If I have been training intensively and regularly for a long period of time but no longer feel that the training is having the same effect, is there anything that can help me? We asked our biomedical expert Erik to answer one of the many questions we have received through our Q&A on social media. Erik is both a certified strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer and has, over the years, helped hundreds of clients, amateurs as well as professionals, with training-related goals:
- In that situation, it would be interesting to do a more comprehensive blood test to assess the status of various hormones and nutrients. There may also be value in not simply evaluating whether the results fall within the reference range or not, as for certain test markers it is also possible to find proposed so-called optimal levels. In other words, if you are within the reference range but outside the optimal range, it may be interesting to look into this further. When it comes specifically to training and performance, testosterone is important and relevant for both men and women. In that case, it is important that the body has sufficient levels of Zinc, Vitamin D and Magnesium.
Additional supplementation has been shown to be able to increase and normalize testosterone levels in both sexes if the levels were previously inadequate. In that case, I would say that good general advice would be:
- 50-75 mcg Vitamin D
- 10-25 mg Zinc
-
200 mg Magnesium
All of the above refers to the dosage per day, and this should then be tested and evaluated over a period of 1-3 months. Good sleep routines and measures to take control of psychological stress will of course also be vital both for testosterone and for good training results.
