Men who lose love handles rev up sex drive, study shows
June 28, 2012
No, that is not something for the ladies to grab on to. — ©zwola fasola/shutterstock.com
NEW
YORK, June 28 — Gents, if you have been less randy of late and think it
is just a consequence of getting older, you may want to consider losing
those love handles to get the fire going again.
According to a new study out of St Vincent’s University Hospital in
Dublin, Ireland, overweight and pre-diabetic men who went on a weight
loss programme were able to reduce the prevalence of low testosterone
levels by almost 50 per cent.
Men who carry extra weight have been shown to have lower levels of
testosterone, the hormone responsible for men’s sex drives. Low levels
of testosterone can also cause conditions like erectile dysfunction.
For the study, presented this week at the The Endocrine Society’s
94th annual meeting in Boston, researchers observed about 900
pre-diabetic men who were also overweight, with an average age of 54.
Men were divided into three groups who received a prescription for
either 150 minutes of exercise a week plus a low-calorie, low-fat diet,
the diabetes drug metformin, or a placebo pill.
With exercise and a sensible eating plan, the prevalence of low
testosterone decreased 46 per cent throughout the year. The same
couldn’t be said for participants who were put on the diabetes drug or
the placebo groups, as their levels of testosterone remained largely
unchanged.
Men put on the lifestyle modification treatment lost an average of
about 8 kg over the year, which not only increased their body’s
production of testosterone but also reduced the risk of diabetic
progression.
Another study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
& Metabolism found that older men with higher levels of testosterone
have a reduced risk of losing muscle mass and lower body strength. Loss
of muscle mass and strength are associated with falls, mobility
limitations and fractures. — AFP/Relaxnews
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