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Innocent choga Fitness
Men being men, rarely divulge their physical problems. A troubled reader wants to know how he can get rid of female breasts otherwise known as known as gynaecomastia.

“What sort of fat burners would work best?”

This case is about body image, but it is also a medical issue, because the truth is that female breasts cannot be removed by exercise and diet. So, no amount chest work or fat burners will work because this is breast tissue. In extreme cases it might be wise to go for surgery.

The reason being that, if you are too conscious and so concerned, this will negatively affect you psychologically and therefore affect your fitness; your daily life and chores. Experts say it is now a global trend that men who are concerned about their appearance are going for surgery. For some it is a way to stay young and competitive.

This unwanted physical feature seems to worry some men. If this is due to natural causes then there is nothing to worry about, but if it is due to bad lifestyle then be concerned.

Some of the causes of this condition are intoxicants, obesity, diabetes type two and other medical conditions like prostate cancer.

According to Mac Mukadam, a health and herbal expert, the most common cause of male breasts would be a high prevalence of oestrogen. An oversupply of testosterone, be it natural, or through therapy or abuse results in excess testosterone being converted to oestrogen. This can also be due to hormonal imbalances caused by the depletion of male hormones, the androgens. Testosterone is just one of the androgens.

Gynaecomastia is a common feature among older men though not all men are affected. Most of them do not seem to worry much about this; they know it is part of the ageing process. After we turn 30 we tend to lose testosterone at a rate of one to two percent.

It is said even some newly born male children are born with these features but they disappear as they grow. However, this feature shows more prominently in obese people either young or old.

Because this can be caused by loss of the male hormones, androgens, this leads to the question; is there something called male menopause?

Mukadam gives the background: “Menopause is all about hormonal changes. It is common in women because they go through hormonal changes which stops menstruation and childbirth. The two most common female hormones are oestrogen and progesterone and the most commonly known male hormone is testosterone and every male has a small amount of oestrogen just as every woman has a small amount of the male hormone testosterone.”

According to a study cited by Finkelstein et al (2013) there is a co-relationship between male hormones, body composition, strength and the sexual function. Male menopause (low-T or men-o-pause in slang language) relates to symptoms that some men can experience from middle age into old age as a result of decreased testosterone levels. The appropriate term of this condition is andropause syndrome (AS). Men above the age of fifty will definitely experience the decrease in hormones irrespective of the presence of AS symptoms, but normally the hormone banks will never be depleted unless one lives a very unhealthy lifestyle. Paddock 2010 blames poor health and obesity as the main causes for the extreme decline of androgens.

Morales Heaton and Carson 2000 say the symptoms include fatigue, depression, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, mood alteration and cognition impairment.

For some individuals the dissipation of hormones occurs too early or at an alarming rate. It is reported that some young men as old as 19 are being affected though these are very rare cases. Loss of hormones means loss of strength and longer recovery time.

Loss of androgen hormones can result in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression or even cognitive impairment arthritis and too much oestrogen invites fat accumulation.

Mukadam laments, “Sadly we live in a world with powerful industries like the food industry and some animal farmers are depending on oestrogen induced animal feeds to fatten their animals and poultry so that they realise their yields much faster. So imagine if someone is exposed to these products at a very early age, how much oestrogen they will have consumed by the time they reach their teens. Fortunately in Zimbabwe we are sheltered from this by the banning of imported animal products and our farmers largely rely on proper methods of farming.

“The best ways of increasing and maintaining testosterone is thing to detoxify naturally and to eat a blood specific diet comprised of traditional foods which ensures an adequate supply of nutrients. Consider taking herbs such as tribulis terestres which is the only known natural way of improving the body’s mechanisms to manufacture its own testosterone. A diet that is rich in zinc is ideal because zinc is one of those components that assists in the production of testosterone. It can be found in foods like nuts and mahehwu, the chimera that is used is an excellent source of nutrients. The sprouted seeds used in the recipe have rich nutrients that are ready to support the growth of the plant, so imagine what you will be getting out of that.”

Exercise will enhance us to capture testosterone thereby avoiding male menopause because exercise helps us to maintain lean body mass. And lean body mass is fertile ground for testosterone. Unlike the female hormones which thrive in lipids (recommended amounts not excess), the male hormone testosterone favours lean body mass even though it is stored differently.

According to experts, the funnel of life has widened a bit at the lower end, meaning more people are reaching the age of 50, clocking a century and beyond than before. It is therefore necessary to ensure the quality of life is high through active lifestyles and good diet management.

 Email:[email protected] —Innocent Choga is a six time National Bodybuilding Champion with international experience. He is studying for a science degree in Physical Education and Sport.