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‘Irritable man syndrome’… A growing epidemic!

Men….listen up. If you’re the kind of guy that gives your wife or girlfriend hell after a long day at the office, would much rather watch TV than ‘get romantic’ with her and own a pair of ‘man boobs’ that make her jealous then you need to read this article! These ‘symptoms’ suggest low levels of the male hormone testosterone may be an issue. Known commonly as the male ‘sex hormone’, testosterone is also largely responsible for our ability to build muscle. You don’t have to be Einstein to work out that problems with these 2 issues can really knock a man’s confidence for six. As suggested in the title of this article, the other thing greatly affected by low testosterone levels is mood. Some have coined the phrase ‘male menopause’ for this issue as symptoms usually reflect those that women experience during this period of fluctuating hormones. Ladies… If you have seen your man becoming increasingly irritable, disconnected from you and losing his sex drive, don’t take it personally, first suspect a potential testosterone issue. Testosterone levels usually peak in your 20’s and subside every year after turning 40.

However these days due to numerous reasons, even young men are suffering from this problem. This leaves young athletes looking to boost their performance by resorting to synthetic forms of this vital hormone and middle age men popping pills to relive their youth! So, how do you know if your testosterone is lower than it should be? Well, as world renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin eloquently puts it “if you’re not waking up under a tee-pee every morning, then chances are you have low testosterone!” Other possible symptoms may include…

  • Low sex drive
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Irritability/depression
  • Inability to build muscle
  • Poor concentration
  • Fatigue

A much more clinical approach to addressing whether there is a testosterone issue is by booking a BioSignature consultation. During the consultation we take a series of skin fold measurements to determine whether you have any underlying hormonal imbalances. The triceps site will tell us how ‘manly’ you really are. If a high reading is taken at the triceps this suggests low testosterone. The pectoral (chest) skin fold is also an indicator of testosterone-estrogen ratio in males. According to coach Poliquin, testosterone levels in males have decreased by 31% from 1971-1991. There are many underlying causes for this.

Some of these may include…

  • Zinc deficiency due to poor quality soil
  • Cholesterol and blood pressure lowering drugs
  • Excess alcohol consumption, especially beer (otherwise known as liquid castration!!!)
  • Radiation exposure (laptops, mobile phones etc)
  • Stress
  • Depression
  • Environmental toxicity

One of the more common issues I come across with males during a BioSignature consultation is what’s called a ‘cortisol-insulin’ sea-saw. Put simply this means due to the prolonged levels of the hormone cortisol (stress) in the system, due mainly to work related stress and decreased insulin sensitivity, due to a diet too excessive in sugar/refined carbohydrates, ‘potential’ testosterone is being converted to estrogen during a process called aromatase. For this reason men start to ‘feminise’ and store excess body fat around the pectoral area… hence the term ‘man boobs’. With nutrition, supplement and lifestyle intervention we can balance out these hormones to achieve optimal health and body composition, whilst at the same time saying goodbye to the ‘cranky’ mood swings! First things first, we must get to the bottom of any potential estrogen related issues before we can start a testosterone protocol. Estrogen??? That’s right guys, excessive estrogen levels are now a common problem in males with breast cancer rates in men increasing substantially over the last few decades. Due to the toxicity of the Australian environment, it is recommended that most Australian males should be on an estro-detox supplement. It may surprise you, but we are one of the most toxic places on earth and are exposed to pathogens and other toxins on a daily basis. Some of these may surprise you and include…

  • Excess fluoride in our water
  • Teflon coated fry pans
  • Household bathroom and cleaning products
  • Common ‘over the counter’ medications
  • Pesticides, preservatives and hormones in our food.

The list goes on. Furthermore, If you have a genetic fault that an estimated 40% of the population has, then these toxins will be much harder for your body to eliminate and will be stored as ‘estrogenic fat’. The bad news for guys is that this usually means losing some of their manhood as this toxic fat goes straight to your chest and thighs! An easy way to tell if you have this gene is by picking up a ‘foul smell’ in your urine after eating asparagus.