Myostatin is Making You Fat and Causing Low Testosterone and Growth Hormone

Most people have never heard of myostatin, and I would venture to say most doctors are not familiar with their importance in fat and muscle regulation either. It's a fascinating growth factor protein that actually controls how your body stores fat and grows muscle. The higher the amounts of myostatin in you have the more fat you will accumulate, and the less muscle mass you will be able to preserve.

In extreme cases animals and even sometime humans are born with a mutation in the gene that produces myostatin, this results in extreme muscle growth, and little to no fat accumulation. Seeing the dramatic effect of having no myostatin at all, most of us would agree that a complete deficiency might not be the best thing for us. But, we can also be assured that too much will keep us trapped in the Downward Cycle of Aging.

As we already know, as we age our GH levels start to drop, but what you probably didn't know is that Growth Hormone actually inhibits myostatin production. So, as your growth hormone levels drop, you myostatin levels rise, thus making it impossible for you to stop the accumulation of fat around your midsection or the wasting away of your muscle.

So, how do we stop this terrible imbalance from occurring? We make sure our GH Levels Don't Drop! I know what your thinking, "Oh, its that simple you say, just let me think happy thoughts and my GH won't diminish", and I get your point. It is sounds pretty easy, but HOW exactly do we do it?

In a study published in the International SportsMed Journal mentioned two ways to increase Growth Hormone, thus helping take back control of your body and health. And, I am going to go ahead and add a third mentioned in several other publications.

1.) Hormone Replacement Therapy

They demonstrated that administering rGH (recumbent Growth hormone) significantly increased lean body mass, endurance, performance, and decreased body fat. This may be linked to the fact that rGH reduced myostatin over 31%

Growth Hormone Replacement. This is a standard treatment for adult growth hormone deficiency. Replacing your GH with bioidentical hormones is a great way to inhibit myostatin, and increase your muscle, while losing fat.

2.) Intense Exercise

The Journal showed that only intense exercise was effective at increase GH levels in aging men and women. They showed that Intense Strength training (using heavy weights, for minimal reps) was 425% more effective at increasing GH production than lower weights at high reps.

Sprint type Exercise was the second recommendation as they found that only the cardio don't at an intensity to illicit lactic acid response would increase growth hormones, demonstrating that sprint type activities are more efficient than slow steady paced cardio. The study recommended a minimal interval of 30 seconds, as the 6 second interval was not of a long enough duration to illicit growth hormone production.

3.) Nutrition and Eating Habits

The third was to increase your growth hormone levels is to eat according to a specific plan designed to increase your hormone levels. It has been show in more studies than I could site, that a diet around 40-50% fat, 25-35% protein, and 20-30% carbohydrates is gong to create the optimum environment to produce not only growth hormone, but also other Life Hormones like Testosterone.

Remember, Aging is Inevitable, but Looking and Feeling Old is Optional.

Hormone Basics: It's a Question of Balance

What are hormones and what is it they do?

Hormones are chemical messengers that travel via the blood, enter tissues and regulate cell function by direct effects on Specific receptors. Hormones act on receptors the way a key fits into a lock. If the hormone is slightly different, it may fit into the lock but not open the same doors as the proper key.

Where are hormones made?

The hormones we are discussing today are estrogens, androgens; progesterone and cortisol are known as steroid hormones. Steroid hormones are manufactured in the body from cholesterol. Women and men share the same hormones. The relative amounts differ.

There are four general categories of steroid hormones: Estrogens, androgens, progesterone and glucocorticoids. Estrogens are called female hormones but are essential for men. Androgens are called male hormones but are also essential for women. Progesterone is the only hormone in its class but it can be changed into cortisol. Cortisol, the stress response hormone, is a glucocorticoid. In women, sex steroid hormones are produced primarily by the ovaries and adrenal glands.

In men, sex steroids are produced primarily by the testies and adrenal glands. The conversion of each hormone to another in the pathway requires specific enzymes, which in turn require specific vitamins and minerals. Once menopause or andropause has been reached the adrenal glands become the primary source for estrogens and testosterone.

Estrogens

Estrogen receptors are found in cells throughout the body including bone, brain, blood vessels, bladder, breast, thyroid gland, and the reproductive organs. Estrogens are responsible for the development of the female secondary sex characteristics such as breast development and play a critical role in the menstrual cycle.

In men estrogens are related to libido, adiposity, skin tissues and prostate. All estrogens interact with estrogen receptors but not to the same degree. Each estrogen has a different affinity for the estrogen receptor. The stronger the affinity for the receptor the greater estrogenic effect it will have. There are many naturally occurring human estrogens. The most widely used are estradiol, estrone and estriol.

Estradiol

Estradiol is the strongest of the three major estrogens and is the main estrogen released by the ovaries. It is also produced by the adrenal glands. Estradiol is the primary estrogen of the menstrual cycle and is responsible for maintaining the endometrium (the lining of the uterus).

Estrone

Estrone is next in strength after estradiol. It is produced from androstenedione released by the adrenal glands. Estrone is the main post-menopausal estrogen, and can be converted to either estriol or estradiol as needed.

Estriol

Estriol is the weakest of the three common natural estrogens but is strong enough to produce estrogenic effects. Estriol levels are very high during pregnancy.

Progesterone

Progesterone promotes gestation and is essential for the maintenance of pregnancy and the principal hormone of the second half of the menstrual cycle, the luteal phase. Progesterone receptors are found throughout the body just like estrogens receptors. The body's tissues need all hormones for a true balance. Progesterone is produced in the ovaries and the adrenal glands but most of the adrenal p4 goes to cortisol

Synthetic progestins, much like synthetic estrogen, do not fit into the same receptor "locks" and the natural hormones (or bio-identical).

Androgens and Androgen Precursors

Testosterone

In women provides a sense of well-being, improves libido (sex drive), helps maintain the vaginal mucosa and bone tissue. It is also needed for heart health, skin elasticity and muscle mass. Women have 1/5 to 1/10 the amount of testosterone as men. Testosterone can be converted to estraiol via the enzyme aromatase that are found in fat cells. The more fat cells the more estrogen, which is true for women as well as men.

Dehydroepiandrosterone

Dhea is the most abundant steroid hormone in the body and is the principle androgen precursor. Dhea is produced by the adrenal glands and can be used to make estradiol, estrone, estriol, and testosterone.

Androstenedione

Androstenedione is made from Dhea in the adrenal glands. It is the building block for estrogens and testosterone and is critical for the production of steroid hormones after menopause.

Glucocorticoids

Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands in response to physical and emotional stresses. It is essential in mobilizing the body's defenses against infection and inflammation.

Levels are highest in the am to combat the stress of overnight fasting and to start the breakdown of proteins into simple sugars to provide glucose to the brain.

Hormone Interactions

The interactions between various hormone groups are as important as the actions of the hormones themselves.

Estrogen and Cortisol

Estrogens are made from androstenedione and testosterone via the action of the enzyme aromatase. Cortisol stimulates aromatase activity, which in turns promotes estrogen formation. Cortisol also promotes deposition of fat around the waist, which is where the aromatase. Therefore excess cortisol translates into excess estrogen in both men and women.

Progesterone and Cortisol

P4 interacts directly with cortisol at the receptor level. These two complete for the same receptor and therefore if there is a lot of stress and a lot cortisol the cortisol may block the actions of p4.

Dhea and Cortisol

Dhea and cortisol have opposite effects on immune function and regulation of blood sugar. Dhea can improve sensitivity to insulin, which helps lower blood glucose levels. Cortisol increases blood glucose levels. When cortisol levels are high, more Dhea must be released to balance the effects of cortisol.

Androgens and Cortisol

The ration between cortisol and androgenic hormones is essential for maintaining muscle mass. Androgens build muscle, cortisol breaks it down. As we age, or when stressed, we tend to have more cortisol relative to androgens which results in a net loss of muscle mass and bone. Cortisol and androgens can act on the same gene in opposite ways, so cortisol can directly oppose the message that the androgen is trying to deliver.

Thyroid and Cortisol

They have a mutually dependent relationship. A certain amount of thyroid is needed for cortisol to work properly, and a certain amount of cortisol is necessary for thyroid hormones to work properly. This means that the signs and symptoms of a deficiency in one hormone family can actually be due to a deficiency in the other hormone family. An excess of cortisol can impair the activity of thyroid.

Hormone Balance

Progesterone and Estrogens

Estrogen and progesterone receptors are found in the same tissue and need to be in balance for optimum action. Too much of one produces symptoms of a deficiency of the other. Hormone replacement is the attempt to restore the balance needed to be symptom free.

Estrogens and Thyroid Hormones

Excess estrogens suppress the action of thyroid hormones in men and women. Remember the aromatase action producing estrogen from testosterone. Progesterone can assist the action of thyroid.

Functional Deficiency

Menopause and andropause symptoms are essentially the results of hormone imbalances. These imbalances and therefore symptoms can occur at any time due to any number of reasons.

Perimenopause and Pregnancy

Doctors find that when the issue of perimenopause enters a woman's life, many women worry about pregnancy. They worry about if they can still become pregnant, either because they would still like to have children or because they would like to make sure they don't get pregnant by accident.

Perimenopause and pregnancy are an interesting pair. On the one hand, women have a decreased chance of becoming pregnant because their periods tend to be irregular (due to the hormonal imbalances), and on the other hand, they're at a higher risk for having an unexpected pregnancy because they don't know when their hormones will suddenly trigger the body to begin ovulating again.

The first situation posed by perimenopause and pregnancy, that of having a decreased chance of becoming pregnant may upset some women. It is especially upsetting in this age when perimenopause can begin at 35. Sometimes women have not had the chance to have a child yet, and then their body kicks into perimenopause.

If you are in this situation, do not lose hope. A lot of women have gotten pregnant during their perimenopause years., which means you can too! If irregular periods is one of your symptoms, there are natural treatments you can try in order to regulate your period and increase your chances of becoming pregnant. Usually this treatment involves a change in diet, and healthy exercise. Sometimes doctors prescribe eating or drinking soy products, soy being a plant product that mimics estrogen.

Through natural treatments, many women have been able to reduce their perimenopause symptoms, as well as have a normal pregnancy. Some even claim that their symptoms completely disappeared and the perimenopause problem was reversed. If you would still like to have a child, make it clear to your doctors that this is part of the goal when addressing your perimenopause, and they should be able to help you find a natural treatment that your body will respond to.

Next, the opposite situation posed by perimenopause and pregnancy is that of not wanting to become pregnant, but being afraid of the fact that your period (and ovulation) is unpredictable. The best way to address this problem is to try and regulate the periods. Again, natural treatments can work and give you a better chance of keeping track of your period, which will help you prevent an unexpected pregnancy.

If natural methods do not work, you can also try using low dose birth control pills. These pills, though originally designed as contraceptives, are actually a form of perimenopause treatment because it tries to regulate your hormones in order to give you a regular monthly cycle, as well as alleviate some of your other symptoms. It is definitely an option you should look into if natural methods do not work well enough for you.

The issue of perimenopause and pregnancy is quite important for many women. It is something women need to know and understand so that they can be aware of what options they have, no matter what it is exactly they want to do.

Progesterone Use Cautions and Insights - What You Should Know

Progesterone can be described as feminine hormone essential for control regarding ovulation and also menstruation. Progesterone is utilized to help trigger menstrual cycles for females who've never yet attained menopause, however, aren't experiencing cycles as a result of deficiency of progesterone within the body. The treatments can be utilized to stop overgrowth inside the liner of the uterus for postmenopausal females that are getting estrogen hormone substitution treatment.

Material regarding progesterone

Don't utilize progesterone without informing your physician should you be expecting. It might harm your developing fetus. Make use of a good method of contraception, and also notify your physician should you conceive in the course of therapy. Several varieties of the medicine might include peanut fat. Never make use of progesterone while not informing your physician when you have some sort of peanut allergic reaction. Making use of progesterone may raise the threat associated with blood vessel clots, cerebrovascular event, coronary heart harm, as well as breast area cancers.

Never utilize this medicine when you have the subsequent ailments: a brief history regarding breast area cancer malignancy, irregular genital blood loss, ailing liver disease, when you are expecting, or simply for those who have experienced any cerebrovascular event, coronary heart episode, and / or blood vessel clog during the previous 12 months.

Progesterone may also be provided for a short time, for example 6 to 12 days and nights at a stretch throughout every period. Adhering to the dosing timetable is essential for the medicine to work. Do not skip any sort of dosages.

Progesterone might hinder an individual's reasoning or even responses. Be cautious should you travel or conduct something that demands that you become attentive.

Progesterone shouldn't be utilized to protect against cardiovascular disease and / or dementia, due to the fact this kind of medicine might just raise the threat regarding such ailments.

Prior to utilizing progesterone

Should you have these additional ailments, you might need a dosage realignment or specific exams to carefully utilize progesterone:

• cardiovascular disease, blood flow issues;


• threat variables regarding coronary artery sickness (such as using tobacco, carrying excess fat, and also experiencing increased blood vessels force or excessive cholesterol);


• headaches,


• kidney illness;


• seizures or even epilepsy;


• a brief history regarding depressive disorders; or

Don't utilize progesterone without having the physician's permission should you be expecting. Inform your physician should you conceive in the course of therapy. Utilize an efficient type of contraception when you're making use of this medicine. Progesterone may circulate in breast area milk and could damage the breastfeeding infant. Don't utilize this medicine without informing your physician should you be breast-feeding an infant.

5 Steps to Hormone Health and Weight Loss

Our hormone health effects our bodies in many ways but one specific way is an increase in weight. Hormonally challenged women gain weight around their middle between the armpits and the top of the thighs. Often their arms are normal, their legs are normal and from the neck up they look great! Hormonally challenged men gain weight around their waists and often are on their way to developing breasts!

Estrogen is produced in our fat cells. Estrogen increases fat cells. As a result more estrogen is produced and so on and so on.

Breaking the Estrogen cycle and then going on an excellent weight management program is exactly what needs to take place.

Step One

Evaluate your hormones. Find out the ratio of estrogen to progesterone presently in your body. If out of balance, we call that estrogen dominance, then you will likely have or currently be gaining weight around your middle.

Step Two

Begin an estrogen-lowering program. That will include of course increasing your progesterone levels with a bio-identical progesterone cream. But hormone balancing was never all about progesterone. Modulating and balancing estrogens if found to be out of balance to progesterone is equally important to your weight loss program.

An estrogen-lowering program will include:

- Increase your fiber intake. That happens two ways: 1. Eat as much as you can by choosing fruits, vegetables and whole grains as your high -fiber carbohydrate choices and then add a fiber supplement (Fiber Source 7) to consume 30 to 50 grams of fiber daily.

- Increase the indoles (cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower) in your diet. That also happens two ways: Eat as much as you can and supplement with an indole-3-carbinol supplement (EllagiGuard). Target 3 servings a day.

- Increase the essential fatty acids (EFA's) in your diet. They are essential because the body does not make them. They help balance prostaglandin production in the body and thus help regulate estrogens.

- Increase your overall nutrition by taking extra vitamin C (Super C Crystals) and by taking a concentrated fruit and vegetable supplement (Fruit and Vegetable Essence).

Step Three

Eat 40/30/30. Incorporate a new way of approaching meals purposing to eat Carbohydrates Proteins and Fats in a balanced way at each meal. When we eat balanced meals our weight will normalize, our energy levels will increase and our hormones will be in balance. More information is available in the book "The Formula" by J & G Daoust.

Step Four

Get Moving. Develop a great exercise program with the help of someone who knows what they are doing. Tailor a program especially for you - one that you can do and are willing to make a commitment to keep. Most of us need to think in terms of keeping our bodies moving and staying active for the rest of our lives. Couch potatoes rarely are healthy.

Step Five

Celebrate!! Men and women whose hormones are out of balance feel unwell. Men and women who have balanced hormones feel well. Achieving hormone health will increase your overall health and wellness and assist you in losing weight. You will look younger and feel younger!

This Article Is Copywright 2006 Jackie L. Harvey & Saliva Testing com

What You Need to Know About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Magazines worldwide are talking about women in menopause and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). But the same question keeps popping up. What is bioidentical hormones replacement?

Bioidentical hormones are made in a lab from plants, and they are comprised of molecules that are the same as the endogenous hormones made in a person's body. These are not 'exactly' the same, but the molecules are "identical" - which is how we got the name bio-bidentical hormones. Bioidentical hormones are often referred to as natural hormones.

There are still a number of women who are afraid of taking hormones, and some doctors are leary as well. This is because everyone remembers the news that came out surrounding the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). This government sponsored study that ended up with overly emphasized negative results released in May 2002, caused women and doctors to discontinue the use of hormone replacement therapy.

Some researchers and medical experts believe this initiative was oddly monitored and incompetently analyzed. This historic report was in fact on synthetic drugs with hormone-like effects, PremPro and Premarin, substances that were donated by the pharmaceutical company that had sold them since 1942. Unfortunately, the assumption was that the drugs would be found safe and effective, but in essence, nothing could have been further from the truth.

People can take bioidentical hormones in several ways: gels, drops under the tongue, pills, or via topical creams. of course there are a number of approaches to the dosing and blood levels and these have all been clumped together as "natural," but the reality is that none of them are truly natural if they don't mimic a rhythm that your body can recognize as natural. There is only one bioidentical hormone therapy protocol that is biomimetic - meaning it offers a standardized rhythmic, cycling of the hormones, estrogen and progersterone, and it does mimic the body's rhythm.

Many women have been experiencing great results from this rhythmically dosed bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, and have happily given their personal accounts of the menopause experiences and testimonials on the Wiley Protocol website. In fact, some of them have also made comments or provided video testimonials on the Bioidenticals Channel on YouTube.

Gels, pills and drops do not pulse in our bodies, like endogenous hormones pulse. A healthy young woman's endogenous hormones go way up and way down low and trigger different genes; genes that grow cells, stop cells from growing, and tell cells to die.

Women go through various hormone states in life; 1) young and cycling 2) pregnant, 3) breastfeeding or 4) declining hormones. Doesn't it make sense that number 1 -- young and cycling - seems to replicate that state of hormonal health the best? Why? Because the other two templates are too hard to recreate physically and experimentally.

What this means is that women cycle up to a peak of estrogen and then the body lets it fall and then brings it down again for a second smaller peak. Progesterone peaks on day 21. Healthy women have a period that lasts for five days with a heavier flow on day two and three. Therefore,one concludes bio-identical hormones can only be truly bio-identical if the hormones for replacement mimic not only those chemically found in the body, but also mimic the natural biological process as well.

What's more, new research is focusing on healthy hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and suggests that women must cycle their hormones and have a menstrual bleed to be truly safe from cardiovascular events. In one study a combined cyclic regimen with monthly bleeding creates a lower cardiovascular risk for women than continuous-combined estrogen/progesterone/progestin therapy, which does not cause a menstrual bleed. The study also found that overall there was no increased risk of heart attacks in current users of HRT compared to women who had never taken hormones. The principal investigator of this research, Dr. Ellen Løkkegaard, is a gynecologist at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark. She said, "The main message is that when hormone therapy is indicated for a woman, then a cyclic combined regimen should be preferred, and that application via the skin or the vagina is associated with a decreased risk of myocardial infarction."

The observational study, the largest to look at the effects of HRT since the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial in 1991, followed 698,098 healthy 51-69 year-old Danish women. There is rhythm to the way hormones work, and there is a beat like music. Pills, gels, drops and static dosing do not honor the music. But the Wiley Protocol biomimetic, rhythmic bioidentical hormone therapy does. When a woman has enough hormones she feels good, and some women even feel better than they did during their entire lives.

Must Know Facts About Testosterone Boosters

Testosterone is a steroid hormone that plays a key role in the development of the male reproductive tissues. Not only this, the hormone helps in the growth of secondary sexual characteristics in men like the growth of muscles, deepening of voice etc. There are various men all across the globe that suffers from low testosterone problem. The best way to treat low testosterone problem is though natural ways. Natural ways reduce the possibility of side effects and this is the reason they are trusted the most.

Doctors always recommend the best testosterone boosters for men, especially for the ones who have had issues with the development of secondary sexual characteristics. In the US, the consumption of testosterone has become common for muscle building. The problem is that not all of these medications are illegal; some of them are sold over the counter and are easily available over the internet.

Men start taking testosterone boosters usually after they attain the age of 35 years; this is also recommended by doctors. The reason behind the same is the fact that, after the age of 35 the body starts to decrease natural testosterone production. To enhance the sexual performance people start the consumption of this testosterone. Testosterone is a steroid that basically helps in the production of proteins in the body. What happens is that once you start taking extra testosterone the body would start developing the cellular tissues in muscles and other body cells. This is one of the reasons it is widely taken as a steroid as well.

So if you start taking artificial steroids, they do two things at the same time: they increase the level of testosterone and they help you in building you muscles. It is always recommended that these should be consumed in a proper way and taken only when prescribed as the over does can affect the body in many ways.

Few of the best testosterone boosters are used by doctors to help the people who are suffering from erectile dysfunction and lack of interest in sexual intercourse. This is done so that the level of testosterone is increased in the body that would lead to betterment of sexual activities. Some people write off taking external pills completely and believe the fact that natural ways only should be use as testosterone boosters. If you follow a good diet and ensure that you have a protein rich diet on a regular basis, then body would start to produce testosterone, this would be completely natural, however, not something that can be dependent on completely.

Boys that do not start to show signs of growth even after they hit puberty are usually given extra doses of the hormone. Doctors start to give the dosage of extra steroids to men so that they can better their sexual activities and once they have the confidence along with the right amount of hormones in the body, they can easily be stopped. There are many ways in which the testosterone level can be increased, however make sure you consult a doctor before you take any decision as if taken in the wrong quantity they could ruin your health tremendously.