More Drinking…Less Maleness.
Too much drinking? Not performing?
Chronic heavy drinking is bad for you, we all know this, but if you’re a man, have you heard that heavy regular drinking might also make you less able to perform???!!! Studies have shown that when consumed in binge amounts, some men may react by showing a temporary surge in testosterone levels; a hormonal jump that may well in part explain drunken aggression. In general though, heavy, lengthy and regular use of alcohol has a diminishing effect on testosterone levels. Heavy regular alcohol use robs men of normal testosterone levels, which causes a number of negative health effects.
The Consequences of Lowered Testosterone Levels Include:
- Fatigue
- A decrease in sex drive
- Erectile dysfunction
- Weight gain (fat gain, especially around the mid section)
- A loss of lean muscle
- Irritability
- Body hair loss
- A decrease in bone mass and a resultant increase in the risks of breaks and fractures
- Depression
- Male breasts
- Shrinking testes
- An increase in certain cardiovascular disease risks (men with very low testosterone levels are at a very high risk of heart attack)
Lab tests examining the impact of chronic drinking on testosterone levels have found that as little as 5 days of consecutive binge drinking will cause a lingering fall in testosterone in the body. So while social norms may seem to demand heavy drinking in certain male focused environments, heavy drinking actually reduces the maleness of those selfsame participants!
If, after a diagnosis of low testosterone levels, you find yourself still drinking alcohol at anything above a very minimal amount and infrequently, you may need to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol – after all, continuing to drink even knowing the harms that alcohol does to your body, is a hallmark sign of an alcohol problem.
Get a Trackback link