Bright Light May Boost Testosterone
Light Therapy Might Ease Sexual Dysfunction <–name of the article
Short Hoss posted this over in T-Cell Alpha a while back. I just stumbled upon it:
Bright Light Therapy May Boost Testosterone <–article discussing the study
The article says that they used 1,000 lux from 5:00AM-6:00AM daily for 5 days, in 11 healthy volunteers aging 19-30. I’m not sure what brands are best, or if any particular types cary any risks or benefits. I’ll look into it and be sure to let you all know what I find. I know they sell one at Costco and it’s pretty cheap. I assume you’d have to use one of those power switches that have a digital timer built in to make this work.
I read the study and it says that the patients sat in front of the 1,000 lux light boxes from 5-6AM and then were alowed to go back to sleep to avoid sleep deprivation. That kind of seems like a waste of time to me. I guess you could eat your breakfast and read during that time. I do have some reading I need to do. Maybe I could read a few text books over the course of the next month and see how well it works.
Be careful though, because “Morning exposure to bright light in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle stimulates the secretion of hypophyseal reproductive hormones, promotes ovary follicle growth, and increases ovulation rates in women with slightly lengthened menstrual cycles. This might be a promising method to overcome infertility.”
One study I came across used a Sunray 2 Max box.
The main point I want taken home is to get your ass outside. We didn’t evolve to be indoor hermits.
Good shit, nonetheless.
Yeah. Good shit indeed. I read the whole thread, and I understood the points you were driving home. I just felt that the article didn’t get any love, so I wanted to see if it was true, and sure enough it was. UNbelievable. And I don’t realy think the mechanisms through which early morning light work are quite the same as sun in mid day. The bright lights, or SAD lights, don’t really emit much UVA or UVB. I don’t fully understand the mechanism, but I know it can’t be the same if it aint stimulating melanocytes, or vit D production.
I’ve been sleeping with my shades open at night so the light floods in inside in the morning. It made me feel more rested with the natural light coming in.
Overall, I agree that getting a lot more sun, natural sunlight that is, is unbeatable, and is tremendously healthy. We need to live less of an industrialized, desk job type of life.
This is the final straw. I’m buying full spectrum light-bulbs ASAP.
Should also help with the seasonal mood changes and irregular sleep!