Supplementing for Men Over 40

If you’re male, over 40, and you want to do something about preventing the impending ageing your body is inherently designed to do, this is the article for you. In this article, we will be discussing the potential downfalls of the ageing process for males and what supplements you can use to prevent further degradation, but more importantly what supplements you can use to help improve yourself physically and mentally.

Perhaps one of the biggest concerns of males when ageing is dealing with the reduction in Testosterone or going through a phase known as Andropause, which is a phase when Testosterone traditionally drops and Estrogen rises. Essentially we are looking at the same concept as women with menopause but the hormones go in reverse.

 The reality is, men are supposed to have Testosterone, and while ageing may be “natural” it should not simply be accepted as the norm. Just because we are supposed to age, doesn’t mean we should age faster or without an attempt to ‘age more gracefully.’

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Now while the primary focus should always be on food consumption and living a lifestyle that is conducive to promoting health, supplementation can certainly help supplement, or support your efforts.

So let’s get to the nitty gritty.

Hormone Optimisation – Zinc, Vitamin D3, Alpha Lipoic Acid and DIM

When attempting to optimise the hormonal environment of a male, especially when ageing, in my opinion, the focus should be on:

1. Stimulating more testosterone production
2. Minimising testosterone conversion/inactivity
3. Improving insulin sensitivity

To do this we can utilise a couple of quick core ingredients to optimise the environment.

Zinc is an essential mineral that must be consumed via dietary means and is utilised in a multitude of ways, including, but not limited to cellular metabolism, immunity support and hormonal support.

In individuals, experiencing low Testosterone, supplementation with Zinc has shown an improved hormonal blood profile, which has been linked to a reduction in Sex Hormone Binding Globulin, which is a protein that reduces free Testosterone and is negative for male performance and health (1).

Zinc may aid in supporting both the production and usability of Testosterone.

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, that is synthesised via the skin after exposure to the sun. So while getting some sun is a simple solution to ensuring you have adequate Vitamin D levels, it may not always be viable to get in your daily exposure as consistently as needed.

Individuals with low circulatory Vitamin D levels show correlation to low testosterone (2), and more specifically, supplementing with more than 3000iu of Vitamin D3 daily has been shown to increase testosterone levels with statistical significance (3).

For more information on Vitamin D3, see why it’s a part of my Top 3 Must Haves.

DIM (Diindolylmethane)

DIM is found in cruciferous vegetables, but more specifically the ones of the mustard family, such as broccoli, kale and cauliflower and is derived from the naturally occurring component of these vegetables known as Indole-3-Carbinol.

Supplementation with DIM aids in inhibiting the aromatase enzyme, which is responsible for converting Testosterone into Estrogen. DIM is also a strong Estrogen modulator, whereby it acts upon stronger, toxic forms of Estrogen and converts them into their softer counterparts.

Ensuring Testosterone conversion remains low, while also preventing SHBG, is critical in ensuring optimal hormonal blood profiles are maintained, which may result in an increase in lean muscle mass and a reduction in fat mass. The major benefit for DIM here is to improve the Testosterone to Estrogen ratio in a positive manner.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)

Alpha Lipoic Acid is a fatty acid antioxidant that has shown great promise with improving mitochondrial biogenesis, which essentially means it can aid in the production of energy at the cellular level.

More specifically to hormonal support, ALA has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, which can aid in ensuring dietary carbohydrates are less likely to negatively affect fat mass.

Furthermore, ALA is also a potent antioxidant, which helps support the reduction in cellular damage, inflammation and disease.

Not only will ALA aid in carbohydrate utilisation, but may reduce age-induced systemic inflammation.

Important note...

While none of these supplements are directly focused on stimulating more Testosterone production, controlling the Estrogen to Testosterone ratio is far easier through supplementation and will achieve the same desired benefits even without a rise in absolute total or free Testosterone levels.

Keep an eye out for an article to come, which will focus purely on hormonal optimisation.

Joint Integrity – Fish Oil and Curcumin

If you are like most men, we all have some form of ache and pain from past injuries, exercise stress or just lifestyle factors.

Now while we may not be able to remove all joint pain, if the pain is debilitating enough that it prevents activity or your ability to move, then it is a MUST that we at least attempt to improve it.

Preventing the nasties of the ageing process requires activity, and your quality of life will be highly affected if you are unable to perform daily tasks, play with your kids or your grandkids and if you’re unable to be active in keeping your house and its landscape clean and tidy.

For a full rundown on why Fish Oil and Curcumin are must-haves for male health optimisation, check out my articles on “Curcumin – The Pain Equaliser” and “Why Everyone Needs Fish Oil.”

These two products alone will aid in pain reduction, act as anti-inflammatories and can also benefit gut health, brain health and blood lipid profile health.

Strength Optimisation – Creatine