Cigarettes and T Levels

Off Topic
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Cigarette smoking has a positive and independent effect on testosterone levels

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that testosterone levels are linked to a variety of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, erectile dysfunction, depression, stroke and osteoporosis. Since cigarette smoking is a major health problem and highly prevalent among men, several groups have studied the effects of cigarette smoking on testosterone levels in men.

However, the results have been conflicting. Our objectives were to examine the association of cigarette smoking and serum levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), total testosterone (TT) and free testosterone (FT) in a large male population. Data from 2,021 men (989 nonsmokers and 1,032 smokers), aged 20-69, were collected from the Fangchenggang Area Male Health and Examination survey using an in-person interview and self-administered questionnaires from September to December, 2009.

We have found the following: (a) smokers had significantly higher TT and FT levels compared to nonsmokers, even after stratification as per age, BMI, triglycerides and alcohol consumption. (b) Both TT (r = -0.083, P <0.001) and FT (r = -0.271, P <0.001) levels were negatively correlated to the amount of tobacco exposure. (c)

Smoking was an independent influencing factor for the levels of both TT (unadjusted OR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.33-2.01, P <0.001; adjusted OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.34-2.13, P <0.001) and FT (unadjusted OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.08-1.61, P = 0.007; adjusted OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1-1.61, P = 0.050) levels in multivariate logistic regression models before and after adjusting for age, BMI, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, alcohol consumption and estradiol. (d)

Smoking was not found to be an independent predictor of SHBG level after adjustment for confounders in multivariate regression model (P >0.05), although a positive association between increasing pack-years and SHBG level was observed (r = 0.174, P <0.001). More research is needed to elucidate the biological mechanisms and clinical significance of these associations.

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Markus Ruhl approves

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What is the cause and what is the effect?

Is it possible that men with high testosterone are more likely to smoke than men with low testosterone?

It could be shown that men who play professional basketball are taller than average, but we generally believe that playing basketball does not make a person grow taller.

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So what?

Excuse me, lung cancer risk far outweighs any marginal test elevation.

I’m sure those with stage 4 cancer have tremendous test levels. :wink:

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[quote]CLINK wrote:
So what?
[/quote]

Maximize your gainz by lighting up a smoke with your PWO shake

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This study is focused on 1) smoking, and 2) cigarettes. I wonder if this carries over to other forms of tobacco or nicotine ingestion.

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[quote]LoRez wrote:
This study is focused on 1) smoking, and 2) cigarettes. I wonder if this carries over to other forms of tobacco or nicotine ingestion.[/quote]

Smoking hurts my endurance in the gym. After a night of smoking 10 cigarettes, I’m huffing and puffing (in a bad way) from my sets.

I just thought this study was interesting and thus decided to post it.

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[quote]LoRez wrote:
This study is focused on 1) smoking, and 2) cigarettes. I wonder if this carries over to other forms of tobacco or nicotine ingestion.[/quote]

Nicotine act as an anti-estrogenic compound, inhibiting both aromatase and one of the two estrogen receptors directly. So it’s a bit like a combo of arimidex and tamoxofen.

So by slowing the conversion of T to E, it increases T, albeit very slightly.

It’s also a powerful fat burner.

No, I don’t recommend this at home, for reasons you probably can figure out if you lived through 8th grade health class.

— Mrs. (Dr.) Jewbacca

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I heard cigars raise your T just looking at them. A friend of my buddy’s at a gym told me.

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Dr. Jewbacca’s posts are always among my favorite. May I ask if you research these topics before posting or is this off the top of your head? Your knowledge base seems superior to other doctors in my experience.

It might have been on this site, but I’ve read before about the potential for replacing caffeine with nicotine and it having certain benefits. The problem is a cup of coffee cost 7 cents and a pack of nicotine gum is over 40 dollars.

Is nicotine more addictive than caffeine?

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Here’s the article.

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[quote]CroatianRage wrote:

Here’s the article.[/quote]

I remember that article.

It was one of the things I looked into when I realized that smoking hookah/nargile made me feel more relaxed and allowed me to focus better. Not something I did or do regularly, but it was the first time I realized nicotine wasn’t this demon the media had made it out to be.

Digging a bit deeper, it turns out there’s been a few studies showing nicotine to help with ADHD symptoms.

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When I was in school I would use Camel Snus to help study. They put me in that nicotine “sweet spot” the article talks about and supposedly carry a fewer carcinogens because the tobacco is steamed or something. I second the addictive part as well. Even after using them for an entire semester once I stopped I would WANT one but wouldn’t NEED one. Similar to morning coffee for me.

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[quote]CroatianRage wrote:
Dr. Jewbacca’s posts are always among my favorite. May I ask if you research these topics before posting or is this off the top of your head? Your knowledge base seems superior to other doctors in my experience.

[/quote]

Wow, that’s high praise. Thank you. I do sometimes research, but in this case, being an OB/GYN, I am extremely familiar with smoking causing/contributing to osteoporosis in female chronic smokers because of the aforementioned blocking of estrogen receptors.

You know, I don’t think there is much danger in the occasional nicotine lozenge, but dosage and duration are the key. So I am not going to slam it. In fact, I probably would have not made it through my residency without it – and I still use it for long drives and to deal with jet lag.

But coffee is pretty darn good for you – antioxidants, anti-rectal cancer — and has been studied in the billions of users and daily dosages. So I would stick with Morning Joe.

[quote]
Is nicotine more addictive than caffeine?[/quote]

No one really knows how addiction works. Experts will tell you all sorts of things. I will tell you I can take or leave nicotine, but without coffee am borderline homicidal.

Mrs. (Dr.) Jewbacca

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[quote]LoRez wrote:
Digging a bit deeper, it turns out there’s been a few studies showing nicotine to help with ADHD symptoms.[/quote]

Sure, any stimulant helps.

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tobacco and nicotine are aromatase inhibitors IIRC.

Hence the small but significant increase in testosterone and DHT. The mechanism for the increase in total and free testosterone is the lowered rate of aromatase conversion and subsequently lowered SHBG.

At any rate, taking up smoking for a ~13% test boost seems kind of pedantic and silly. The health impacts far outweigh what is probably a inconsequential increase in testosterone, no to mention the more recent research highlighting how estrogen is beneficial to both muscle gain and fat loss - contrary to popular belief.

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[quote]Aussie Davo wrote:
the more recent research highlighting how estrogen is beneficial to both muscle gain and fat loss - contrary to popular belief.[/quote]

Could you elaborate on that?

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[quote]therajraj wrote:

Cigarette smoking has a positive and independent effect on testosterone levels

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that testosterone levels are linked to a variety of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, erectile dysfunction, depression, stroke and osteoporosis. Since cigarette smoking is a major health problem and highly prevalent among men, several groups have studied the effects of cigarette smoking on testosterone levels in men.

However, the results have been conflicting. More research is needed to elucidate the biological mechanisms and clinical significance of these associations. [/quote]

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[quote]LoRez wrote:

[quote]Aussie Davo wrote:
the more recent research highlighting how estrogen is beneficial to both muscle gain and fat loss - contrary to popular belief.[/quote]

Could you elaborate on that?[/quote]

I dont have references on hand, but Im sure they wont be hard to find if you use the right key words.

Anyway, my understanding is that estrogen in the presence of high androgen provides amplifies the anabolic effect through several pathways. That part isnt really surprising and I think its something bodybuilders have known for a while.

What was surprising to me is that estrogen is a lipolytic hormone, it improves fat loss. In cattle, when given trenbolone, a very potent androgen, by itself, cattle did increase lean mass and lose fat. However compared to cattle treated with both trenbolone AND estrogen, they were smaller, had more fat mass and grew at a slower rate.

The cattle treated with Trenbolone and E2 (estradiol) were bigger, leaner and had poorer marbling (due to less fat deposit).

I can understand the logical leap most people make in assuming estrogen makes you fatter. They look at a woman and notice she is fatter than the average man, and smaller, so they make the logical assumption higher estrogen makes you fatter. Unfortunately that overlooks the fact that women have much lower androgen levels, and as a result put on fat more easily and have smaller skeletal muscle growth, than the average man.

However, I would point to post-menopausal women. Young women, like young men, are relatively lean and can eat fairly irresponsibly without putting on too much fat. But once those hormones are starting to deplete, the fat starts to pile on.

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no more oats in my PWO shake…Im putting in a box of newport 100s!