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As an athlete with a high training volume (on a multi modal triathlon and strength biased crossfit type regime) I feel a big drop of in libido. I read into this as having a relatively low level of testosterone. I know that this kind of training is no where near optimal but as it is a source of income what would you suggest I do? I eat a clean, strict paleo, grain, legume, dairy, frut and nut free. Is it worth looking into the herbal options an that sort of thing? Suggestions? Thanks |
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High intense training can tip the balance of cortisol to the high side. If you add other life stressors and excessive caffeine intake, cortisol can even be higher lowering testosterone. You did not mention your age, but that plays a big part in free testosterone to estradiol ratio levels. As you age, estradiol levels go up and recovery from high training sessions is extended. Other things could be binding up your free testosterone like estrogen disruptors and your testosterone is not available for use. Eating a lot of cabbage, that is filled with indole 3 carbinol helps remove excess estrogen and might improve this ratio. There is some good research out there that Acetyl-carnitine, proionyl-L carnitine and L carnitine tartrate helps keep testosterone levels up after intense training and aging. There is a product by Beverly International called Quadracarn, a carnitine analog formula that has all 3 carnitines. This might be helpful than any herbs. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15072869 |
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Up your vitamin D levels and zinc, both of which limit testosterone production. I found a noticeable effect on libido at 6000 IU of D3 per day, and 25 mg of zinc. YMMV. In my experience, when you get the right levels sorted, you'll know pretty fast. |
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Sounds like some overtraining. How's your sleep? And do you ever track your waking heart rate? Have you considered supplementing pregnenolone? You may have a pregnenolone steal syndrome, which can be associated with high cortisol levels from overtraining (or otherwise). There are some posts about that on here. |
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Read up on how pro cyclists fight fatigue and don't over train. It's a slippery slope. |
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I've never used the herbal stuff. I'd make sure you sleep as much as possible, and take naps. Increasing your carbs might also help. Make sure you are getting everything you need for testosterone production- maybe take ZMA? I'd also deload as much as possible without impacting performance. |
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