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Bye bye love handles – hello great sex!

Men who blame their age for their lack of sex drive should think seriously about losing those love handles. Researchers at St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin have produced evidence that prediabetic men who are overweight could boost their levels of testosterone by almost 50% if they lost weight.

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Testosterone is a hormone in the body that controls male libido. It's common knowledge that men who are overweight have lower testosterone levels, and that lack of testosterone can lead to problems like erectile dysfunction. To find out if losing too much weight could have an effect on testosterone levels too, researchers at St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin studied 891 prediabetic men who were overweight, with an average age of 54. The participants in the study were divided into three groups. Those in the first group were prescribed 150 minutes of exercise a week and a weight-loss diet. The men in the second group were given metformine (an anti-diabetic drug) only. Finally, those in the third group were given a placebo. In a quarter of the participants, the level of testosterone was initially low (less than 300 nanograms per decilitre).

The results of the study, presented during an annual conference held by The Endocrine Society of Boston (USA), showed that the changes in lifestyle (diet and exercise) led to 46% fewer men suffering from low testosterone levels over the course of the year (from 20% to just 11% of participants), while the levels of testosterone remained unchanged for the men who took both the medication and the placebo.

Men in the first group of participants lost an average of almost 1 stone 4 pounds in a year. In addition to improving their appearance, their weight loss also boosted their production of testosterone (in direct proportion to the amount of weight lost and reduced waist measurement) and prevented signs of diabetes. According to the researchers, “Doctors should first of all encourage men who are overweight and have low testosterone levels to try to lose weight by dieting and taking exercise before prescribing hormoe treatment (...) Weight loss not only reduces the risk of a prediabetic condition developing into full-blown diabetes, but also allows patients to increase testosterone production,” said Professor Hayes. 

Source: Relaxnews 

David Bême

Copyright © Doctissimo 2012

Posted 06.08.2012

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