The Journal #45
Testosterone. Travel. Inspection. Teenagers.
The Mid-life Man-opause - It happens to us all so why don’t we talk about it?
01. HEALTH - Joe Gaunt
Testosterone
I delivered a talk this week for an amazing and forward thinking company focused on men's health (who already have a great female health focus in play).
One of the big elements of the feedback was around understanding the critical role of testosterone in men and how changes have a huge effect on our physical and mental health.
I have therefore written a 3 part series for you to break this down and emphasise the importance of getting regular checks for testosterone levels.
Understanding Testosterone and Andropause
Introduction
Testosterone, often referred to as the “male hormone,” is a crucial player in human health. While it’s predominantly associated with men, testosterone also plays an important role in women, albeit at lower levels. This hormone is responsible for regulating a wide range of bodily functions, including muscle mass and mood regulation. However, as men age, testosterone levels naturally decline approximately 1 to 2% per year, leading to a condition known as andropause.
What is Testosterone?
Testosterone is an androgen hormone primarily produced in the testes in men and, to a lesser extent, in the ovaries and adrenal glands in women. In men, testosterone levels peak during adolescence and early adulthood, playing a pivotal role in the development of male secondary sexual characteristics such as facial hair, a deeper voice, and increased muscle mass.
Beyond puberty, testosterone continues to regulate essential functions like maintaining bone density, muscle strength, and red blood cell production. It also influences mood, energy levels, and libido, making it integral to overall well-being.
What is Andropause?
Andropause, sometimes referred to as 'male menopause,' or by some GP's I know as 'Man-opause' describes the gradual decline of testosterone levels in men, typically beginning in their late 30s or early 40s (but in my experience this can vary significantly man to man and many guys I know if there 40's have seen a much more dramatic drop). Unlike the abrupt hormonal changes seen in menopause for women, andropause is generally more gradual and often subtle, making it harder to identify.
Symptoms of Andropause:
Fatigue and low energy levels.
Decreased libido and erectile difficulties.
Loss of muscle mass and increased body fat.
Mood changes, such as irritability or mild depression.
Difficulty concentrating or "brain fog."
Causes of Testosterone Decline
While ageing is the primary cause of declining testosterone levels, other factors can accelerate this process. Lifestyle habits such as poor diet, lack of exercise, chronic stress, and inadequate sleep can contribute to lower testosterone. Additionally, certain health conditions like obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome are linked to reduced testosterone levels.
Addressing andropause isn’t just about restoring hormone levels – it’s about improving overall health and well-being. By recognising the signs early, men can take proactive steps to manage symptoms and optimise their health.
Part 2 of our series next week will explore the physical effects of reduced testosterone and some effective lifestyle interventions.
For any guys wanting to get their Testosterone checked - NXT45 provide a 10% discount at Medichecks through our partner company zeno.
Please head to Medichecks and add the code HEALTHNAV10 to receive this discount
Being out of your normal routine isn’t an excuse to be out of your training routine
02. FITNESS
Travel Fitness
Like most of us I travel often for work and rarely find myself in the same location or routine week on week.
In a world of chaos and lack of control (including last minute work trips) it’s important to hold onto the things you do have a say over. Whether you exercise or not is definitely one of them.
When we travel we invariably will eat less than optimally, grabbing food on the fly and eating out means generally higher calories, salt, fat and lower protein and fibre.
Our sleep quality also suffers as a result of a different bed, lighter and noisier hotel rooms (that air con light you cannot help but see at 03:00!) and an irregular or different sleep/wake cycle.
As a result it’s even more important to keep our bodies nourished through movement and exercise as it battles the adverse effects noted above.
I’m going to steer clear of offering a program here for you to follow but this week I was away and this is what I did. It required no equipment and only meant I needed to pack one pair of trainers and one set of training kit (I always take clothes liquid wash with me and wash my kit in the shower after trainnig so that it’s fresh and dry for the next day).
Travel day - rest.
Day 1 - Full bodyweight circuit (40 minutes) - can be done in hotel room or a local park.
Day 2 - 8 x 1km threshold runs / 60s rest in between each set (48 minutes).
Day 3 - Full bodyweight circuit (35 minutes).
Day 4 - 10 x max effort 50m hill sprints / walk slowly back to start to recover (30 minutes).
Day 5 - Quick 5km with a friend I’ve not see in ages (29 minutes).
Day 6 - 30 min AMRAP (as many reps as possible) - choose 4 exercises of 15 reps each + 400m run.
Travel day - rest.
You’ll notice that most sessions took less than 45 minutes which meant I could get them done before breakfast to ensure they didn’t interfere with the work I had planned but more importantly so that they always got done.
Travel isn’t an excuse to be lazy, it’s a reason to experience training in a new environment.
Plan ahead by checking the hotel gym set up, local parks and running routes.
Get it done.
Mike inspecting the safety of crews prior to their Atlantic row
03. MINDSET - Mike Bates
Inspection
I’m writing this week’s Journal inside the lounge of Tenerife South Airport.
I’ve been in La Gomera (a 40 minute ferry from Tenerife and one of the southernmost islands) all week supporting the crews who are about to embark on the challenge of a lifetime as they attempt to row 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean.
The row departs from San Sebastian de La Gomera - the last port visited by Christopher Columbus and his crew as they stocked up on final provisions prior to embarking on their famous voyage to discover America.
It’s a privilege to have been invited back as part of the Atlantic Campaigns Safety Team. I still can’t quite believe that it has been two years since I pushed off from San Sebastian myself in a 7 meter rowing boat!
This week 110 rowers from 19 countries, who each make up the 38 teams in The World’s Toughest Row 2024, have been completing their final inspections prior to launching their boats into the marina. The next time their boats will be lifted out of water each will be on another continent and their crews will be different people as a result of their experiences on the ocean.
An ocean row has the habit of changing one’s outlook on life - 67% of ocean rowers go on to change their career and life path post row.
Each inspection takes between 2 and 3 hours and is followed up by further checks once any recommendations have been implemented. It’s part checklist, part crew knowledge check, part opportunity for the member of the Safety Team completing the inspection to add value and experience to help their team to succeed.
None of the crews are cleared to launch until the Safety Team and race 0rganisers are confident they will make it to Antigua.
Each team signs a document agreeing that a rescue at sea will only take place if lives are in danger.
It’s a one way ticket if ever there was one.
Completing each inspection and thinking about the importance of checking the readiness and preparedness of the crews got me thinking.
How little we ‘inspect’ our own self and our own lives for our personal readiness and preparedness to deal with the challenges that life will inevitably send us.
We just ‘think’ we have what it will take only to find out often to our horror, embarrassment and shock that we’re not that prepared after all.
With a new year fast approaching maybe it’s time we all laid out the contents of our self on the floor in front of us for inspection?
How fit are you? How spiritually robust? Are the friendships you currently keep pushing you forward or pulling you back? Where would you like to be this time next year and have you made plans to succeed?
Would you pass your own inspection or would you fail?
Only you will know but know you must.
Failing to inspect and prepare is preparing to inspect the catastrophe of your failures from which you may not have the ability to recover.
You wouldn’t attempt to cross an ocean with a hole in your boat so much as you’d expect to live to 80 years of age obese, drinking, smoking and eating poorly.
It pays to be prepared.
Look within and inspect yourself often.
04. QUOTE
“Truth is confirmed by inspection and delay; falsehood by haste and uncertainty.” – Tacitus
08. TIP
As our children enter their teenage years it can be tricky (at time impossible) to engage in quality conversation.
We hardly spoke to our parents at that age. It’s no different for our kids as they begin the challenge of their transition from child to adult.
Here are some of our top tips to illicit better responses from your kids and to keep the lines of communication open between you both.
- Ask open ended questions rather than closed questions. This will help to keep the flow of a conversaiton going and allow for longer responses.
Try: ‘What was the best thing that happened at school today/What was the most interesting thing you learned today, I’d love to hear about it’ rather than ‘How was school today’.
- If you’re looking for a specific answer, ask a specific question. Children often don’t know what type of answer you are looking for.
Try: ‘When I asked you to tidy your room yesterday, how did that make you feel?’. ‘Is there anything I could do better or more of when I take you to football training?’
- If you ask positive questions your child is more likely to engage back. Negative questions have a habit of stopping conversation early.
Try: ‘I’ve been reflecting on yesterday and our argument about your exam results. I really value your opinion, could we do that chat again as I’d like to hear more about what happened’ rather than ‘We need to talk more about your exam results’.
Keeping an open dialogue with our kids is never going to be straight forward but it gets better with practice. Remember, you are the adult and so it is down to you to set the example and the tone for quality conversation not them.
We’re working hard behind the scenes shaping our first NXT Fathers test event launching in 2025 - will you be there?
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We believe that when men live happier, healthier & more fulfilled lives…everyone wins! - NXT45
The Journal by NXT45
