Jan Feetz

".....Possible conditions associated with elevated estrogen in males include gynecomastia, a condition that may result in the loss of pubic hair and enlarged breast tissue...."

And I thought my chest was getting bigger because I began lifting weights.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012...n_1538734.html

LawnChair

I've just gotten to the point where I tell people. . . "by the way, they're real, and they're spectacular!"

rubic

Umm, no. Stop with this BS.

Rimmer

Not good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estradiol
"Recently, the volumes of sexually dimorphic brain structures in phenotypical males were found to change and approximate typical female brain structures when exposed to estradiol over a period of months."

alicestrong

Why not good?

One of the great things about men over 40 is that their hormones are balancing out...

Anyway aren't most of the posters here "recreational athletes" and not "cyclists" ? Yeah, chew on that one awhile...

Also, the companion study of women is a bit discouraging, too.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012...n_1520488.html

alicestrong

Now that's funny, no??

LawnChair

It's a Seinfeld reference, one that I never thought I would be able to use in the first person.

Rimmer

It's a threat to my masculinity. If intense cycling, whatever that is?, caused estradiol concentrations to be 2-3 times higher than in triathletes and rec athletes (what is that?), and test levels were about 50% higher in cyclists than in the rec athletes, then I think it depends on the base numbers to make any sense of it. If estradiol is already low (how much?), then 2-3 times would be nothing compared to 50% higher test levels (again how much?).

rumrunn6

hmmm so then both sexes should be what? sobbing cycling messes?

alicestrong

Well, it sounds like the secret to maintaining sexual ..ah...potency in either sex is keeping your bars raised...

Rick@OCRR

After we had our 2nd kid I had myself fixed (as in vasectomy, not fixed gear . . . ) so "sexual ..ah...potency" won't cause me any more problems !

Rick / OCRR

Koobazaur

i heard soy protein does similar things, and I drink tons of soymilk AND bike. I guess I should start looking into bras pretty soon :|

LawnChair

With that scenario why stop with bras?

John R

I am 55, I've been riding to work over 200 miles a week for over 20 years. I have 4 kids from 3 different marrages.A weed whacker couldn't take care of my pubes. The only thing cycling causes is a reduction in your bank account and social life, and an addiction to carbon fiber and light bike parts.

Jan Feetz

Wow! I thought I was the only one who tried that! I have not had much success as well. The gardener suggests a different brand string?

LawnChair

If I were your gardener, I would have felt uncomfortable with that conversation.

JimmyNH

+1. Another useless study that proves nothing. With that said, I personally don't think too much cycling is good for you. Human body is not designed to be hunched on bicycle for hours on end. Cycling does nothing to your upper body and to your bone density (due to that no-impact thing). Cycling does help your endurance, but in a weird way. I was riding quite a bit a few years back (2001 - 2003) and I thought my endurance was pretty good until a friend of mine invited me running. That was a real eye-opener - I lasted only 3 miles at around 9-10 minutes/mile pace. Just for the record, I was a fairly good runner and I could easily keep 8 mins/mile for an hour. Even now, after I started running again, I can run the above-mentioned 3 miles in under 24 minutes. My rowing coach had a theory which has proven to be true for me over and over again - running and lifting weights are the keys to success in almost any sport. That's why my typical workout week consists of two days in the gym, one day running and cycling on the weekend. Since I started this regimen, my cycling results improved over that 2001-2003 period despite that I'm 10 years older now. Of course, Rick and JohnR can still kick my arse but that's a different conversation.