andropause

I thought this subject was something worth a post even if it does not directly relate to the fighting arts. This term is used by the Mayo Clinic and it came about because of the various symptoms that I have experienced these last few years and also some symptomatic discussions I have heard at our Peets Coffee House round table, i.e. a group of us from the neighborhood sit, drink coffee, and discuss a lot of stuff.

Some of the comments were, "I sleep like sh&^!," or "I seem to be getting a bit more fat and I am losing a bit of muscle and strength cause I got to work harder to stay up to this level," and "Motivation, I have none so I don't get chores done like I use to."

Some appear to be a bit depressed or sad about this stuff but you know guys we don't admit to anything someone else might misconstrue as weakness…we gotta stay up with those young pups don't ya know. My favorite is not remembering things or losing a bit of concentration that was a hallmark of my professionalism at one time.

Yea, the Mayo says these are all part of the aging process. It can be underlying effects of medication, etc. or even alcohol use cause we all either have a drink or a few beers now and then.

Well, the Mayo also says this can be what they call, "andropause," which you are going to flip when I tell you that it is a male version of the ladies menopause.

We as martial artist/fighting artists should know about these types of things in order to say yes that is what I am dealing with or no it is something else. The important thing is this, don't hesitate to see your doctor and talk about it.

We males also go through aging related hormone changes but they are very, very different from those in women. I quote:

"The term "male menopause" is sometimes used to describe decreasing testosterone levels related to aging. In men, hormone production declines more gradually. The effects — such as changes in sexual function, energy level or mood — tend to be subtle and may go unnoticed for years.

So what's the best way to refer to so-called male menopause? Many doctors use the term "andropause" to describe aging-related hormone changes in men. Other terms for so-called male menopause include testosterone deficiency, androgen deficiency of the aging male and late-onset hypogonadism."

All this can begin and it is gradual, very gradual, from age 30 and goes beyond the seventies. If you are suffering from the various symptoms then talk to a doctor.

Let me just say this, has there ever been a time of late where you think to yourself, "Hey, why am I reacting this way? When I was 25 I would have ignored it and kicked some butt!" or something like this, well, it may be that your system is changing and causing changes in those chemicals that make our bodies and minds do things we would have never imagined as younger guys.
Recently I have experienced some unusual behavior and reactions have been also unusual.

Example: one person make a comment about me on a yahoo group posting that normally would have resulted in my laughing a bit and ignoring the post but this time I was suddenly very angry and suddenly my fingers were dancing across the keyboard and this went on for several postings until I got a hold of myself and said hey, stop this shi%!

I don't normally get ruffled but lately I can feel the steam rising. Yes, it just may be some other factor but one day not long ago the thought suddenly appeared in my mind, which I tend to listen to, and I said wait a minute, male menopause! You have got to be shitting me.

So, my last comment to bring it to the FA/MA practice not to forget self defense is this, if you find yourself in a situation where you feel like exploding on someone but really don't know why cause before you would have laughed it off, stop, think of this posting, ask yourself, and then make a good decision.

Article from Mayo