Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2022 i Men's Health

BRAIN HEALTH: P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.D. CARDIOLOGY: John Elefteriades, M.D. Foluso Fakorede, M.D. David Wolinsky, M.D. DERMATOLOGY: Brian Capell, M.D., Ph.D. Corey L. Hartman, M.D. Adnan Nasir, M.D., Ph.D. EMERGENCY MEDICINE: Jedidiah Ballard, D.O. Italo M. Brown, M.D., M.P.H. Robert Glatter, M.D. ENDOCRINOLOGY: Sandeep Dhindsa, M.D. EXERCISE SCIENCE: Martin Gibala, Ph.D. Mark Peterson, Ph.D., C.S.C.S.*D Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., C.S.C.S. GASTROENTEROLOGY: Felice Schnoll-Sussman, M.D. INTEGRATIVE HEALTH: Brenda Powell, M.D. INTERNAL MEDICINE: Keith Roach, M.D. MENTAL HEALTH: Gregory Scott Brown, M.D. Thomas Joiner, Ph.D. Avi Klein, L.C.S.W. Drew Ramsey, M.D. NUTRITION: Dezi Abeyta, R.D.N. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., R.D. Brian St. Pierre, R.D., C.S.C.S. PAIN MEDICINE: Paul Christo, M.D., M.B.A. SEX & RELATIONSHIPS: Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., M.P.H. Shamyra Howard, L.C.S.W. Justin Lehmiller, Ph.D. SLEEP MEDICINE: W. Christopher Winter, M.D. SPORTS MEDICINE: Michael Fredericson,…

Q. I have only 30 minutes each day to work out. What should I do? A. HIIT and “big” exercises. Do two upper-body days, two lower-body days, and some core or core/aerobic days. For exercises, target as many muscles as you can with each move. That means pullups and press movements for your upper body and squats and deadlifts for your lower body. Progression is important, so increase weight or intensity when it’s not challenging to finish ten reps. Supplementing these 30-minute HIIT sessions with a simple evening activity like playing with your kids or going for a family walk after dinner will maximize benefits for your heart and muscles. + Have a question for Rich? Tweet us at @MensHealthMag with the hashtag #AskMHRich and ask away.…

WHEN TRAINER Rashaad Slowley (above) moved from New York City to Miami near the end of 2020, he planned to build a garage gym. He just didn’t plan on that task being so hard. “I quickly learned that this is not an overnight job,” he says. “A lot of sweat equity and money was put in to build something great.” That’s because the ideal home training space is more than a yoga mat and a Shake Weight. The perfect home gym holds your attention long-term because it offers a variety of training options, letting you crush a cardio session one day, build strength the next. And now is the best time to create that space. Covid lockdowns sparked home-fitness innovation in a host of forms, as companies upgraded everything from…

Q. CAN FREQUENT ANTIBODY TESTS TELL ME WHETHER IT’S OKAY TO HANG OUT UNMASKED AT A CROWDED BAR THAT WEEKEND? A. If only it were that easy! If you’ve had a Covid vaccination or the illness itself (and you’re not immunocompromised), it’s safe to assume you have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. True, over time, the number of antibodies you have declines, but that doesn’t mean you’re unprotected. Immune cells that fight SARS-CoV-2 get archived for later use. What you have now is immune memory, and an antibody test isn’t going to measure that. Nor can it measure other cells important in immunity. “Antibodies are just one small part of our immune response,” says Sarah Wheeler, Ph.D., the associate medical director of clinical immunopathology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. So…

1 PUT EVERYTHING IN WRITING Since the beginning, Dude Perfect has operated as an equal partnership, spelled out in writing. Written agreements don’t just help mitigate future conflicts—they can also help the founders align on a shared vision. “It forces you to think things through,” Saremi says. “The entrepreneurs that do the best are the ones that have formalized things in advance.” 2 DEFINE EVERYONE’S ROLE Effective teammates divide the work. Behind the scenes, each Dude Perfect member takes on a responsibility: Cory Cotton leads production, Toney runs creative, and so on. Every business starts as a small business, which then may scale, Saremi says. But if your partner doesn’t want to do a job, you’re just going to be fighting. 3 BE (BRUTALLY) HONEST Dude Perfect attributes its success…

THE NIGHTHAWK Kareem Welch, 26, a car-rental specialist by day and a party promoter by night, is a man on the move. But three years ago, he could barely walk up a flight of stairs. “My heart would beat so fast, I thought I was going to die,” says Welch, pictured above in 2019. So that year, on a trip to his family’s home in Trinidad and Tobago, he decided to improve his health and fitness. He powerlifted, he ran laps, and he started eating more fruits and vegetables. By the time he returned to New York City in 2020, he was down 90 pounds. The Style Upgrade Welch needs a business-casual outfit that can keep pace with him. This organic Henley T-shirt from Banana Republic and these tailored chinos…

YOU’RE NOT GOING to be part of the Great Resignation. You just aren’t. Yes, work has been overwhelming lately, and you’ve lost touch with why you’re doing what you’re doing. But you can’t quit, right? You have a couple kids, or 17 years left on the mortgage. Or you just fundamentally like what you do, but it’s a slog to actually get it done. And maybe the changes you’ve made to your life during the pandemic have been, as weird as it feels to admit, pretty positive. You might be working from home more. Perhaps you stopped drinking (at least Monday through Wednesday) or you took up trail running (900 feet of elevation this morning!). But even thinking about work leaves you exhausted. Unenthusiastic. You’re crispy around the edges. What…

IN 2017, it felt like my whole life had fallen apart. My partner dumped me at the same time that my family was having some financial problems. My focus was wrecked. My so-called friends started cyberbullying me—they thought I was being “weird” in front of them when in reality I was just trying to hide the mental-health problems I was dealing with. At night I wanted to cry, but I’d been taught to never do that. “Man up” was what I’d hear. From holding back my tears, I’d have panic attacks at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. I didn’t tell anyone about it, thinking they’d judge me. But when the panic attacks kept coming, I knew I had to make a change. I searched online for resources where I…

IN COLLEGE, I drank at parties. When I graduated into adult life, I didn’t stop drinking, and it crept in during the week. I was groggy and less efficient at work. My father had traveled a similar path, dying of complications of cirrhosis. I was also overweight, so I started intermittent fasting and saw results. I wondered how much better I could do by cutting calories from alcohol. After a couple months of trying to stop drinking, I realized that I would need some sort of help. I got a referral to a men’s recovery group and joined the Stop-Drinking subreddit. I got support from my wife, who was also quitting. It helps a lot to know you’re not the only one out there trying to quit. To manage cravings,…

I STARTED TO GAIN WEIGHT as I got older, I felt like I had depression, and my sex drive was dwindling. About four years ago, my doctor said my levels were fairly low but that there was nothing he would do right then. Last year, I heard about Opt Health and had my levels tested. I qualified for testosterone-replacement therapy because my level was 194. The injections were the scariest part, but I decided to try it because it could be a game changer. I used to work out twice a day. Now I do one workout and put on even more muscle than before. Instead of spending all this time at the gym, I can go out and enjoy life.…

1 TURN TO FIBER-RICH CAULIFLOWER FOR YOUR TACOS. WORKING IN BATCHES, blitz 1 head of cauliflower florets (chopped) in a food processor till pebbled. In a large bowl, mix with 3 Tbsp canola oil, 3½ tsp chili powder, and salt to taste. Divide between 2 baking sheets. Roast in a 450°F oven till browned, 20 to 30 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway. Serve with warmed hard taco shells, shredded lettuce, and grated pepper jack. —BIG LITTLE RECIPES, BY EMMA LAPERRUQUE 2 Hate salad? Cook it. IN A LARGE, oiled pan on high, add the leaves of ½ head iceberg. Toss; add 1 garlic clove (thinly sliced), bird’s-eye chili (minced), a li’l fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, black pepper, and a handful of toasted sesame seeds. Cook till charred. Serve.…

1. Nutribullet Pro 900 “I use my Nutribullet for my protein smoothies—strawberry, banana, peanut butter, and protein powder—after workouts or when I’m on the go and need a healthy fill-me-up.” $110; nutribullet.com 2. Amazon Basics Aluminum Handle Speed Jump Rope “When I travel, I bring a jump rope for quick cardio exercise if I can’t go for a run—this helps keep my footwork sharp, too. I also always have a soccer ball. You never know when you’re going to come across a hidden gem of a field to kick around on.” $10; amazon.com 3. Beats Solo3 Wireless “I like to wear my Beats to work out. I can just melt away into my own world with a good playlist and a pump.” $200; beatsbydre.com 4. Theragun Mini “I love my mini…

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE EXPERTS, ADVISORS, AND READERS WHO BRING MEN’S HEALTH TO LIFE, AND THEN SOME. “How do you escape BURNOUT?” Crank some Pantera.@Thomas.Greene Run around the house na ked.@Deric.Armamento Read books. Do yoga.@Rafael.Reyes Golf. Long bicycle rides. Weights!!@Frank.Blanco.771 Sleep well, eat clean, exercise regularly, listen to uplifting music, enjoy the outdoors.@JeffDurandsProfile Beers man beers lol.@Edw in. Kerik Set new goals. Think positive, get away from what drains you. Delete the negative factors in your environment. Be happy with yourself.@Steve.Krililion Sleep and gym. And switching up with swimming.@IonutBogdan Sleep all weekend, recharge up for Monday!!! …. and Deathwish coffee@MikeSarcia14…

DIRECTIONS: Do this workout as a 4-round circuit. Do each move for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. Rest 60 seconds after each round. WARMUP 1 BEAR CRAWL TO REACH JUMP Start in bear-plank position, back flat, hands directly below your shoulders, knees below your hips, shins off the floor (a). Keeping your back flat and abs tight, walk forward 2 steps. Aim to move your right arm and left leg at the same time (and vice versa). Walk back 2 steps, then stand up. Jump and reach for the ceiling (b). That’s 1 rep. Do reps for 30 seconds, then rest 30 seconds. Do 3 sets. SHORTS BY ON; SHOES BY REEBOK. WORKOUT 1 LATERAL LUNGE TO OVERHEAD PRESS Start standing, holding dumbbells at your thighs, shoulder blades…

TOUGH TALK ABOUT TEQUILA Puja Uppal, D.O., debunks a few popular myths. It isn’t really diabetic friendly. THE TRUTH: Fermentation and distillation negate any effect. No tequila (and no alcohol) is great for diabetics. Its agave sugars don’t make it lower-calorie. THE TRUTH: Tequila contains no more or no fewer calories than a shot of any other spirit, agave sugars or not. And it can definitely give you a hangover. THE TRUTH: There’s no magic shot. If you drink enough of any alcohol, you’ll feel it the next day. STORYWOOD TEQUILA Most aged tequilas are matured in bourbon or whiskey barrels, but Scotsman Michael Ballantyne ages this global crossover in Speyside single-malt casks for seven months. Served straight (which is exactly how you should drink it), the 80-proof Speyside 7…

WELL, THAT DIDN’T WORK. NOW WHAT? If snowy conditions don’t improve, ask your dermatologist about the following. Psoriasis A super-itchy scalp with heavy buildup could signal this disorder—especially if you notice a crusty dryness on your elbows, knees, hands, and other areas. Try Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo ($8), which has coal tar (totally safe!) to calm the itch and scaling. If that’s not effective, request a prescription. Folliculitis If you feel bumps on your scalp in addition to itchiness, your pores could be clogged. And what’s worse, bacteria may have infested your hair follicles. Fear not! Try CLn Shampoo ($33), which contains antimicrobial ingredients that can help kill the bump-causing bacteria. One-Question Q&A Q: Can dandruff cause hair loss? A: No—and treatments shouldn’t make it worse. Just don’t use dandruff…

IPAs, TRY: Boulevard Brewing Company’s Flying Start Slightly hazy, pleasantly peppery, and totally capable of convincing you and your friends that NA craft beer is a thing. LAGERS, TRY: Brooklyn Brewery’s Special Effects O’Doul’s this is not. Finished with a round of dry hopping, this beer is crisp, clean, and just complex enough to stay interesting sip after sip. STOUTS, TRY: Bravus Oatmeal Dark It’s as chocolaty as a square of dark, as malty as a slice of pumpernickel, and as smooooooth as Guinness. GIN, TRY: Monday Zero Alcohol Gin As with a traditional London dry gin, you’ll still taste the juniper, botanicals, and spices. You just won’t taste the booze—and will be surprised that you don’t miss it. BOURBON, TRY: Spiritless Kentucky 74 Yes, nonalcoholic bourbon—in all its oaky,…

AFTER AN ANNUAL physical in January 2016, I received my usual bad results: I was overweight by more than 30 pounds, and my cholesterol was high. I had a six-month-old daughter and realized I needed to do something about my health if I wanted to see her grow up. I’d been doing the occasional 5K and half marathon, and I had been telling myself for ten years that I needed to run more consistently but never really managed to do it. That year, I made a resolution and started running five or six days a week, about four miles a day. I slowly built up to five miles, then six. Once I got going, the weight started coming off and I started feeling and sleeping better. The key to staying…

1 INFERTILITY Within months, T suppresses sperm production. In most men, it falls very low. In about half of men, it goes to zero. While most return to their pre-T baseline when they stop taking it, some men will never produce sperm again. 2 IRREVERSIBILITY Coming off T can be rough or impossible. “You should be thinking of this as an irreversible choice,” says Dr. Alukal. He sees guys who try to get off it and feel terrible and test low; they may have lost the ability to produce T on their own. 3 GYNECOMASTIA Also known as man boobs. An enzyme in fatty tissue converts testosterone to estrogen, which can trigger their growth. Even if your body fat is low, juice too much and you’ll have so much T…

BEFORE I GET to my bold predictions for 2022, a few words about 2020 and 2021: We just went through a lot—a lot. Every month seemed to bring earth-shaking developments in how or why we do things, and we collectively experienced a decade’s worth of oh-shit moments in a mere 18-ish months. It was constant, exhausting, and confusing, and nothing—from working to working out, from parenting to partnering, from medical care and mental health to travel, TV, haircuts, and handwashing—feels quite the same today as it did two years ago. Not sure how you feel about it, but I emerged from this whole thing a slightly different person. A little less certain of my certainty; a little more wary of the world; stronger and steadier, but at a cost. In…

JASPER KANGE STATS AGE: 31 LOCATION: San Antonio, TX OCCUPATION: Professional wrestler MEN’S HEALTH MVP members have access to the best health/fitness articles out there. Each month, we survey our MVPs and choose one whose story catches our eye. Sign up at join.menshealth.com and you could see yourself here one day. MY PERSONAL GOAL FOR THIS YEAR Sign with a major wrestling promotion. MY FITNESS GOAL FOR THIS YEAR Build recovery work into my daily routine to increase mobility in my hips and shoulders. IN MY GYM BAG Headphones, bands, a few shirts, a notebook, and a snack. WHY I WANT TO LIFT WITH UFC FIGHTER FRANCIS NGANNOU My father is from Cameroon, and to see another Cameroonian thriving in the world and becoming UFC champ is DOPE. THE ONE…

THERE’S A PART of Nate Burleson that doesn’t want to be in his New Jersey basement gym on this late morning—he’s been awake since well before dawn and his triceps are already on fire. But Burleson set up this gym date for himself, something he does three days a week—so he damn sure has to finish it. He grabs the rope handle in front of him, inhales deeply, and blows out a whoosh of air. Then he aligns his arms to his torso, squeezes the rope handle, and guts out one final set of triceps pressdowns. “I kind of look at it like dating yourself,” he says when he’s done. “You’ve got to set up a time, know where you’re going, know what you’re going to wear, and have an…

YOU’VE HEARD THE OLD WARNING: “Friendships and money don’t mix.” Well, the five buddies behind Dude Perfect, whose YouTube channel is one of the platform’s most successful ever, used to hear it, too—all the time. “The reality was we could either try it or bail,” says Cory Cotton about their initial discussions on starting the business. “I think we knew that it would be hard, but we had to give it a shot.” Before Dude Perfect grew into a 56-millionsubscriber-strong YouTube channel, the members of the group—Cory and his twin brother, Coby, plus Tyler Toney, Cody Jones, and Garrett Hilbert, all in their early-to-mid 30s now—were friends at Texas A&M. And in their free time, they made a variety of low-budget sports-related videos. Then, in 2009, they went viral with…

PROBLEM: Your friend never Venmos you back. For anything. SOLUTION: Start asking for separate tabs. And then for the money still owed, Saremi says, “say something about it directly and privately, in person if possible, like: ‘Hey, it looks like I’m still waiting for x amount in Venmo. Can you pay me back now?’” Payment apps make it too easy to ghost. PROBLEM: They’re trying to rope you into what appears to be a multilevel-marketing scheme. SOLUTION: Let someone else explain. “Follow up with a link to the John Oliver segment about MLMs and say, ‘What you sent me made me think of this. Have you seen it?’” says Saremi. Hopefully they’ll get the hint (and escape the scheme). PROBLEM: They keep emailing, asking you to contribute to their hare-brained…

JACKASS SEEMED to drop out of the sky in the fall of 2000, like a billiard ball hurtling toward a guy’s testicles. The MTV series appeared hell-bent on disappearing just as suddenly: Four months after the show debuted, Senator Joe Lieberman was calling for its cancellation, citing its “exploitative and degrading” influence on teens who’d injured themselves imitating its stunts. When host Johnny Knoxville quit Jackass in 2001, frustrated by the network’s censorship, it had eked out only 24 episodes—too fast to live, too young to syndicate. But like its reckless cast, the show miraculously rebounded. The franchise returned in 2002 as a series of movies, with the final entry, Jackass Forever, hitting theaters on February 4. (Knoxville is 50 years old now, yet he can still get shot out of…

AT MY HEAVIEST, I was 660 pounds. I loved going to the shooting range with my friends, but in January 2019, I remember thinking that I never wanted to do that again because of how much pain I was in. My first step, and probably the most helpful, was buying a food scale. I had no idea what a portion looked like. By measuring foods, counting macros, emphasizing protein and limiting carbs, and reducing daily calories to 2,000 and eventually 1,200, I lost a total of 160 pounds in 12 months prior to having gastric-sleeve surgery. It seems a lot of people go into surgery with the mindset that it will solve their problems. It will not. All their eating issues will still be there. I think that changing my…

PUSHUP Brown does 5 sets of 30. Can’t get to 30 all at once? Do as many good-form reps as you can, rest 10 seconds, then do more reps; repeat this until you’ve done 30 reps PLANK SHOULDER-TAP Start in pushup position, hands directly below your shoulders, feet shoulder width apart, core and glutes tight. Without letting your hips move, lift your right hand and touch it to your left shoulder. Hold for a split second, then return it to the floor; repeat on the other side. Do reps for 30 seconds; do 5 sets. AIR SQUAT Start standing, feet shoulder width apart, abs and glutes tight. Push your butt back and bend at the knees, lowering your torso until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Stand back up,…

SANTOS TRUJILLO, 49 IN MY EARLY 40s, before I left the Navy SEALs, I noticed major changes, including memory issues and being tired. I was told my T numbers—low 200’s—were still good. Another doctor found my triglycerides were over 1,000. I made a decision to get my life under control, and T was a part of that. I take two small doses every week, some supplements, and DHEA. I felt the changes almost instantly. Social changes were the biggest—I felt less cranky and more helpful with others. My goal is to look for ways to naturally do the things I’m replacing with drugs, but for now, this is the next best thing and my life is back on track.…

WHEN I WAS 23, I had pretty bad depression. After I’d done a couple years of serious weightlifting, I checked my T. The doctor said my numbers—about 320—were normal. In doing my own research, I found that they were roughly the levels of a 70-year-old. Finding a doctor to help you when you’re that young is challenging. I finally found somebody, but he picked up his practice and left. A year ago, I came across Primebody, where I now get everything—100mg of testosterone cypionate, plus 1mg of Arimidex [lowers estrogen] and 50mg of clomiphene [Clomid]—delivered to my door. My body composition and muscular mass have gotten better, but most importantly, I don’t get anxious over things that would have really hampered my day before.…