Hormone enhancement and balance

[Guest guest]

Glenda,

Thanks for asking. Most of what Faigin writes about concerning the

natural manipulation of hormones applies to both men and women. In

regard to muscle-building (as opposed to fat loss), there is a

greater effect in men because men by nature have a greater capacity

to build muscle. (This should still be of some concern to women,

since they too produce a measure of testosterone. Faigin's

macronutrient cycling principles will enhance and balance hormone

levels in *both* men and women, it's just that there's an extra

effect in men because they produce more testosterone.)

However, concerning estrogen and progesterone, Faigin writes:

" HORMONAL SYNERGY

" Growth hormone declines with age in every animal species that has

been tested to date. The rate of decline varies with the individual,

and is dictated by genetic and environmental / lifestyle factors.

The steeper the drop-off in growth hormone, the more rapidly and

visibly you age. Not only does growth hormone decline promote aging,

but because all hormones are interconnected (a phenomenon called

hormonal synergy) the fall in growth hormone has a ripple effect

throughout the entire endocrine system. Conversely [and this is the

key thing that affects *both* men and women], enhancing growth

hormone has a revitalizing effect on other hormones.

" . . . .

" GROWTH HORMONE AND ESTROGEN

" The relationship between growth hormone and estrogen is of great

interest given the widespread use of estrogen and the growing

popularity of growth hormone therapy. Ostensibly, estrogen and

growth hormone are complimentary like testosterone and growth

hormone. Estrogen and growth hormone levels are directly correlated

(with both hormones higher in younger women than in older women), and

administration of estrogen increases growth hormone. Now for the

confusing part: oral estrogen increases grwoth hormone via 'negative

feedback inhibition' by suppressing growth hormone's 'sister

hormone,' IGF-1. This probably accounts for conflicting studies

showing that estrogen assists and opposes the metabolic effects of

growth hormone. The estrogen / growth hormone relationship is an

example of the human body's penchant for throwing researchers

curveballs and change-ups.

" . . . .

" THE QUESTION EVERY WOMAN FACES: ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT OR NOT?

" A properly formulated hormone replacement program can help ward off

two of the most prolific killers of postmenopausal women,

cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Both of these diseases ae

relatively uncommon in premenopausal women. But after menopause, the

risk of each jumps drastically. Hormonal changes, particularly the

drop in estrogen, facilitate the development of cardiovascular

disease and osteoporosis in the postmenopausal period. Estrogen

replacement has also been shown to improve cognitive function in

older women, and to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (the second

leading cause of cancer death in the United States).

" . . . .

" At least three studies emerged in 1999 indicating that maximum

hormone-replacement-generated protection against cardiovascular

disease and osteoporosis can be achieved at very low doses. This

view was publicly advanced by Dr. Colgan in his 1996 book

HORMONAL HEALTH, in which he argued that optimal benefit from

estrogen can be achieved at dosages 1/2 to 1/4 as much as is commonly

prescribed. Colgan also argues for the need to accompany exogenous

estrogen with progesterone (natural not synthetic) and testosterone,

both of which also decline after menopause.

" I will defer to my esteemed colleague and his fine book for

presentation of the specifics of this issue. On a conceptual level,

I would refer to my repeated emphasis throughout this book that the

hormonal system is an integrated and interconnected whole. Pursuant

to the overriding principle, it is fundamentally unsound to

exogenously replace one hormone while ignoring other hormones that

are similarly no longer being naturally produced within the body.

This has an unbalancing effect on your endocrine system. NATURAL

HORMONAL ENHANCEMENT contains numerous examples of how hormones

operate in intricate patterns of cooperation and opposition. An

example relevant to the present discussion is how progesterone works

*with* estrogen favorably to preserve bone; but works *against*

estrogen unfavorably by blunting estrogen's beneficial effect on

cholesterol levels, and favorably by restraining estrogen's tendency

to cause endometrial overgrowth and other hyperplasic changes

associated with cancer.

" In summary, along with undue estrogen dosages, the selective

enhancement of estrogen to the exclusion of other menopausally

diminished hormones is a source of much unnecessary suffering for

women. Many doctors need to have their eyes pried open on this

issue, and Dr. Colgan's research, presented in his book HORMONAL

HEALTH, is a lever for doing that. I recommend HORMONAL HEALTH to

each woman, and her doctor, confronted with the decision whether to

undertake hormone replacement therapy. " [pp 11-13]

Bearing in mind that the adjustment of one hormone has an impact on

all the others, here are Faigin's general NHE principles:

" Practically everything that goes on inside your body is regulated by

hormones; they are the most powerful biological agents known to

science.

" Hormones exert a dominant influence on body composition and aging.

" Many of the hormones that have a favorable effect on body

composition, like growth hormone and testosterone / estrogen, also

have other beneficial effects in connection with energy levels,

aging, health, and sexual performance / reproductive function. Other

hormones are 'double-edged swords,' like glucagon and insulin. With

these two-faced hormones, the operative strategy is 'optimization.'

" Optimization is an important strategy of Natural Hormonal

Enhancement. Optimization means maximizing the good while minimizing

the bad. Optimization acknowledges and effectively addresses the

fact that individual hormones perform several different functions and

that some hormones can be either friend or foe, or a combination of

both.

" The entire hormonal system is interconnected. Therefore, a change

in one hormone equals a change in all hormones. This is the

principle of hormonal strategy.

" Hormonal synergy works in such a way that 'good' hormones tend to be

mutually reinforcing, and so do 'bad' hormones. In effect, all

hormonal effects are multiplied, either positively or negatively.

This is why National Hormonal Enhancement is such a powerful force

for good. It is also why your current dietary, exercise, and

lifestyle practices may be a powerful force for bad.

" You have a great deal of control over your hormones. In fact, you

influence your hormone levels every day of your life, whether you

realize it or not. By extension, you influence the composition and

condition of your body. The problem is you are currently doing it

haphazardly. If you have excess bodyfat, low energy levels, weak

muscles, diminished sex drive, or look older than most people your

age, chances are your uninformed shotgun method of hormonal

manipulation is not working very well. " [p15]

< BTW, Bill donates all the proceeds from his book and his EAS salary

to Make a Wish. >

Hey, I've never faulted Bill's motives and never will. It's just

that I, not being an expert, can do nothing other than compare plans

and argumentation. I think there's a lot of good in BFL, and I do

still recommend it to many people I talk to about fitness. But when

I compare Bill's knowledge of nutrition and exercise and their

relationship to hormones, I find he really doesn't seem to be aware

of as much of that as Rob Faigin does. I can tell you from having

read NHE, Faigin *really* argues persuasively, and cites scores of

biologists and doctors and physiologists' research papers. Bill's

persuasive too, *but* he doesn't show that he's done the research

Faigin has. (Mind you, Faigin's *workout* principles are nearly

identical to Bill's, though Faigin goes into far richer detail; in

many ways, NHE is a science textbook.)

I'm not minimizing or criticizing the results anyone here has

achieved through BFL, but consider: even Bill himself looks at other

approaches. And perhaps, just maybe, BFLers could get even *better*

results by learning more about the hormonal end of things.

Food for thought..........

Regards,

Andy