Hormones support good health. These vital chemical substances exist in every system, organ and gland you have and work in unison to help your body function properly. When levels are depleted, as they are leading up to and into menopause and andropause, it wreaks havoc in the brain, the cardiovascular system, the musculoskeletal system and throughout the body.
A common complaint of hormone depleted individuals is how negatively this loss impacts their exercise routines and general fitness. Many people in their 40s or even late 30s begin to notice effects like:
• Lessened desire and motivation to exercise
• Diminished results with exercise
• Loss of muscle mass
• Thickening waistline
• Increased fat storage
• Unexplained, ongoing weight gain
Research has found hormone loss to be associated with each of these effects in addition to others. Estrogen imbalance, for instance, can cause serious health problems in both men and women. Without proper hormone ratios, individuals can become estrogen dominant, a condition that has been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, amongst others. Very often the aging male experiences a lopsided ratio of estradiol to testosterone which can cause symptoms such as breast development, sexual dysfunction, increased abdominal fat and metabolic syndrome. Excess estrogen in men is also associated with increased risks of heart attack, stroke, and prostate disease. Women lose virtually all of their estradiol and testosterone at menopause putting them at risk for these same diseases, in addition to others like cancer and Alzheimer’s.
How Do Exercise and HRT Work Together to Improve Health and Fitness?
By replacing the hormones that are missing, especially testosterone and estradiol, and restoring them to proper ratios, you’re more likely to see beneficial results from exercise. When you look at some of the positive benefits of these two hormones, you can see why.
• Makes positive impact on motivation and mood
• Increases muscle mass and strength
• Increases levels of growth hormone making exercise more likely to build muscle
• Increases bone density & the manufacture of red blood cells in the marrow
• Increases fat metabolism helping body to burn fat more efficiently
• Supports bone strength and density
• Supports dopamine production in the brain—a neurotransmitter that reinforces behaviors that make you feel good.
Research indicates that long term testosterone replacement produces significant and sustained weight loss, marked reduction in waist circumference and BMI and improvement in body composition. Further, testosterone therapy ameliorates components of the metabolic syndrome.1
Likewise, restoring estradiol to beneficial physiologic levels (that are in proper ratio to testosterone) makes a big impact on the desire and motivation to exercise. Estradiol regulates dopamine production in the brain, which is essential for motivation and goal-oriented behaviors. When estradiol is missing, dopamine cells in the brain actually die.2 As a result of proper estradiol replacement, exercise can once again activate the brain’s pleasure circuit, making your work-out a gratifying activity.
Time to Get Back to the Gym!
There’s little doubt that regular exercise should be part of your everyday routine as you get older. It’s been shown to make a significant impact on muscle mass and fat deposition for postmenopausal women.3,4
The first step to getting fit again is returning your body to healthy hormonal balance with proper BHRT. Once your hormones are balanced, you’ll notice many, many changes in your quality of life—a boost in energy levels, better sleep, decreased stiffness, pain and soreness following your work-outs and many other benefits.
Isn’t it time to schedule a consultation to see if bioidentical hormone replacement can transform your life like it has so many others?
SottoPelle® BHRT Experts
SottoPelle® has specialized in BHRT using the pellet method longer than most. Our founder, Dr. Gino Tutera, developed a proprietary method for diagnosing, dosing and implantation that makes us a leader in our field. We have a long history of success when it comes to balancing hormones and helping people take control of their health. In fact, we are honored to say that, according to Ranking Arizona, an annual consumer publication by AZ Big Media, our patients have voted us Arizona’s #1 Hormone Therapy Clinic in 2015.
Call Us Today!
Learn more about SottoPelle® at www.sottopelletherapy.com and then give us a call at (877) 473-5538 to schedule a consultation.
1Abdulmaged M. Traish. Testosterone and weight loss: the evidence. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2014 Oct; 21(5): 313–322. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4154787/
2Yale University. “Estrogen Deprivation Leads To Death Of Dopamine Cells In The Brain.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 December 2000. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/12/001204072446.htm
3 Figueroa A, Going SB, Milliken LA, Blew RM, Sharp S, Teixeira PJ, Lohman TG. Effects of exercise training and hormone replacement therapy on lean and fat mass in postmenopausal women. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2003 Mar;58(3):266-70. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12634293
4 Teixeira PJ, Going SB, Houtkooper LB, Metcalfe LL, Blew RM, Flint-Wagner HG, Cussler EC, Sardinha LB, Lohman TG. Resistance training in postmenopausal women with and without hormone therapy. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003 Apr;35(4):555-62. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12673136