Anabolic Running
Is anabolic running beneficial for male runners. I can tell you from having been an elite athlete for 26 years my cortisol levels were shot by the time I reached age 38.
I ran my best marathon when I was 31 (2:19:35) and my second fastest marathon (2:26:42) when I was 35. The last competitive marathon I ran was the 2013 California International Marathon where I ran 2:32:55 at the age of 37.
Long distance running, sorry gents, has been shown to lower testosterone in male long distance runners.
The bedroom was no issue but for many men having a lowered amount of testosterone can effect your sex life. Lowered levels of testosterone strips men of the hormone that helps us with muscle retention, overall health, muscle growth as well as bone strength.
Testosterone starts to significantly drops after the age of 30 years young. Why are so many runners taking the chance? Some care, some don't know and some simply aren't interested either way.
The Facts
The body starts to decline its ability to generate the hormone testosterone by the age of 30. Running, oxidative stress, the American diet which is filled with chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals only add to the declined ability of the body to create testosterone.
Running does a huge number on us without us even really knowing about it. The amount of damage I put myself through on 20-28 mile runs at sub-6 minute mile pace I'll probably never know.
Fortunately I've been married for 10 years (at the time of this writing) and have been able to still stay active on and off the roads and in other places.
There are certainly positive benefits that come from running and I've been writing about those benefits here at rundreamachieve.com since 2011.
Anabolic running is not the same as catabolic running. The effects I felt were from catabolic running as I trained at the national and international from the age of 15 to age 41 retiring from competitive competition in October of 2017.
Check Out The Anabolic Run Program
What This Article Is Not Telling You To Do
Stop running. I'm a huge advocate of the sport of running and I continue to run daily although not putting in the 140 mile weeks I use to. There are specific methods you can use when training that will not interrupt your sexy life while still allowing you to be effective on and off the roads.
Did you ever wonder why Ryan Hall at the young age of only 33 decided to retire? Chronically low levels of testosterone and I bet his cortisol levels were also shot.
I know at the age of 38 that I had to back off my training. I recently read that 44-year old Kenneth Mburu Mungara won the 2018 Gold Coast Marathon in an absurd time of 2:09:49. That is nearly 10 minutes faster than I have ever ran for the distance (2:19:35 PB).
He is the exception not the rule. Very few male athletes can run such a time regardless of age. The reason why Ryan Hall, former American record holder in the half-marathon and 2:04:55 marathoner, retired was chronic fatigue.
Ryan is a friend of mine and he had all the right tools for success. Incredible work ethic, great coaches, masso and physiotherapist but he knew when it was time and for him it was 33.
Heavy training does effect testosterone levels in men
What are some of the symptoms of low testosterone which is also called hypogonadism.
- Prone to injuries
- Increases in body fat percentage
- Hair loss
- Low bone density
- Lack of energy and fatigue (this was my #1 symptom especially have the age of 37 with my own racing)
- Low sex drive (never an issue thankfully)
- Mood changes (yes!)
- Loss of muscle mass
If you ever look at sprinters as compared with long distance runners you can clearly see the difference between who is in a catabolic running state and who is an anabolic running state.
The sprinter has more muscle mass and the endurance runner has low bone density and most often times, low testosterone to go with it. Let's face it endurance athletes, we don't have muscle mass down.
Important Information About Anabolic Running
The good news is even training for a marathon doesn't have to destroy your testosterone production. There are methods such as drinking red tea which flushes out heavy metals and detoxifies the body.
You can elevate glutathione production by taking cellgevity of which I have been using since 2013.
The facts are long distance runners, according to a recent study by the National Library of Medicine stated that endurance athletes actually have lower levels of testosterone than sedentary men even while at rest.
How does it feel to know that the couch potato watching America's Got Talent sipping on some brew and eating a pizza has a higher testosterone production capability than you and I?
This is going to vary from men to men but sex drive is usually lowered if there are lower amounts of testosterone being produced by the body.
There are numerous endurance athletes who have dealt with this in the past and if you are one of them one of the key reasons for this is not only low testosterone but also low levels of glutathione.
Why Purchase The Anabolic Running Program
If you can handle running 16-minutes per week which damn near all of my reader can do this method will help flood your bloodstream with up to 530 percent more growth hormone from the very first workout.
Low testosterone levels can really impact men in tough ways and anyone who has run low on it knows there are physiological effects that can hamper performance in the bedroom.
Women can feel the effects as well and at times feeling as if they are doing something wrong and wondering if their mate is still attracted to them.
The reason I am share anabolic running is because I, too, have felt the fatigue and other effects of running low on testosterone over the years.
This is a real problem and the anabolic running program is a great solution that perhaps you may be looking for.
Learn More About The Anabolic Run Program
As many of my readers know I don't go half-heartedly into anything. I could have quit writing here at rundreamachieve years ago but have been at it since 2011.
I believe in providing solutions to problems men (as well as women) have whether it be learning how to run a marathon faster, increasing glutathione, starting a home based business or how to train for a 5K
Some of the greatest causes of low testosterone and I hate to admit this is running, especially heavy training like most of us men have undergone.
The Anabolic Running Overview
You can mix up your running with some body weight resistance training. This may already be a part of your routine and if it is you are doing great.
You want to focus on increasing lean muscle tissue, functional strength and most certainly elevating testosterone levels. I always advise short, but intense sprints whether it be sprinting the straight aways of the track and jogging the corners or hill repetitions.
A few minutes of hard, high up-tempo running can equal an hour of easy running so you want to mix it up a bit. You can still do your long runs but don't neglect getting in the gym.
Continue to challenge yourself. There are ways of eliminating oxidative stress. The first being the anabolic running program
You can also drink red tea which works to eliminate oxidative stress and lowers inflammation in the body. These are key factors which only add to our testosterone levels going down.
I have written extensively on how low levels of glutathione can not only decrease testosterone but also make you sick, fatigue and be the cause of many common diseases.
Anabolic Running must encompass a few key strategies in order to be effective.
Number One – Do not conserve calories
You need the energy to put in the work in the anabolic running program. Don't cut back on caloric intake. This is one of the many reasons why so many people have a hard time losing weight in the first place.
Keep in mind that consuming adequate amounts of calories prevents the body from slowing production of testosterone. If it perceives starvation its natural tendency is to cut back on testosterone.
A recent study shows that men who consumed a mere 1,800 calories but didn't change up their training regime saw between 40 to 50 percent reduction in their testosterone levels in just 5 days.
The recommended measure to maximize your body's production of testosterone is to multiply your current body weight by 10 for the low and by 12 for the high calorie range.
Number Two – Carb Up
One of the best ways to keep your testosterone is not to cut back on carbohydrates. We already know carbs are essential in ensuring we are able to train as endurance athletes.
The recommended amount of carbs should be at least twice your bodyweight in carbohydrates. Anyone who has done a 20-miler knows consuming 2 to 3 times as many carbohydrates in meals after the run is mandatory.
You have to put back what you lost and the long run is most certainly catabolic running.
Number Three – Focus On Cholesterol
Guess what. It isn't cholesterol that is making you fat but one thing that will most certainly effect your testosterone levels. Not eating cholesterol. This goes back to conserving calories. Don't do it.
The anabolic running program states meals of whole eggs, beef, fatty fish and coconut oil should be considered.
You should take in anywhere from 5 to 10 percent of your caloric intake from saturated fats that are high in cholesterol if you want to maintain high levels of testosterone and perform in the bedroom.
Get Plenty of Sleep
A recent study by the University of Chicago showed that men who get an average of 8 hours of sleep per night compared to men who only got 5 hours increased their testosterone production by 15 percent.
So, get as much sleep as possible. Your racing and bedroom performances depend on it.
Learn More About The Anabolic Runner Program
[amazon table=”34612″]