Impotence and nutritional supplements

[syzygy]

Went to the doc to address a common enough medical problem for men.
among the culprits he mentioned were 'protein powders', which he lumped
with other possible causes, like smoking, alcohol, obesity, stress, etc.

now, 'protein powders' is a touch vague, but i certainly understood that he
was taking a well-deserved shot at the 'bro-science' peddled in gyms and
fitness mags.

for example, 1,3 dimethyamylamine in 'Jacked' (germanium root extract) has
been anecdotally known to inhibit libido.

are you aware of any other ingredients or supps which might have the same effect ?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Don't buy whey protein brands that include anything other than protein and preservatives. All supplements carry a risk. On top of that, your doctor is rather silly for pushing a phenomenon that's only proven anecdotally. There needs to be more significant evidence before he tells his patients to stop doing something. Switch to a protein powder that is just whey protein isolate and the regular flavoring/dyes.

Impotence is a frequent problem in men so it is likely that the cause is something completely separate from supplements. I wouldn't point the finger to supplements first off. I'd point the finger at age, hormonal status, emotional status, pathology, etc before looking elsewhere.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Straight protein powder is not going to cause libido problems. That doc is peddling some bro-science of his own. Any stimulant/vaso constrictor can impair libido.

 

[syzygy]

lab tests commissioned by consumer reports found more than protein inside the powder:

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2010/06/consumer-reports-protein-drink-investigation-.html

http://img228.imageshack.us/f/proteindrinks.jpg/

some people point out CS does not make distinctions between the ways protein
powders are marketed, which apparently matters in terms of the type of ingredients
contained.

there are also questions over how safe levels of these metals are determined. there
are far worse whole foods out there with higher level of certain toxic metals.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

lab tests commissioned by consumer reports found more than protein inside the powder:

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2010/06/consumer-reports-protein-drink-investigation-.html

http://img228.imageshack.us/f/proteindrinks.jpg/

some people point out CS does not make distinctions between the ways protein
powders are marketed, which apparently matters in terms of the type of ingredients
contained.

there are also questions over how safe levels of these metals are determined. there
are far worse whole foods out there with higher level of certain toxic metals.

Already seen this. Buy the ones with lowest amounts of heavy metals or just eat your calories. Problem solved. I've typically used Optimum Nutrition, which is clearly a higher quality product. You're not going to get decrease of libido from ON pure whey.

 

[The Sauce]

A few supps that might help:

1.) D-Aspartic Acid - some recent studies show a 40% increase in testosterone with this supp. It is a simple amino acid isomer so it should be very safe.
2.) Yohimbine - supposedly causes increased vasodilation.

And, of course, resistance training which increases testosterone and growth hormone.

 

[mchammer187]

is your weight, cardio, BP, cholesterol all good? Caffeine intake is a big thing too but it only affects some people.

if you have any problems caused by any type of supplement it is gonna be dwarfed by a problem in one of the top 4

if all 4 are fine then start looking at supps

I highly doubt supplements are going to be the cause unless you are taking a massive amount of the stimulant variety.