Basics on hormone replacement therapy

As we grow older our testosterone levels start to slowly decline while estrogen levels increase, In some bodybuilders this process happens a lot sooner than others because of the continuation of attacking your HPTA, Continually shutting your system down for weeks on end then trying to recover it isnt an ideal approach, over time this will effect your own natural production of test, In many cases the damage occurs to your HPTA and there is only one option which comes a lot sooner in life than it should - HRT.

With hormone replacement therapy we try to balance our sex hormones; testosterone, estrogen and progesterone to the same levels that they were at in our mid- twenties, symptoms of lower than normal test are; muscle loss,fat gain, gyno,depression,anger, low libido, erection problems,testicle shrinkage,energy level,low self esteem, irritability, unusual sleeping pattern and relationship problems, in fact every part of your life is effected and the day to day living becomes a toil.

First, blood tests need to be done to establish how your T- levels and some medical and lifestyle background will determine why your sex hormones are out of balance. A blood test needs to find the levels of your free and total testosterone, estradiol, total estrogens , LH, IGF-1, prolaction, DHEA, and several other hormones,

The blood test will determine what type of treatment is needed for balancing the hormones best, not all people should go straight on testosterone replacement therapy, with Andropause (male menopause) our body's go through a slow process where free testosterone levels slowly start to decline, if you were to go straight onto testosterone replacement it could potentially shut down your HPTA fully when it was still producing a certain amount, careful planning will help find which treatment is best for your individual problem. Bodybuilders who go straight onto test replacement may find that they need to stay on it for the rest of their life so sometimes other methods might suit the person better.

When the testes fail to produce Test and men have primary hypogonadism or hypogonadotropic hypognadism Test replacement is the answer, there are a few methods what could solve the problem but knowing the risks what come with each treatment will help to understand the benefits to risk ratio. We produce around 4-7mg of Test per day in a circular pattern with Max levels attained in the early morning and min levels in the evening. Mimicking and stabilizing these levels would be the best approach for treatment.

The best course of treatment would be a therapy what maintains serum concentrations of the hormone without giving significant side effects. many different treatments are available including injectables, tablets and transdermal systems. Within bodybuilding world many go with injection. Estered forms of Test are commonly used with injection of 200-300mg every 14 days (long esters) or shorter ester's can be used but frequent injection normally put a lot of BB's off.

Normally these injection will be good enough to produce enough serum Test levels, many need to adjust the dose or frequency to suit but with more mg comes more possible sides so be careful. Constant monitoring of Test levels to make sure they are in the normal ranges is needed, also men over 40yrs old should have their prostate check on a regular basis. Other sides of such treatment may be lipid abnormalities (reduce HDL,LDL & elevation in blood viscosityl), polycythemia,sleep apnoea, and prostate changes.

In many cases when treatment is implemented sides of andropause will stopped. many will feel a new person and a feeling of well being beholds them. There are positive changes in body composition to more lean mass and decrease BF.

Bodybuilders who are constantly shutting down the HPTA and using steroids over many years have a great potential of damaging their own systems. I've seen so many young guys who are on HRT due to steroids, please think very carefully because what you may do now at this stage could effect your in later life or even sooner. Because we use such higher than normal dosages of Test we get accustomed to the great feeling it produces and when we come off many suffer. I've not known one long term bodybuilder not suffer some of the sides mentioned in this thread. If steroids is the direction your going to achieve your goals makes sure you do it as healthy as possible, spend as little as possible on cycle to achieve your goals and try and keep shutdown to a minimum time. Remember it easier to recover from a short shutdown than it is longer ones.

Health Implications Associated with Erosion

According to Ojewale (2003) the health implications are;

         i.            Flooding

       ii.            Disease Infestation

      iii.            Physical disaster

i.              

Flooding

Ojewale (2003) described the term flooding as a situation where a river channel is inadequate to accommodate discharge from the catchments. It can also be regarded as an unusual high rate of water discharge which often lead to river overflow both its natural and artificial banks.

Flooding has become a common feature in all the geographical region of Nigeria in recent time as well as other part of African and the entire world.

ii.) Disease Infestation

He said that land erosion pollute water bodies such river streams and bring about water borne disease such as cholera, typhoid fever, schistosomiasis, dysentery, diarrhoea etc.

Erosion and its association pollution and dirt (refuse), have been veritable factor in the spread of infestation of disease. The pollution of water by soil erosion has consequently made water to be unfit for human consumption. So many attempts made by using the polluted water is always resulting to infestation.

iii.) Physical Disaster: Such disaster include which render victim homeless and causes financial losses to government and residents by way of rehabilitating/reconstruction of victim and damage structure such as roads, buildings, in addition to compensating deceased victims. The ultimate disaster that land erosion wrecked in the killing of human being.

Erosion in Nigeria and beyond has caused a lot of physical disasters. Examples include the collapse of Badage Dan near Kano as reported in National Concord of August 19, 1988; in which 18,000 houses were destroyed and over 10,000 people were rendered homeless.

A global record of devastating effect of erosion has been kept. In November, 1999, it was reported by Guardian News paper that erosion in Vietnam devastated the central province of the region and about 550 people lost their lives and properties worth 200 million dollars.

References

Ojewale, S.A. (2003): Challenges in Primary Health Care Implementation, Conference Paper on EHOAN II. Pp 12.

Effects of Land Erosion

According to Henderson (2006), the effect of soil erosion can be grouped into two, namely on-site and off-site effects.

1.         On-Site Effects

The onsite loses as it affects farmers include loss of water, fertilizer and pesticides, meaning immediate production loss. The loss of arable land is immense/reduced economic viability as a result of soil depletion. He stated

that soil erosion leads to poor yield through loss of natural nutrients and applied fertilizers. Organic matter from the soil residues and many applied manure can be transported off the field, soil quality, stability and even texture are affected.

2.         Off-Site Effect

Bunnet and Okunrotifa (2004), the off-site effect of soil erosion are not always an apparent as the on-site or downstream damage as it affects towns, people, include deterioration of water quality. This leads to pollution of rivers, death fish, silting up of reservoir, high cost of dredging harbours. The polluted water when drunk by man can cause sickness and even death. The increase in suspended load means higher cost of drinking water. The flooding of inhabited area causes mud flows, destruction of residential houses, bridges, etc.

Soil or land erosion leads to loss of lives and properties as it happened in Ibadan in recent years. It can also lead to the land and water pollution through disposal of waste indiscriminately. 

Pollution of water can be defined as a process of discharge of harmful substances into the water which causes harm to man, plant animal and make it unfit for human consumption.

To know water pollution, it is good to know the source of water supply and types of water with all that brings about water borne diseases, which are dangerous to health of man such as cholera, typhoid fever, schistosomiasis, dysentery and diarrhoea.

Lal (2009) explained that soil erosion leads to loss of lives and properties. He outlined some of the effects thus;

·         Damage to building, property and farmland

·         Unwanted spending of money through relocation of victims who live in such area.

·         Destruction of roads and water pollution.

·         Reduction of nutrients in soil.

References

Bunnet, R.B. and Okunrotifa, P. O. (2003): Geography in Diagrams for West African 8^th ed., Longman Group Limited, pp 35, 63, 84.

Henderson, (2006): “Causes and Effects of Soil Erosion” Omaff Fact Sheet Index 573.

Lal, R. (2009): Managing the Soil of Sub-Saharan Africa. Iowa State University Press, pp 1069-1076.

Causes of Land Erosion

            The factors contributing to soil erosion are classified into two major categories viz;

1.      Physical and Natural Factors

2.      Anthropogene (Man-made cause)

1

.    Physical and Natural Factors

a)   Climatic Factors: According to Henderson (2006), the various climate factors that can expose soil to erosion include the amount and intensity of precipitation, the average temperature as well as seasonality, wind speed, storm frequency, Carter (2005) opined that heavy rainfall/runoff are natural phenomenon that cause soil erosion. Heavy rainfall breaks down soil aggregates materials into smaller particles. Runoff occurs when there is excessive rainfall causing soil erosion.

b)   Geological Factors: Carla (2008), states that the geologic factors that predisposes soil to erosion include the sediment or rock type, its porosity and permeability, the slope (gradient) of the land and whether the rock are tilted, faulted, folded or weathered.

Soil or resistibility is an establishment of the ability of soil to resist erosion on the physical nature of each soil. Moreover, the natural geological type of soil (either clay or loamy sand) can also affect erodability of the soil. 

c    Biological Factors:  Ojebor (2006), the physical biological factors that exposes a soil to erosion include ground cover from vegetation or lack thereof, the type of organism inhabiting the area and the land use.

2          Man-Made Factors that Cause Erosion.

            The continuous cultivation of crops on a piece of land, grazing by cattle, deforestation, mining operation, logging render the land to the effects of erosion, Birkeland (2006), logging can cause increased erosion rates due to soil compaction, exposure of mineral. Heavy grazing can reduce vegetation enough to increase erosion. Vegetation can also change the speed of surface runoff flows, so grasses and shrubs can also be instrumental in this aspect.

            Henderson (2006), one of the main causes of erosive soil loss in the year 2006 is the result of splash and burn treatment of tropical forest. When the total ground surface is stripped of vegetation and then seared of all living organism, the upper soils are vulnerable to both wind and water.

References

Birkeland, P. W. (2005): Soil and Geomorphology. New York: Oxford University Press. Pp 52, 70.

Carla, W. (2008): Environmental Geology 5^th ed, McGraw-Hill Inc. USA pp 20-22.

Carta, W. (2005): Coastal Environment, New York Academy Press. Pp 20-19.

Henderson, (2006): “Causes and Effects of Soil Erosion” Omaff Fact Sheet Index 573.

Ojobor (2006): Comprehensive Geography for Senior Secondary School; Johnson A. Publishers, Benin. Pp 155, 188.

Types of Erosion

a. Splash Erosion: It is the detachment and airborne movement of small soil particles caused by the impact of rain drops on soil.

b. Sheet Erosion: According to Carla (2008) it is the detachment of soil particles by raindrop impact and their removal of down-slope by water flowing over land as a sheet instead of indefinite channel or rills. The impact of the raindrop

breaks apart the soil particles of clay, silt and sand into the soil pores thus reduce infiltration. Once the rate of falling rain is faster than infiltration, run-off takes place. There are two stages of sheet erosion; the first is rain splash, in the soil particles are knocked into the air by raindrops impact. Secondly, the loose particles are moved down-slope by broad sheets of rapidly flowing water-filled with sediment known as sheets flood. This stage of sheet erosion is produced by cloud burst, sheet floods which commonly travel short distances and last only for a short time.

c  Rill Erosion: According to Henderson (2006), it refers to the development of small ephemeral, concentrated flow path, which function as both sediment source and sediment delivery system for erosion in hill slope. Where water erosion rates on disturbed up land area are greatest, rills are active. Where precipitation rates exceed soil infiltration rates, run-off causes more erosion than the initial raindrop impact. This type of erosion occurs in Agbor drainage system after a heavy down pour.

d  Gully Erosion:  Bunnet and Okunrotifa (2003), also called ephemeral, gully erosion, occurs when water flows in narrow channels during or immediately after heavy rain or during melting snow. This is particularly noticeable in the formation of hollow ways where tarmac and old rural roads has over many years become much lower than the surrounding field. A gully is deep, ranging from 1 to 2 feet (0.61m) to as much as 75 to 100 feet (30m). According to Morgan (2006), it is more localized and occurs when heavy rainfall rushes down a steep slope, cutting deep grooves into the land. The grooves become deepened and widened to form gullies.

e  River Bank Erosion: According to Olatunji (2003), it is the wearing away of the banks of a stream or river. It is distinguished from changes on the bed of the water course, which is referred to as scour erosion and changes in the form of river banks. May be measured by inserting metal rods into the banks and making the position of the bank surface along the rods of different times. This erosion generates movement of water and rise in water level during flooding.

f   Coastal Erosion: Much like river banks erosion, it occurs along sea and ocean coast during flooding, leading to sea rise and flooding.

g Wind Erosion: Birkeland (2006) states that wind erosion is more likely  to occur in dry area where soil is loose and unprotected by vegetation.

References

Birkeland, P. W. (2005): Soil and Geomorphology. New York: Oxford University Press. Pp 52, 70.

Bunnet, R.B. and Okunrotifa, P. O. (2003): Geography in Diagrams for West African 8^th ed., Longman Group Limited, pp 35, 63, 84.

Carla, W. (2008): Environmental Geology 5^th ed, McGraw-Hill Inc. USA pp 20-22.

Henderson, (2006): “Causes and Effects of Soil Erosion” Omaff Fact Sheet Index 573.

Morgan, R.P. (2006): Soil Erosion, London Longman Group. Pp 22, 26, 71

Olatunji (2003): Health, Safety and Environment, A conference Paper on EHOAN. Pp14-15.