with over 20 years of experience treating erectile dysfunction,I can recommend the most appropriate ED treatment option for your particular case.

Schedule an appointment with me and get your ED treated today!

Schedule a consultation to take control of your testosterone!

Download the Blueprint

Schedule a Call

**************************

Want more tips to optimize your health? Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE

References

Campbell, J. D., Trock, B. J., Oppenheim, A. R., Anusionwu, I., Gor, R. A., & Burnett, A. L. (2019). Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that assess the efficacy of low-intensity shockwave therapy for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Therapeutic Advances in Urology, 11, 1756287219838364. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1756287219838364

Epifanova, M. V., Gvasalia, B. R., Durashov, M. A., & Artemenko, S. A. (2020). Platelet-rich plasma therapy for male sexual dysfunction: Myth or Reality?. Sexual Medicine Reviews, 8(1), 106-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sxmr.2019.02.002

Giuliano, F. (2004). Control of penile erection by the melanocortinergic system: Experimental evidence and therapeutic perspectives. Journal of Andrology, 25(5), 683-691. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1939-4640.2004.tb02842.x

He, M., & von Schwarz, E. R. (2020). Stem-cell therapy for erectile dysfunction: a review of clinical outcomes. International Journal of Impotence Research, 33, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-020-0279-8

ED erectile dysfunction gainswave Intracavernosal “Trimix” Injections peptides Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Stem Cell Injections Vacuum Therapy

ED Myths and Facts: What you need to know

ED Myths and Facts Blog | Gapin Institute

I’m a urologist. That means that I was specially trained in the management of men’s health issues, including low testosterone, prostate health, and erectile dysfunction. This is my passion.

In my 25+ year career, I have found that among all the men’s health issues I manage, erectile dysfunction is one of the most common complaints that brings men to see me.

It’s the bread and butter of my work.

Unfortunately, there’s a ton of misinformation around both what causes ED and how to treat it. Sometimes, that misinformation cause guys to needlessly suffer and avoid seeking guidance and support.

So I want to take this opportunity to dispel some of the most common erectile dysfunction myths and give you the facts. And then I’ll tell you how to get treatment.

Myth #1. “ED isn’t a real health problem.”

Fact: ED can be a sign of much more significant health problems.

Men tend to think of sexual issues as performance issues and not necessarily true health issues. But problems with sexual function are potentially a sign of much bigger issues.

ED is often the initial symptom of vascular disease. The blood supply to the penis is quite small, so any atherosclerosis, or plaque in your arteries, can quickly affect normal blood flow and thus cause issues with normal erectile function.

Erectile dysfunction can be a sign of underlying diabetes, high blood pressure, or other health problems. So think of ED as a “canary in the coal mine” for other potentially serious health conditions. ED can in fact also be associated with early mortality.

I consider ED to be a wake-up call. It should prompt a full evaluation to identify undetected cardiovascular disease or other health issues that need to be addressed.

Myth #2. Erectile dysfunction only happens in older men

Fact: Erectile dysfunction is more common in older men, but it can happen at any age.

Yes, ED is more commonly associated with older men. But younger men can absolutely experience erectile dysfunction, as well. In fact, about 25% of guys under 40 experience ED.

In younger men, ED tends to be more often related to psychological issues or low testosterone, whereas ED in older men is more commonly associated with underlying medical issues such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

Myth #3. ED is a normal part of the aging process, so I shouldn’t worry about it

Fact: No one should “settle” for ED.

While ED may be common, we shouldn’t see it as a “normal” part of aging.

It can be caused by a number of underlying health issues – poor blood flow, hormone imbalance, or nerve damage. But these are issues that can be prevented by prioritizing an optimal lifestyle. It’s a health issue. And it can be treated.

There’s no reason you can’t enjoy an active and satisfying sex life as you age. ED may affect lots of men, but that doesn’t mean we should consider it a normal part of the aging process.

Myth #4. ED means you’re not attracted to your partner

Fact: Some people experience ED even when they are very attracted to their partner.

Erectile dysfunction is complex and can be caused by a number of factors. In addition to medical issues such as peripheral vascular disease and low testosterone, it can also be a result of psychological issues like stress and anxiety. Even lifestyle factors and some medications you’re taking can kill your sex life.

So it’s important to realize that ED is not the same as sexual desire. ED doesn’t necessarily cause low libido and vice versa.

Myth #5. ED is caused by tight underwear

Fact: There is no evidence for a connection between your underwear and sexual function.

It’s true that there is a link between tight underwear and infertility. This is because the testicles regulate their temperature by getting closer to, or further from, the body. Tight underwear can keep the testicles to close the body, which can increase their temperatures enough to reduce sperm production.

But infertility is a separate issue from ED. There’s currently no evidence for a link between ED and your underwear.

Myth #6. Any difficulty getting an erection means you have ED

Fact: It’s normal to occasionally have difficulty getting an erection.

There’s a kind of social pressure to be “ready” all the time… but that’s not always how our body works.

Sexuality is complicated and impacted by a lot of factors. Men who are sleep deprived, particularly stressed, or just “not in the mood” may not be able to get an erection on command. That’s actually normal—it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have ED.

ED is diagnosed when a man consistently has difficulty getting or maintaining an erection satisfactory for intercourse.

Myth #7. ED means you have problems in your relationship

Fact: While relationship issues can impact your sexual performance, there are many other potential causes as well.

Most cases of ED have physiologic causes, not psychological ones.

Sure, relationship issues can cause stress, anxiety, which could lead to ED. But relationship issues are usually not the cause of most men’s ED.

Myth #8. ED can’t be fixed

Fact: We have very effective treatment options for ED.

It’s fairly common that men feel like their ED is hopeless and will never get better. The fact is there are many highly effective treatment options available for ED, and almost all cases of ED can be treated. And not just with Viagra!

Myth #9. The only treatment for ED is Viagra or Cialis

Fact: There are many options for treating ED.

Viagra, Cialis, and the other oral medications completely shifted ED treatment by increasing awareness and providing an easily accessible solution. But there are many other treatment options as well. This includes vacuum device, intracavernosal injections, peptide therapy, GAINSWave, PRP (Platelet-rich plasma, or ‘P-shot’), and Testosterone or hormone replacement therapy for men with low testosterone.

It’s also important to realize that lifestyle changes can dramatically improve your sexual function. Focusing on proper nutrition, good sleep quality and duration, exercising, and effectively managing your stress are part of a systems-based approach to health that has been proven to improve erectile function.

Myth #10. ED is too embarrassing to talk about with my doctor

Fact: ED is a very common issue with men today, even in younger men, and you should feel comfortable discussing it with your doctor.

One of the biggest issues with ED and other sexual health issues is that guys don’t like talking about it. It can be awkward. But ED doesn’t mean you’re weak. It doesn’t make you less of a man. It just means you need a little help.

**Fact: You can overcome ED**

Erectile dysfunction is a real medical condition and it can be serious. If you’re struggling with ED, seek treatment.

But don’t wait for your appointment to make some lifestyle changes that we know help improve erectile function:

Quit smoking
Eat a balanced, nutrient-rich diet
Cut out trans fats, saturated fats, and excessive sugar
Exercise regularly
Get enough sleep

If you do those things, you’ll set yourself up for success. If you need help with ED, reach out to me.

Schedule a consultation to discuss ED treatment.

Take the next steps

Schedule a Call

Tracy Gapin, MD, FACS is a board-certified Urologist, world renowned Men’s Health & Performance Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance. www.GapinInstitute.com

Want more tips to optimize your health? Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE

References

Fung, M. M., Bettencourt, R., & Barrett-Connor, E. (2004). Heart disease risk factors predict erectile dysfunction 25 years later: the Rancho Bernardo Study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 43(8), 1405-1411.

Shamloul, R., & Ghanem, H. (2013). Erectile dysfunction. The Lancet, 381(9861), 153-165.

Yafi, F. A., Jenkins, L., Albersen, M., Corona, G., Isidori, A. M., Goldfarb, S., … & Hellstrom, W. J. (2016). Erectile dysfunction. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 2(1), 1-20.

Capogrosso, P. M.D., Colicchia, M. M.D., Ventimiglia, E. M.D., Castagna, G. M.D., Clementi, M.C. M.D., Suardi, N. M.D., Castiglione, F. M.D., Briganti, A. M.D., Cantiello, F. M.D., Damiano, R. M.D., Montorsi, F. M.D., Salonia, A. M.D. (2013). One Patient Out of Four with Newly Diagnosed Erectile Dysfunction Is a Young Man—Worrisome Picture from the Everyday Clinical Practice. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 10(7), 1833-1841.

Parazzini, F., Marchini, M., Luchini, L., Tozzi, L., Mezzopane, R., Fedele, L. (1995). Tight underpants and trousers and risk of dyspermia. Internaitonal Journal of Andrology, 18(3), 137-140.

ED erectile dysfunction men's health sexual health

How Environmental Toxins Can Crush Your Testosterone

Environmental toxins to testosterone blog photo | Gapin Institute

Let me tell you about a patient of mine—Joe—a 49-year-old executive who came to me for low testosterone.

He wanted testosterone replacement therapy because he was suffering.

He’d been happily married for 10 years. But over that time, he noticed declining energy, trouble focusing at work, and fatigue. His personality and mood had changed, and he had diminished sex drive so wasn’t interested in being intimate with his partner.

And when they were intimate, things didn’t work as they should…

Joe just wasn’t the man that he used to be.

Eventually, his marriage failed and he struggled at work. Joe’s lack of energy and inability to focus meant that he made mistakes. He performed poorly and he actually lost his job.

After I checked some basic labs, I found his testosterone levels were markedly lower than they should be, which explained a lot of his issues.

This is very common in men like Joe, and even guys in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. They present with the same symptoms: lack of energy, low libido, fatigue, weight gain, and inability to focus.

It’s important to point out that the problem with low T isn’t just related to normal sex drive and performance or building muscle. Healthy testosterone levels are necessary for cognitive function and mental focus. Testosterone is needed for optimal cardiovascular health, bone density, and even longevity. It is essential for quality of life.

The consequences of low testosterone are massive.

And it turns out that it’s not just Joe who’s experiencing it. Testosterone is decreasing at a population level. This article will explain why we’re losing our testosterone and what we—as individual guys—can do about it.

The Problem: Population-Level Changes in Hormones and Fertility

I’m not kidding when I say that men are under attack. We are experiencing a testosterone and fertility pandemic. As I declare in my book Male 2.0, at the current rate, in twenty years the entire male population will be sterile and impotent.

A Testosterone Pandemic

We started to clearly see the problem in the 1990s.

One of the watershed studies on the subject was the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. The study looked at the hormone levels of several large cohorts of men and looked at how they changed over time.

The study found that men had decreasing levels of testosterone as they age. That wasn’t a surprise—we already knew that testosterone tends to decrease as we get older.

But the real finding was that testosterone levels were decreasing in age-matched cohorts, too. In other words, a 55-year-old man in 2004 had 17 percent less testosterone than a 55-year-old man in 1987. And free testosterone, which is much more significant and impactful, dropped by over 45%!

So it’s not just age: we’re seeing testosterone in age-matched men declining.

These results have been consistent across research studies, and not just in the US.

Decreased Testosterone Isn’t Only Due to Lifestyle Changes

Now, we know that lifestyle factors affect the endocrine system and testosterone levels. Poor diets, low exercise, obesity, smoking—these are all known to reduce testosterone.

And people are increasingly obese. As a population, we’re not exercising nearly as much as we should. Could that be the reason for the decreases in Testosterone?

Those factors almost certainly have an effect, but the studies mentioned above actually accounted for these differences, and can’t explain the entire effect. So something else must be going on.

Declining Fertility

It’s not just testosterone, either. Research has consistently found that sperm counts and fertility in men are steadily declining, at least in the Western world.

In her book, Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Epidemiologist Dr. Shanna Swan meticulously details the research and evidence for declining fertility. Her team finds that in the past 40 years, sperm levels in Western countries have plummeted by 50%. She’s also documented changes in the sexual development of men and women.

And the culprit? Endocrine Disruptors.

The Root Cause: Endocrine Disruptors

First, what are endocrine disruptors? They are toxins, toxicants, and chemicals in our environment that interfere with hormone activity.

They’re everywhere. Used in food production, in food containers, plastics, in agriculture, in our personal care products, and even in our drinking water! Endocrine disruptors are literally everywhere, and it’s getting worse. Here are a few of the main ones that we know about and how they affect testosterone.

Atrazine

Atrazine is a weed killer that’s used on our food crops like wheat and corn. It’s one of the most widely used herbicides in the US.

And it’s also one of the commonly detected pesticides in US drinking water.

In one well-cited study, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found that exposure to Atrazine—even at very low levels—causes masculinization and even feminization of male fish, amphibians, and reptiles. In one case, it caused the complete feminization of adult male frogs.

Meaning male frogs became female frogs that actually laid eggs and reproduced! This is powerful evidence that Atrazine is a powerful endocrine disruptor and could easily contribute to hormonal abnormalities in men.

BPA (Bisphenol A)

BPA is a synthetic compound commonly used to create plastics. It’s found in a variety of consumer goods including plastic water bottles, food packaging containers, baby bottles, sports equipment, and even CDs.

BPA turns out to be a xenoestrogen, mimicking estrogen in the body. It’s a carcinogen, having been linked to breast cancer and it appears to lead to changes in brain development among other health risks.

BPA has also been shown to dramatically lower testosterone production.

While the FDA maintains that it’s safe at low levels, the problem is that we don’t really know what effect it has on our bodies or hormones. And it’s everywhere. While efforts to remove it from many products have been successful, the result may not have been better chemicals—just different ones.

Birth Control

Isn’t birth control just for women?

Well, yes, it is intended for women. But it turns out that the molecule in birth control pills—estradiol—doesn’t break down very easily. It’s excreted out of women’s bodies via urine, where it enters our water supply.

And while our water treatment systems are very good at getting rid of the bacteria and other harmful things in the drinking water, they aren’t good at removing this particular endocrine disruptor. It’s detectable in the water supply in many cities.

What effect does it have? It’s clear that it’s disrupting our hormone levels. And we know that it can have impacts on fertility that don’t just affect one generation. In one animal study, it affected fertility for up to three generations.

(As an aside, never throw old prescription medications—birth control or otherwise—down the drain or in the toilet. Throw them in the trash).

Phthalates

Phthalates are chemicals that are used to make plastics soft and flexible. They are present in everything from perfumes and colognes to soaps, shampoos, and deodorants, vinyl flooring, and raincoats, to your garden hose to lipstick.

The problem with phthalates is that they get into the water we drink. And when they’re in skin creams or plastics, we can absorb them through our skin.

And they have a dramatic effect on testosterone. Several research studies have found evidence that phthalate exposure can reduce testosterone and interfere with testicular function.

Not good.

What You Can Do

These are just a few of the chemicals and toxicants that we’re exposed to on a daily basis. We are literally bathing in a soup of endocrine disruption!

And it’s contributing to the testosterone pandemic we’re experiencing. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is a public health crisis.

So what can we do?

It’s easy to say, “Well, plastic is everywhere, so there’s nothing I can do.”

But actually, there is quite a bit you can do to minimize your exposure. There are choices you can make. And when you make the choice to minimize your risk, you’re also making the choice to give yourself a much better shot at healthy testosterone levels.

Here are the steps everyone can take to mitigate their exposure to these environmental toxins.

Be Careful What You Eat

Because endocrine disruptors are often used in pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, they are used heavily in agriculture and can make their way into your food. To avoid them, try to:

Eat grass-fed meats
Eat organic foods when possible
Avoid milk, if possible. If you must have milk, choose only organic. Try almond milk instead!
Avoid soy, which is highly processed here in the US, and loaded with phytoestrogens
Eliminate highly processed foods
Cook at home when possible so you know exactly what’s being used

Eating a clean diet doesn’t have to be complicated. Choose real foods: fruits, vegetables, and clean meats. Avoid eating highly processed foods or food with ingredients that you can’t pronounce.

Be Careful What You Drink

Water is essential for health. But even though the US has relatively good water systems endocrine disruptors can make it into your tap water and they’re also often found in bottled water.

I recommend:

Avoiding plastic water bottles
Opting for glass or stainless steel drinking containers
Getting a charcoal water filter (charcoal helps remove these chemicals)

When it comes to coffee:

Avoiding plastic coffee cups
Avoiding single-use coffees like K cups and Nespresso pods

Be Careful with Food Packaging

There’s often a ton of plastic in food packaging.

Avoid buying foods wrapped or packaged in plastic
Avoid using plastic wrap or plastic Tupperware to store food
Never heat up your food in a plastic food container. Heat dramatically increases the release of chemicals from plastics into your food
Store food in glass or metal containers

Be Careful What You Put on Your Body

Unfortunately, endocrine-disrupting chemicals are in lots of the cosmetics and personal care items that we use. It’s hard to avoid them if you don’t know what to look for. But there are some ways to make better choices.

I recommend three apps that I use to find products that are less hormonally risky:

To use them, just scan the barcode of the product you’re considering and it will tell you if there are any serious concerns.

Understand Your Genes

Above are strategies that everyone can use, regardless of your own personal genetic make-up.

But precision medicine allows us to understand how our body responds to toxicity and exposure to these chemicals. We’re able to figure out how well we detox, whether we’re at risk for inflammation, and more.

Understanding exactly how our genes work helps to protect us at an epigenetic level.

So working with a precision medicine expert can help you understand your genetic blueprint and understand exactly what steps you can take to optimize your detoxification and overall health.

Joe Raised His Testosterone Naturally, and so Can You

Fortunately, Joe’s story ended well.

After a thorough analysis of his lifestyle and habits, we created a personalized health plan that helped him increase his testosterone levels and optimize all of his other hormones as well, including thyroid, DHEA, Vitamin D, and melatonin.

Leveraging his genetics helped him know what to eat, what not to eat, what micronutrient support he needed, and how to upregulate his detox pathways so he could get rid of toxins more quickly.

We reduced his exposure to endocrine disruptors, made sure that he was eating well, and got him a good water filter. We helped him choose personal care products that were toxin-free.

And we covered the basics – we focused on optimizing his sleep, managing his stress, and developing a fitness program that worked with his lifestyle..

In the end, Joe’s performance improved and he saw a huge enhancement in his quality of life.

Don’t Settle for Something That’s Not Working

Joe was in a bad place. But he got help, he put in the work, and he got better.

I’m passionate about men’s health because I know how it ultimately affects mens’ lives. I see how often guys struggle with a poor quality of life. Whether it’s weight gain, erectile dysfunction, poor energy, fatigue, guys simply put up with problems.

And our environment contributes to these problems.

But we can still solve them.

If you think you might have low testosterone, book a call with me today. I can help you boost your testosterone and live a healthy, fulfilling life.

Schedule a consultation to take control of your testosterone!

Want more tips to optimize your health? Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE

References

Hayes, T. B., Anderson, L. L., Beasley, V. R., De Solla, S. R., Iguchi, T., Ingraham, H., … & Willingham, E. (2011). Demasculinization and feminization of male gonads by atrazine: consistent effects across vertebrate classes. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 127(1-2), 64-73.

Hayes, T. B., Khoury, V., Narayan, A., Nazir, M., Park, A., Brown, T., … & Gallipeau, S. (2010). Atrazine induces complete feminization and chemical castration in male African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(10), 4612-4617.

Travison, T. G., Araujo, A. B., O’Donnell, A. B., Kupelian, V., & McKinlay, J. B. (2007). A population-level decline in serum testosterone levels in American men. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 92(1), 196-202.

environmental toxins hormone levels low T men's health testosterone

Men’s Health: How BPC 157 Could Supercharge Your Body’s Healing and Health

BPC-157 helps repair tissues and helps your body recover.

I’m getting really excited about peptides.

It’s not just me: the general medical community is coming to understand—if slowly— what a small group of dedicated researchers have known for decades: peptides may be the key to aging gracefully.

They’re promising for a few reasons.

The first—and most important—is that they actually seem to work. Unlike many fads in the men’s health and precision medicine space, peptides are walking the talk.

The second is that they work by using your body’s own biology. Rather than introducing a harsh chemical to your system and hoping for the best, peptides are already used by your body to regulate itself. So they fit well in our body’s complex machinery.

And the third reason is that there are so many. There are thousands of peptides known to science, and only a handful have been truly and properly studied. Different peptides have very different effects. There’s a ton of promise.

This article is about one peptide in particular that is widely used in athletics and by biohackers. It’s called “gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound” but is more commonly known as BPC-157—“body protection compound”.

While we’re still learning more about it, the evidence indicates it could be used to greatly boost recovery from injuries, help heal stomach ulcers, and have a number of other protective effects.

What is BPC-157?

BPC is a peptide, which means it’s a short chain of amino acids—the substances that make up proteins. It’s a pentadecapeptide, which means that it’s made up of 15 amino acids held together by peptide bonds.

BPC is considered a “synthetic” peptide because this particular substance is created synthetically in a lab. But it was derived from a protein that is found in the human body. BPC, chemically, looks like a smaller part of that natural protein.

Peptides are often used by our bodies as chemical messengers. They help regulate a number of different functions and get the body performing at its best.

Because they’re naturally used by our body, supplementing peptides has become an effective therapeutic technique. The peptide therapies that exist can be used for a number of beneficial uses including to boost the immune system, to help with weight loss and burning fat, and even to reduce inflammation.

What does BPC-157 do?

Well, it appears that it has a number of potential benefits, especially when it comes to helping your body heal and repair after an injury.

BPC-157 speeds up tissue repair

BPC-157 has been found to speed up the healing of lean body tissues like muscle, ligaments, and tendons.

Some of the promising studies on BPC-157 have found that they may be effective in speeding up the repair of ligaments, tendons, muscle tissue, and even the skin.

For example, in one study, BPC-157 consistently healed damaged ligaments in rats much quicker than if it was not present. The healing was effective, too: it preserved the function and biomechanics of the joint. In another study, BPC-157 was found to kickstart the production of collagen. Collagen helps skin look elastic, and is also essential to joint health, as well as hair and nails. In a further study, BPC sped up bone repair.

Those results seem to hold across studies. In a 2019 review, researchers found that BPC-157 was consistently able to repair soft tissue injuries across all the research that they reviewed. They noted,

“All of the studies to date that have tested BPC 157 as a treatment therapy have demonstrated extremely positive healing effects for various injury types in a number of soft tissues.”

I should note an important caveat to this research: most of the studies that have been done on this peptide have been done on animals—usually rats. That’s normal: animal studies are used to get a sense of what a compound does and to get a sense of its safety. That’s partly so that humans are not put at risk, but it’s also because research on animals is much less expensive to do. Then researchers move to humans so they are confident that it could work and when they are willing to invest in much more expensive research.

Since rats have a lot in common with humans, including how our muscles and lean tissues work, the research results for BPC-157 are quite promising.

But of course, since most of the research hasn’t been conducted on humans, we need to be cautious about making too much of these findings.

BPC-157 helps heal your gut

One of the focuses of BPC-157 research is on its role in contributing to gut health. This is the focus mostly because BPC-157 was originally derived from a protein that is found in the gut.

Research now suggests that it can have a powerful effect on protecting and healing damaged digestive tissue: it’s been found to inhibit the formation of lesions in the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. This is especially true of the oral form of BPC-157, which is especially good for the gut.

BPC-157 route of administration

BPC-157 can be taken orally or it can be injected subcutaneously (just beneath the skin). It appears to have the most powerful effect on gut health when taken orally, whereas subcutaneous injections are better for reducing systemic inflammation and aiding with tissue repair. BPC-157 can be injected subcutaneously in the lower abdomen, or for better effect in specific joints or muscles, can be injected near the site of concern (for example, you might inject it near the elbow if you wanted to heal an elbow injury).

BPC-157 reduces harmful side effects of other medications

It can also help protect the gut from other chemicals.

The magic of modern medicine has given us a number of important pharmacological interventions (medications) for a wide range of diseases and medical issues. These are often essential.

But they also may have some harmful side effects.

For example, haloperidol is a commonly used medication for treating the symptoms of some psychological illnesses like mania and schizophrenia. It’s a very useful drug, but it can also be quite rough on the body. One side effect of haloperidol is that it causes stomach lesions. Stomach lesions are also a side effect of some chemotherapy medications that are used to treat cancer.

BPC-157 seems to be able to counteract these in many cases, preventing these lesions. That suggests it could be useful as a complementary therapy when these other medications are prescribed.

BCP-157 enhances blood flow

Doctors and scientists suspect that one of the ways BPC works to repair tissue is by increasing blood flow to injuries. After all, blood brings the body what it needs to repair itself: oxygen, nutrients, antibodies, and so on.

And BPC-157 seems to increase blood flow. There appear to be two ways that it does so.

The first is by upregulating the expression of growth factor early growth response gene-1 (also called EGR-1). This gene is involved in increasing the amount of blood that flows to wounds.

The second way it does this is by actually increasing the number of blood vessels. The fancy medical terms are angiogenesis (the creation of arteries) and vasculogenesis (the creation of veins). BPC-157 seems to activate vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, which are involved in increasing the number of blood vessels and repairing them.

This insight comes from in vitro studies, which means studies done on cells isolated outside of the body (imagine scientists looking under a microscope at a petri dish). So, again, we have to be careful not to make too much of these results, since we’re investigating the effects of BPC-157 outside the body.

Still, these results are exciting because they provide a possible explanation for why we consistently see BPC-157 improving the healing and repair of tissues.

BPC-157 has anti-inflammatory properties

Some studies have found the BPC-157 is an anti-inflammatory. It was found to significantly decrease inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis, which is a kind of bowel disease.

Researchers were especially optimistic about the use of BPC-157 as a treatment for inflammation because it didn’t show the same kind of side effects that other commonly prescribed anti-inflammatories have.

What’s more, BPC-157 seems to be useful in treating both acute and chronic inflammation.

BPC-157 seems to be neuroprotective

plastic brain and central nervous system model — BPC may help fight against diseases of the central nervous system and brain.

If that’s not enough, BPC could be a salve for various kinds of traumatic brain injuries. Researchers found that it has neuroprotective effects: it protects somatosensory neurons, it appears to promote peripheral nerve regeneration, and it seems to slow or even reverse the course of traumatic brain injuries from progressing.

All those effects have led researchers to conclude that BPC 157 could serve as a new soldier in the battle against disorders of the nervous system.

What about BPC side effects?

It’s important to make it clear that the research on BPC in humans is limited.

BPC has been found to be safe in clinical trials conducted in several countries, with no toxicity reported. Those results are consistent with the results from the animal studies conducted to date: there haven’t been any instances of toxicity reported.

But because of the lack of research on side effects, there is still much that we don’t know. That’s why all peptides should be carefully administered under the guidance of a clinical research trial or a qualified physician. Ideally, you’ll want to ensure that you have a doctor who understands the promise and any risks associated with peptide therapy so that you can get well-informed advice.

Peptides can be part of a systems health approach

Our bodies are complex and massively interrelated.

How you eat, how you sleep, whether you’re stressed, and your sexual health all are influenced by, and in turn influence, each other. You need all those things to be in place to thrive. You can’t just take a peptide and suddenly feel young and energetic again.

But peptides can be a part of a systems-based approach to health, just like hormone therapy, a weight loss program, and other forms of lifestyle medicine. BPC-157, in particular, is promising as a way to help repair injured tissues, reduce inflammation, and generally help your body heal itself. It may be a form of peptide therapy that’s appropriate for you.

Remember, always consult a qualified physician before starting a peptide regimen. Most physicians aren’t well-versed in the promising effects of peptide therapies, but some are. Look for a doctor you can trust that understands the complexity of the body and can help you optimize your health and your life.

BPS-157 might just be a crucial part of that.

man looking at sunset on mountain, BPC-157 peptide therapy for health — Peptide therapy could be a useful addition to your health regimen. Ask about whether it’s right for you.

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References

Cerovecki, T., Bojanic, I., Brcic, L., Radic, B., Vukoja, I., Seiwerth, S., & Sikiric, P. (2010). Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 (PL 14736) improves ligament healing in the rat. Journal of orthopaedic research, 28(9), 1155-1161.

Gwyer, D., Wragg, N. M., & Wilson, S. L. (2019). Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing. Cell and tissue research, 377(2), 153-159.

Sikiric, P. S., Seiwerth, S., Rucman, R., Turkovic, B., Rokotov, D. S., Brcic, L., … & Sebecic, B. (2012). Effect of Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on Gastrointestinal Tract. In Filaretova L. P., & Takeuchi, K. (Eds.), Cell/Tissue Injury and Cytoprotection/Organoprotection in the Gastrointestinal Tract (Vol. 30, pp. 191-201). Karger Publishers.

BPC 157 ligaments men's health Men's Health Month muscle tissue peptides skin tendons

CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin: Your Key to Turn Back the Clock on Aging?

Active man using peptide therapy checking watch — CJC-1295 can help bring your growth hormone levels back up to help you feel young again.

We’re having a revolution in medicine and biology. We’re at the point where the medical community is starting to redefine aging.

We used to think about growing older almost like an inevitable disease. Our approach to aging healthily was to study the complications and declines in health that come with increasing years around the sun, and then try to find treatments for those, or minimize the risk factors. That strategy is reactive and passive.

But functional and integrative physicians have sought more—and we’re finding it.

Pioneering scientists and medical researchers are leading a shift in the understanding of aging from one focused on treating disease to one that focuses on preserving health and enhancing the body’s own capacity to heal.

We are learning to use principles of preventive medicine to stay healthy and well.

The body has a drive towards balance, especially at the cellular level. Harnessing what we know about cell functions allows us to prevent their breakdown, regardless of the number of candles on our birthday cake.

That effectively means this: we can keep ourselves young.

Peptide therapy is one way that we’re starting to do that. Some forward-looking physicians and medical practitioners are now using peptides as a way to reverse the cellular clock in your body and enable it to function like it used to when you were younger.

One of the exciting peptides in this field is CJC-1295.

What is CJC-1295?

CJC-1295 is the creative (or not!) name that scientists have assigned to a particular synthetic peptide.
“Synthetic peptide” just means that it’s a chain of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) that was created by scientists. It was made to chemically resemble a hormone that your body already makes called growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). GHRH is part of your body’s system to regulate the production and release of growth hormone (GH).

Why growth hormone matters

Growth hormone is essential. It’s involved in a ton of important bodily processes, especially those that support the creation and repair of tissue. For example, it’s involved in muscle gains after a workout, rejuvenating skin cells, repairing injured tissues, improving immune system functioning, and much more.

Basically, when new cells are being created, growth hormone is part of that process.

Most people produce lots of growth hormone when they’re young—it’s an important part of children’s development into adulthood. And production of growth hormone continues to be high going into young adulthood.

Growth hormone declines with age

But—surprise—it starts to decline with age. Growth hormone levels in the blood are much lower in older adults than they are in young adults. That’s part of the reason that your body takes longer to recover as you get older: it doesn’t have the hormonal support it needs to repair and heal itself.

Increasing growth hormone can be a powerful part of an anti-aging therapy strategy.

But how can you increase GH levels?

While it’s possible to supplement growth hormone directly, it’s not ideal. Directly supplementing GH can lead to some nasty side effects.

Instead, it’s just as effective—and easier on the body—to supplement the other chemicals that regulate growth hormone.

Growth hormone secretagogues

That’s where “growth hormone secretagogues” come in. Growth hormone secretagogues make up a group of peptides that stimulate the production and secretion of growth hormone.

That means that they stimulate the body to produce and secrete its own growth hormone. That turns out to be a lot easier on your body.

What does CJC-1295 do?

CJC-1295 is one of those growth hormone secretagogues.

What it does is mimic your body’s naturally made growth hormone-releasing hormone. By doing that, CJC-1295 is able to bind to the same receptors that GHRH does. And so it has the same effect: it tells your body to produce more growth hormone.

What is Ipamorelin?

Ipamorelin is another growth hormone secretagogue. The end result of Ipamorelin is the same as CJC-1295: it increases the GH that’s available in your blood and that makes it to cells.

But Ipamorelin works slightly differently from CJC-1295.

The chemistry is slightly complicated, but very briefly, Ipamorelin falls into a different category called growth hormone-releasing peptides (GHRPs). GHRPs mimic a substance your body makes called Ghrelin, which is also involved in the regulation of growth hormone.

Ghrelin helps turn down something called somatostatin—an inhibitor of GH. So Ghrelin basically creates the right conditions for growth hormone to be secreted.

What does Ipamorelin do?

Ipamorelin mimics Ghrelin. Because it looks the same to your body as Ghrelin, it has the same effect of turning down somatostatin and encouraging your body to secrete more GH.

CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin have complementary effects

GHRHs, like CJC-1295, and GHRPs, like Ipamorelin, work together.

CJC-1295 tells your body to produce more GH. Then, Ipamorelin creates an environment where GH can easily be secreted.

Together, CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin pack a one-two punch for upping your GH levels and supporting your body to create new tissue.

What are the potential benefits of Ipamorelin and CJC-1295?

Great, so CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin can work together to increase the amount of growth hormone in your blood. We know that they both really do increase GH, and this helps your cells get what they need to function properly, repair themselves, and create new, healthy cells.

But what does that actually mean for you?

What are the potential health benefits that you would actually notice?

First, I should make it clear that the research is still being done. We don’t yet thoroughly understand all of the effects of either Ipamorelin or CJC-1295. The results look promising, but we still need to do more to gain a comprehensive understanding.

Still, based on the existing research, there are several potential benefits to your health that you’ll be able to notice.

Faster muscle growth

Man lifting weights support of elevated GH levels — Faster muscle growth is possible with CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin

Higher levels of growth hormone in the blood make it easier for your body to synthesize proteins and muscle fibers. That means CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin support muscle building: they make it easier for you to gain muscle mass.

Indeed, several studies have found that higher GH levels in the blood lead to significant muscle gains and greater strength. That’s part of the reason that CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin are so popular in bodybuilding communities.

Fat burning

Another benefit of the higher GH levels that come from growth hormone secretagogues is that they tend to spur on higher metabolism. The bigger the metabolism “fire,” the more fat gets burned.

Of course, neither CJC-1295 nor any other peptide is a magic weight-loss solution. It takes some effort to lose weight: you have to exercise, eat a reasonably healthy diet, and more. But helping your cells get what they need to actually burn the fat can certainly help.

Younger-looking skin

You already know that age takes a toll on the skin. What’s happening is that the collagen in the skin is breaking down, and is not being replaced. That makes the skin less elastic and thinner. And that leads to wrinkles.

The formation and maintenance of collagen rely on growth hormone. And it turns out that increasing the amount of growth hormone that’s available in the blood makes it easier for the body to replace collagen. The result is younger-looking skin.

Improved sleep

Couple sleeping better with the aid of CJC-1295 — Quality sleep affects many aspects of your life.

Sleep and growth hormone are linked.

Much of your body’s growth hormone is secreted while you sleep. That makes sense since sleep is when your body does the most repair of tissue. If you think your muscles grow in the gym, you’re wrong: the gym may initiate the growth, but that growth happens when you sleep.

But it turns out that it goes the other way, too: CJC-1295 appears to improve sleep as well. And better sleep means better health and general bodily functioning.

Are there side effects of CJC-1295?

Again, it’s important to stress that we’re still in the early days of understanding exactly what effects peptides can have on the body. In general, they appear to be safe—partly because rather than adding new substances or chemicals, our bodies already use peptides to communicate. So they’re typically well-tolerated.

The studies that do exist on CJC-1295 suggest that it’s generally safe, well-tolerated, and has minimal side effects.

Still, some side effects have been noted. These include:

dizziness
headache
nausea
flu-like symptoms
hives
increased heart rate
flushing
hyperactivity
redness and tenderness at injection site
difficulty swallowing

Possible adverse effects are the reason that all peptide therapies should be conducted under the supervision of a qualified physician. A doctor that specializes in lifestyle medicine can help you ensure that any peptide doses are safe, appropriate for your particular biochemistry, and help you minimize unintended side effects.

Man running with the help of peptide therapy — Unlock your potential by adding peptides to your health regime.

Peptide Therapy can be powerful

As far as we’ve come in modern medicine, we’ve still got a long way to go.

The medical community is really just now beginning to see the vast potential of peptide therapies in preserving health and regular functioning as we get older.

But the promise is there.

CJC-1295 is just one of a number of peptides that—under the proper medical guidance—could be a useful addition to your personalized medicine and health regime.

Conclusion

As more studies reveal their health benefits beyond weight loss, the known benefits of peptides are worth acknowledging. Peptides and peptide therapy are cutting-edge tools. You can use them to optimize your health, slow the aging process, and reduce inflammation. Learning new ways to target and use peptides, polypeptides and proteins helps you move away from disease and towards better health.

If you’re interested in radically upgrading your health, you’ll want to keep a close eye on the power of peptides and consider adding these therapies to your regimen. After all, when it comes to living a better life for a longer span of time, we’re looking at brand new ways to do just that – and the sky’s the limit.

The best place to start if you want a hormonal optimization or peptide program is by seeing a physician first. Have a doctor draw your blood and evaluate whether you are a candidate for therapy.

Gapin Institute is currently accepting new clients and offers a comprehensive evaluation, blood test and state-of-the-art screening. If you are tired of being tired… or you have tried everything to lose that unwanted weight but nothing seems to be working, our Peptide therapy might be the piece to the puzzle that you are missing. Call us today to schedule your consultation. (941) 444-1441.

You’ll get access to a genetic-based report and analysis, along with a private consultation that will put you on track to your ultimate health.

With the Male 2.0 Method, I test your DNA, interpret the results, and create a customized strategy just for you. This plan is specific to YOUR individual genes and lifestyle. It will improve every area of your life, from your health and professional productivity to your overall longevity and total wellbeing. Male 2.0 gives you the actionable tools you need right now. It reveals what you need to customize and design your future limitless self.

Schedule a consultation to learn how peptides can help YOU.

Ready to take the next steps?

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Want more tips to optimize your health? Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE

References

Bartke, A. (2019). Growth hormone and aging: updated review. The World Journal of Men’s Health, 37(1), 19-30.

Florini, J. R. (1987). Hormonal control of muscle growth. Muscle & Nerve: Official Journal of the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine, 10(7), 577-598.

Raun, K, Hansen, B., Johansen, N., Thogersen, H, Madsen, K, Ankersen, M, & Andersen, P. (1998). Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. European Journal of Endocrinology. 139 (5): 552–561.

Seeds, W. (2020). Peptide protocols, volume 1. Seeds scientific performance research.

Teichman, S. L., Neale, A., Lawrence, B., Gagnon, C., Castaigne, J. P., & Frohman, L. A. (2006). Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 91(3), 799-805.

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