#476

Isn’t it a concern that it’s too much radiation if to do DEXA every 6 mo? The usual recommendation is 2-5 years.

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#477

Yes… on rapamycin… I gained significant strength, but my muscles became smaller … more shredded… all the marbelized fat in muscles gone.

Healthier toned.

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#478

What changes have you made to diet, exercise, etc based on the scans?

#479

I had that same question before I got my first one. If the information I found is correct, the radiation dose is so low that I don’t consider it relevant.

Body Composition by DXA - PMC.

DXA does expose the patient and operator to ionizing radiation but the dose is very small to both. The effective radiation dose from a single whole body DXA (< 10 microSieverts) is similar to the normal background radiation received over one day at sea level

DEXA scans are safe-dual energy xray absorptiometry.

How many sieverts of radiation does a DEXA scan provide?
Depending on your size, a DEXA body comp scan delivers 1-4 uSv. That “uSu” stands for 1,000,000 microsieverts — a relatively minuscule amount of radiation.

To put that in perspective, the average person receives about 8 uSv of radiation by merely walking around. That radiation is coming from cosmic rays, the Earth’s crust, and other sources.

Is it okay to get more than one DEXA body comp scan done per year?
Yes. In fact, 3-4 DEXA body comp scans are safe. A round trip cross-country flight exposes you to much more radiation: 40 uSv.

What is considered the acceptable limit of radiation scans in a year?
If you require multiple medical examinations, the acceptable limit is 20 mSv per year. Note that’s “mSv,” which stands for 1000 millisieverts — not as much as a standard Sievert but magnitudes higher than a single DEXA scan range of 1-4 uSv.

By the way, a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan is 0.8-10.5 mSv (not uSv), so roughly 1000x more than a DEXA scan. A lot of us get those without even thinking about it. Link: Coronary artery calcification screening: estimated radiation dose and cancer risk - PMC

I switched my resistance exercise from a powerlifting strength-focused training program (low reps, heavy), to 70/30 hypertrophy/strength because my ALMI was low. I had lost a lot of muscle due to a hospitalization. I gained back a small amount during my fat loss diet, but not nearly enough. ALMI was the actionable information I got from the most recent DEXA scans.

My wife gets them also. She had too much fat, not enough muscle, and bone density issues. She was able to make good progress on all 3 in 6 months.

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#480

For what it is worth, my 3 month experiment with 9 mg boron daily to reduce SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) shows no increase in Free Testosterone. So, I will drop the boron supplement.

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#481

Why do you want to reduce SHBG?

#482

John_Hemming,

“SHBG binds to a significant portion of testosterone in the blood. When SHBG levels decrease, less testosterone is bound, resulting in an increase in the proportion of free (unbound) testosterone. Free testosterone is the bioactive form that can enter cells and exert physiological effects.”, ChatGPT

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#483

Sorry to resurrect an old post, but did your Fadogia Agresttis / Tongkat Ali or whatever else you started taking three months prior to this post work for you? I wasn’t sure if you started taking it three months before these readings (i e your November results were baseline. Increasing Muscle Mass in the Elderly - #135 by desertshores) — your total T seemed to double but your free T was pretty much the same.

Or did you start the new supplements in March and so March 30th results were baseline and we should be looking forward to your new blood T tests at the end-ish of June?

I’m 53 and feel pretty good. But I am aware that my T is likely yo drop at some point (I’ve never tested it so that would be a first step) and I might consider ways of “juicing” it up to perhaps gain a bit more muscle bulk/definition. I am also afraid if I raise my T will it raise my estrogen? — I can’t seem to get rid of my minor visceral fat love handles even though I can hike and lift wel (it pisses me off but not a huge deal)l. In other words, I’m very satisfied wirth my attitude and abilities/movement but it might be nice to look a bit more like a swimmer and perhaps more definition for the muscle I already have….Plus I expect to need some supplementation at some point 60? 70? 80? — who knows). And I’d prefer something that stimulates production rather than exogenous T (for very little good reason). So the Fadogia Agrestis and Tongkat Ali IF they actually work.

Thanks.

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#484

Ten days to two weeks carnivore (only lean beef, chicken breast and fish) will destroy any love handles you have. Nothing else will help unless you are a gym rat that does hard cardio for 2 hours per day. BTW to loose weight you need protein only. Remember once told a family member and they were complaining that they are not losing anything even though they were eating only meat. After pressing them a bit they told me that they only had an apple a day. ha-ha not just an apple but even a quarter of an apple is good enough to stop right in its tracks the losing weight wagon. I’ve done it so many times. Every time I have a function, or I really need to lose weight I go all in steak only for as long as i can last. I usually drop about one Lb a day for first 10 days or so, then you start losing less as you go along.
The beef I have is i can’t do more that 7-10 days carnivore only for some reason. io crave too much veggies and or fruits and always end up breaking my protein only diet after about one week.

I used to be pretty fat, and nothing worked, I tried eating not much food, and chicken breast with salad or baked potato, or shit or crap but couldn’t lose one single lb. Then some ugly dude i was working with started melting away and very fast, so I asked him what he was doing (15 years ago btw) and he told me he was doing Dukan diet. So i tried and went 10 days on phase one at that time and lost a whopping 15 lbs for ten days (but i was as fat as they get). Then kept it for few other weeks and lost another 10 and then forgot all about it and gained it back a year later (15 of the 25 i lost). Longh story short now I only do phase one which basically is lean meat only (mainly i do chicken breast and steak) for about a week and kill about 7-10 lbs and get to where i call it manageable, until i get fat again and then repeat. You can’t really lose weight (especially when pass 40) any other way unless you are very strong willed and religiously control what you eat, and love to exercise (mainly heavy-duty cardio) .

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#485

Have you considered something like Prolon to help with visceral fat? Perhaps some others here with more knowledge on the subject than I have will chime in. It potentially helps with other things

I’ve done many rounds.

Coincidentally, yesterday I listened to the newest Rich Roll podcast interviewing the guy from True North. (Rich Roll is an exceptional interviewer, incase you are not familiar). True North is the most well known place that supervises extended water only fasts (40 days etc). I would never have the willpower to do it short of being diagnosed with something life threatening, but I’m also fascinated by what it can do for people (prolon is the much more manageable and probably less effective option).

I digress… in this podcast he was addressing what I had already heard in that water fasts can address visceral fat disproportionately than other fats… I knew this about Prolon

Just an idea?

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#486

Don’t assume natural testosterone levels decline with age. I was tested 3 years ago and each year since. Very high levels of total and circulating levels in my late sixties. (Doctor asked if I was dosing myself last year). Wish I had a baseline to compare with at your age.

Completely unsure what may be the cause as I don’t supplement for testosterone specifically other than boron and 25mg dhea in the morning for at least a decade - maybe more. My guess - Not taking statins or any cholesterol lowering drugs, not taking rogaine (minoxidol) type of drugs, get lots of sunshine, eat lots of veggies (ideally from your own garden - nitrates) , lots of stairs in your living area (don’t fall for single level living as you age - pump those hammies) and put up a pull-up bar in your home. (ideally 2 or more). The gym is your friend but you get more bang for your buck by being triggered into natural movements in your environment.

Diet - eat everything!!! That won’t help your love handles - but so what. I had those love handles throughout my life like you. (who says they are visceral fat?) But I’m less jiggly now than any time of life (69).

I forgot - one more thing - don’t forget cardio.

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#487

I will be getting new tests in July. I have been taking Fadogia Agresttis / Tongkat Ali five days a week for several months now and Enclompine/Clomid once a week. So far I have had no subjective effects so I don’t think it is doing much. My current BMI is ~22 so I am not worried about love handles. I am in the camp that thinks spot fat loss is near impossible, you must lose it all to about 10 to 15% of total body fat.

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#488

I’m pretty sure love handles are subcutaneous fat and pretty harmless to a point. Visceral from my understanding is the deep fat surrounding the internal organs and isn’t harmless like subcutaneous but inflammatory. It’s the hard protruding gut rather than jiggly and flabby belly. Some people are more prone to gaining visceral fat (points to myself) and that’s what the acronym TOFI (thin on the outside fat on the inside) means. It’s fascinating really and I was glad to finally figure out that I have that tendency and even though it’s not great news it makes me more diligent about my lifestyle.

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#489

There were some concerns in the literature about toxicity of Fadogia Agresttis to liver and kidneys. If so, it may be wise to lab test associated parameters. One problem, as I’ve found in getting older, using supplements to increase testosterone, depends on their stimulating one’s own cells to produce it. However, as we age, our Leydig cells are diminished, dysfunctional or both, so increased secretion is not possible. Similar effect with Clomid. However, other effects upstream or down in the chain get affected as in some the increase in estrogen.

#490

But isn’t estrogen good for you?

#491

Up to a point. If too high for a man, you can develop gynecomastia, ED, and start crying at sentimental TV commercials. Not kidding.

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#492

I stopped Creatine because of what I read here re Rapamycin and creatine maybe opposing each other - do you find any issues ?

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#493

I don’t take creatine on the days I take rapamycin.

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#494

I think a very simply defined cycle is anabolic vs catabolic. Creatine if anything is more anabolic and rapamycin is catabolic. (Creatine is more about temporary energy storage).

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#495

Thanks for this information youall. I really like taking creatine for lifting it makes a difference I really feel in my 61 year old female body but I’d stopped. I’ll start tomorrow, I took the Rapa this morning.