[recovery] -- hormones
Food and sleep are the primary recovery variables in barbell training. The vast majority of people do not sleep enough and have a terrible diet, so they are the most logical places to start for the general population. For most people, fixing these two things is enough to see significant results with minimal investment.
However, for lifters who have optimized these variables and are still having problems recovering, hormone imbalance may be the culprit. The most common problems are low testosterone and / or hypothyroidism. The thyroid regulates metabolism and energy levels. Testosterone also contributes to energy levels and creates an anabolic environment with which to recover from hard training.
Unfortunately, the definition of “adequate testosterone” has changed dramatically throughout the years. Lab reference ranges are created from a random sample of the general population. They are a statistical average, not a description of optimal health.
Testosterone levels have been dropping steadily for decades. Therefore, the reference range has been dropping as well. What is “normal” today was not normal 50 years ago. Blind reliance on the reference range creates the illusion that low testosterone levels are somehow normal or desirable. The same distortion also affects thyroid numbers.
Most general practitioners and endocrinologists seem unable to understand the problem with reference ranges. Therefore, they often refuse to treat patients who fall within the range, even if they are highly symptomatic. Anyone who is serious about fixing his hormones must go to a specialist. Here are two excellent telehealth clinics —
Since hormones are not patented substances, treatment is cheap. There is no reason to continue to suffer the ill effects of hormonal imbalance.