 Matt Bach is a storied Age Group Athlete that has a long list of victories, including Ironman Maryland. He has the experience of balancing a normal work life and setting sights on a World Championship title. Along the way though Matt started to notice signs that were not normal to endurance training. Matt couldn't shake the constant fatigue, and he struggled to find any enjoyment in racing or training. Matt, similar to me, suffered from chronic overtraining which lead to some severe low testosterone. Matt dives into his experience and his new found knowledge about low testosterone in this guest blog. You might recognize the name from his appearance on ENDURANCE PLANET podcast, TRS Radio, as well as Slowtwitch and The Wall Street Journal. Overtraining and Low TestosteroneWhat it is, how to prevent it, and how to get back into balance May 2017 I may look healthy, but I’m not. I am a triathlete suffering from fatigue, low libido and osteoporosis. I have the bones of a 73 year old. I’m 29. I write this blog so that you might be aware of the issues that can arise from too much endurance training, but also to inform you that it is preventable and reversible. Life is about balance, and I screwed up my balance and my health. You may like what you see in the mirror, but you may not be healthy either. I am a case study for what NOT TO DO, and I hope you will learn from my mistakes. Symptoms of Low T (<300ng/dL) It has been shown in numerous studies since the 1980’s that overtraining in endurance sports can cause reduced testosterone levels. The most common symptoms include fatigue, low libido and impaired performance, but low T can impact many aspects of life including energy levels, sleep patterns, mood, sex life, fertility, cognitive ability, frequent illness, bone health and body composition. The symptoms that each person experiences are different; for me, it was fatigue, low libido, and impaired bone health (osteoporosis at age 29), but for other people it could be any combination of the other symptoms that I listed. Careful! Most people, including myself, write off their fatigue and lack of desire to the rigors of their training, but in many cases, it is something deeper. Prevalence If you have low T like I did, know that we are not alone. It is a very common thing for triathletes, and if you have the type A, overly-disciplined personality that so many of us triathletes have (and many take pride in), then you are at high risk for suffering from low T. If any of the below apply to you, then you might be driving yourself into a hole:
It’s not just triathletes that suffer from hormone issues, but other endurance athletes too. Many of you may be aware of Ryan Hall’s story, which has helped to bring the low testosterone issue into the limelight. Ryan ran the fastest marathon time ever by an American in the 2011 Boston Marathon, 2:04:58. He also broke the American record in the half marathon running a blistering 59:43. Last year, he retired from the sport, at the young age of 33, struggling to run just 12 easy miles per week because of the devastating effects of low testosterone. Soon after I discovered I had low testosterone, I went on a fact-finding frenzy. I wanted to see how common low testosterone is in endurance athletes, and ask them what they’ve done to manage it. I chose to focus on elite endurance athletes, about half professional and half elite amateurs, because they typically take on higher volumes of training, which I’ve come to understand is the biggest factor leading to low T. I polled 22 elite triathletes and an astonishing 13 of them have had diagnosed hormone issues due to endurance training. Out of the remaining 9 people, 6 of them have experienced symptoms of low testosterone but have not been formally diagnosed. Just 3 out of the 22 elite triathletes I polled claim to have never experienced hormone issues! Further, at least 6 from the list have also had low bone density due to hormone imbalances, and bone stress injuries like I have. Finally, a researcher in the area of exercise-induced low testosterone has informed me that a study will be published soon that reports low testosterone in approximately 50% of male Kona athletes.  Matt Bach, A Case StudY Below I will describe what I’ve done over the past six years to cause such devastation to my health. I do this so that you might have a better understanding of what it took for me, and you can compare to yourself. We are all different though, and some of our bodies can sustain a lot more stress than others before they break down. Note that you may be training far less than I, and may be getting more rest, but still could experience issues. On the flip side, you might be training far more and sleeping 5 hours a night, yet haven’t experienced any problems health-wise. Lucky you! How I Dug My Hellth Hole Overtraining / Under-recovery 2010 – The year my wife and I began triathlon. Spinning classes, some running, practically drowning in the pool, and some killer abs classes at the gym. This was not when I began overtraining. Weekly Average: 6 hours 2011 – Met a group of tremendously dedicated triathletes in Hoboken while I was living in Jersey City. Saw their knowledge and company as a way to get good quickly, and I was right! Upped my training and they showed me the ropes. I did 3 half Ironman events that year, along with some shorter triathlons and running events. I was self-coached and partook in “leech training” where I would join in on my training partners’ workouts, usually created by their coaches. Weekly Average: 12 hours 2012 – My body seemed to be able to cope with more training, so I gave it more training, as I was still self-coached. I saw improvements in fitness over the past couple of years simply by increasing volume, so I, like so many others in our sport, figured improvement must be linearly correlated with volume. My attitude drifted in the direction of trying to fit in as much training as possible given my work and sleep schedule. I noticed that if I got under an average of 7:15 sleep per night, I would get sick, so determined that 7:15 was the right amount. While it was not my goal, I missed qualifying for Kona by 1 slot in my debut Ironman going 9:59 at Ironman Lake Placid. Weekly Average: 16 hours 2013 – Seeing how close I was to qualifying for Kona, I was determined to get there. I remained self-coached, increased my training even further, and fit in as much training as possible. In fact, I stretched the limits of what was possible to put into my schedule. I rarely saw my wife during the week, and spent only a handful of hours with her each weekend. Nearly every Saturday for three months, I rode a century+ then tacked on a run afterwards. For a five week period before tapering for Placid, I had not given myself a single rest day. I ended up having a terrible race at Placid, missed Kona by 1 slot again and went 9:58. Frustrated but knowing the fitness was there, my wife allowed me to sign up to race Ironman Louisville four weeks later where I succeeded in qualifying for Kona by winning my age group. Another factor was that Jared Tootell, a training partner and friend of mine, informally coached me after Placid, and taught me the value of the trainer and quality vs. quantity. This was my first foray into “less is more” and likely saved me from digging myself even further into this hellth hole. I competed in Kona 7 weeks later to complete my 3rd Ironman in as many months. This year was the peak of my overtraining / under-recovery, and when my life balance was most out of whack. Weekly Average: 17 hours
2015 – Having won Ironman Maryland in 2014 in a 51 minute PR of 8:51 on what felt like “light” training, the prospect of going pro became real. I felt compelled to train more this time and see how big of a ripple I could make in Kona, targeting the top amateur spot. A great result there would put me in a good position to go pro either in 2016 or 2017. My volume stretched again and I felt as though some of that extra bandwidth was gone. Then in March, I noticed two symptoms of low testosterone, unusual fatigue and low libido, for the first time, but I didn’t know that’s what my issue was until August when I was first diagnosed. I had total testosterone of 153 vs the “normal” range of 300-1000. By then it was too close to Kona to just stop training, especially when the only things I noticed were fatigue and low libido, and I was continuing to improve performance-wise. In fact, I had a number of massive breakthroughs in training last year and was top amateur at Eagleman 70.3 by over 5 minutes. I kept the testosterone issue in mind, but decided to continue training at a high level through Kona, and then I would address the issue. I placed 72nd overall in Kona, failing to execute the race I knew I was capable of, and then took time off. After 2 weeks, my testosterone levels had already risen to 256, more than a 100 point increase over my known low point, though still not in the range of “normal.” Several more weeks off would help, and learning more about what could be done to improve my levels naturally would set me up well for 2016. Weekly Average: 16 hours 2016 – This is when I finally started doing a lot of the right things, though it turns out it was too little too late. I developed a stress reaction in my right femoral neck in May due to having low bone density, the low bone density being a result of low testosterone and underfueling. I slashed my training to near zero and after gathering tons of info from doctors, studies, google, Cody Beals, and ancient cave paintings, I decided to pursue a smattering of natural methods to improve my testosterone levels. By September, my testosterone levels had climbed to 599ng/dL, just shy of the “average” T level for 30 year old males of 625ng/dL. I gradually resumed and increased my training throughout the remainder of the year. Weekly Average: 13 hours until injury, then 0 building to 8 hours by the end of the year 2017 – I was running ~10 miles at a time, or about 20-25 miles per week when I suffered a recurrence of the stress reaction in my right femur. While my testosterone levels were back to normal, my bone density levels were still very low (it takes a lot of time to regrow bone and bone loss is partially irreversible). I stopped training again, then resumed swimming, then had my first child on April 7th. Weekly Average: 5 hours until injury and baby, then 1 Weight In early 2015, one of the experiments I ran on myself was to see how low I could go before losing muscle mass or feeling like dirt. I had begun employing metabolic efficiency training in 2014, so thought that maybe with my new nutrition regimen, I could go lower than 140lbs and still feel strong. Every pound less I weigh is one pound less I have to carry for 138.2 miles (the swim doesn’t count) through the lava fields right? Right, but it’s not sustainable! My body rebelled and I couldn’t even drop below 145. I pushed and pushed and just couldn’t do it. It turns out that your body’s response to having low testosterone is to retain body fat. Also, by not giving the body enough fuel, it goes into survival mode and begins to draw from other resources in the body (i.e. your reproductive system, your bones, etc). Note that in females, this biological mechanism results in a loss of their period (amenorrhea), but it’s not so obvious for men. It all makes sense now, but I am fairly certain I did some damage during those months. I’ve always wondered why professional triathletes are all heavier than me, even if they are shorter. I think I now understand the reason why. I think I also understand why Mark Allen said “be fat in July to race well in October.” Doctors Time for a little side story! After Kona 2015 when I was determined to get a handle on my testosterone levels, I met with an endocrinologist. I thought I had a good idea of how the meeting would go…I’d explain that I have low testosterone, and that I thought it was because of overtraining. The doc would say, ok, we’ll slap this testosterone patch on you and you’ll be good to go. I’ll say “no, doc, I can’t do that because I’m an athlete and it’s against the anti-doping rules” and then the doc would say “ok, then let’s take natural measures to remedy this.” Doc would then list a bunch of natural ways to do it that would probably overlap quite a bit with the methods I had already learned from Cody Beals. Maybe I’d learn a thing or two, and would consider the appointment a success. NOPE! We didn’t even get past the first part. I explained that I have low testosterone due to endurance training, and the endocrinologist, someone who is an expert in hormones, wasn’t even aware that the link exists! Needless to say, I walked out and never saw that doc again. The point I am making with this anecdote is that while hormone imbalance is prevalent, it is hardly spoken about. Barely anyone understands the problem or how to fix it, even among the medical community. In order to help the multitude of athletes dealing with this, I’ve begun offering consultations to help them get their health and performance back on track. You can email me at [email protected] to request my Athlete Questionnaire, which you would fill out and send back to me in order to get started.  Performance Enhancing Drugs I won’t take supplemental testosterone, and here’s why:
Natural Remedies for Endurance Athletes with Low T
 Emotions These last couple of years have been a roller coaster emotionally. Though I typically excel at remaining rational, it’s been hard to keep my head on straight. At one point I was on the verge of turning professional in the sport, but have since been nearly driven out of the sport altogether due to health issues that I never even knew could arise because of a sport that I thought was healthy. Am I doing the right thing for me, my wife and my newborn daughter? Should I be trying to be competitive at this sport, at a pro or age group level, if it’s going to be a detriment to my health? Will I find the right balance between training and recovery? Will that equilibrium translate into enough training to compete at a high level? Or should I just throw in the towel? While I’ve wavered periodically between the two extremes, quitting the sport and pursuing triathlon at a pro level, and everything in between, the place I seem to be settling is that I will do what I can to restore my health and to return to the sport. Whether I am able to compete again or not, though, will not impact my desire to help those suffering from low testosterone due to endurance training. Let’s all raise awareness of this problem so that others can prevent the hellth hole I’ve fallen into, and so that those who are facing the debilitating effects of low testosterone or low bone density can recover. Preserving your health and being competitive at the sport is possible. What I Hope For You Get blood work done. It’s either free, or nearly free (just a co-pay) and really easy to get. Simply talk to you primary care physician about your level of exercise and concern that it may be affecting your hormone levels. Routine blood work does not typically call for testosterone measurement, so be sure to have your doctor request it specifically. If you think you have experienced symptoms of hormone imbalance, do not hesitate to email me at [email protected] and I will send you my Athlete Questionnaire. Also, if you meet the following criteria, and want to be considered for a research study will be starting in the coming months, then email me. The study will be over the course of a year and will assess endurance training’s impact on testosterone, general health, and performance for endurance athletes. Criteria: 1.) Male endurance athlete 2.) Average 10+ hours of aerobic activity per week 3.) Have either: a.) qualified for Kona (or have come close) or 70.3 worlds, with an overall placement that would be considered "elite" (i.e. a 75 year old man who qualifies for Kona, while very respectable, would not be eligible unless he were capable of being in the top ~third of the overall field) b.) run a marathon under 2:50 c.) raced competitively in 3+ sanctioned cycling events d.) or have achieved something in an endurance sport that would be considered "elite" 4.) Can commit to testing once every 2 months for 1 year at either Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ), Ohio State University (Columbus, OH) or Armstrong University (Savannah, GA) If you are interested, you can subscribe to my blog by entering your email address in the upper right hand corner of my website (www.ironmattbach.com) and you can follow me at @IronMattBach on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Keep your priorities straight. Remember what is important in life! We love endurance sports, but your health comes before training and competition, as does your family, and if you’re not healthy, you’re not going to be there for them. 
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Ryan McCauley is an IREP Athlete, representative of United States Military Endurance Sports, and an active duty Airman. Ryan just completed his first full Ironman distance triathlon on 5 Nov 2016 at Ironman Florida. I wanted to catch up with him a couple days after to get his feelings on the race and training  CK: How’s the body feeling after your first Ironman? RM: Much better than I expected it to. I paid close attention to my recovery process from previous races and had a plan for this one and stuck to it. The worst part is not being able to get quality sleep and this second night was, by far, the worst. I’ll be happy when I don’t wake up in the middle of the night from sore muscles. CK: Are you happy with your results? RM: Absolutely. I was within 10 minutes of my marathon PR after a 114.4 mile warm-up. I can’t be disappointed with my race in any way. Especially being that it was my first at this distance. That said…12 hours is still on the table and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t irritated by that. CK: You had some injuries leading into this race. Did they bother you at all during Ironman Florida? If so, at what points? RM: Not at all. Which was partially a surprise. I was concerned that the shoulder was going to cause enough discomfort to limit my mobility during the swim but the day prior to the race I was completely pain free and that has continued on here post race. I fully expected my knee to begin hurting at some point during the race but it also stayed away. They’re still issues I need to get completely resolved, but the pain prevention measures taken in advance of the race worked for me. CK: High and low moments of the race? RM: First high moment came when I got off the bike and realized I had enough of a cushion to make my first goal of 12 hours. The next high moments came when I saw my family at miles 5, 11, and 17. My low moments were first at mile 9 of the run when my stomach started to turn on me and I got a serious vomiting sensation. All I could think about was how bad it would be to throw up since I would lose calories I needed to get through the second half of the run. After successfully dealing with that issue, the next low point came at mile 20 when I did the math and realized there was no way I was going to finish in less than 12 hours. That reality coupled with the fact that I wouldn’t see the family again until the finish line destroyed my motivation. CK: How did you get through the tough moments? RM: I really just tried to get in tune with my body and remember what to do given the body’s different responses. Beyond that I just thought about the accomplishment that was up the road and in the meantime just being in the moment. Enjoying the company of other athletes, appreciating the role of spectators, and thanking volunteers.  CK: Can you tell me about why you wanted to race an Ironman? RM: Just like running a 5k and thinking about how cool it would be to run a marathon someday, after my first sprint distance triathlon I knew I wanted to someday complete an Ironman. I had no idea what it would take to get to that point…but I knew it was something I wanted. CK: Ironman training can be exhausting. It provides the opportunity to put family and other obligations on the backburner. Did you ever find yourself feeling guilty about training vs spending time with family? RM: I did. But before I started this journey my wife and I talked about the sacrifices that this would entail and she fully supported me pursuing this goal. We knew there would be times that it would be frustrating and at times I would be absent from activities or not be able to commit to different events due to training needs. Having that conversation ahead of time gave me the confidence to continue to train even when I felt like I was not carrying my weight in the household. CK: Was/is your family supportive of your athletic goals? RM: Incredibly. At 3 and 5, my kids are still too young to understand beyond knowing that daddy has to go swim, run, or needs to head into the garage to ride his bike. Having them come out to races or participate in events like the IronKids races is great and my 5 year old is already looking forward to his next race. Having that opportunity to show them what all is incorporated in a healthy, active life is important to both of us and serving as a role model to them in that arena is a priority for us. I can’t say enough about how much sacrifice and support my wife, Sandy, gave me through this year. She always supports my crazy hobbies and triathlon is no different.  CK: So you are an active duty Airman, what do you do? RM: I’m an instructor as the USAF First Sergeant Academy. I train selected Senior NCOs to go out and advise Commander’s by serving the Airmen in their unit. CK: Is it fulfilling to see the transformation from when Airmen start class on the first day and then graduate? It is a similar idea to what you just accomplished, right? RM: There is certainly some polarity there. I see students arrive on day 1 of the First Sergeant Academy who are fired up and ready to First Sergeants and others who are unsure about what they’re getting into and even sometimes others who do not want to become First Sergeants. But one thing they all have in common is that they want to take care of Airmen and one of the greatest skills you can have in this role is a relentless drive and determination to either find solutions yourself or guide Airmen to their own solutions. It’s that same drive and determination that I relied upon to keep going in training and racing. CK: Was it tough to balance your career in the military and training? RM: Sometimes. In this position I’m in now I have the most predictable schedule I’ve ever had during my time in the service. That’s going to be a hard thing to give up when my time here is finished. Teaching and being on your feet all day is mentally and physically draining and training isn’t always the first thing on your mind when you get home in the evenings but working closely with you during the busiest times and adjusting the training schedule accordingly made the balance very achievable. CK: What is next for Ryan? RM: Next year is big unknown for my family as we are scheduled to pack up and move for another assignment. So I’m lining up races in the early part of the year and will have to shut it down earlier than I would like to prepare to move come late summer. I’ve also realized that this was my first real year of training in my life. I’ve always been a “12 weeks to race day” type athlete and in this last year I’ve learned just how much I’ve been missing by taking that canned approach to training and racing. There will be another full Ironman in the future…I just can’t say when or where. The Air Force is going to have a greater say in that decision than I do at this point.  CK: Favorite workout?
RM Trail runs CK: Best Youtube video for those tough trainer workouts? RM: https://youtu.be/E4b4DJFStVQ Gets me going every time. CK: Zwift or TrainerRoad? RM: Zwift CK: Nastiest Gel flavor? RM: Chocolate anything…awful. CK: Peanut butter and Fluff or Peanut butter and Jelly? RM: PB&J. CK: Biggest pet peeve? RM: Wishing people luck…people put time and effort into eliminating luck from the equation. Don’t disrespect their sacrifices by suggesting luck is the greatest contributing factor. CK: Most valuable lesson learned in life? RM: You become what you spend your time doing. CK: Most inspirational person? RM: People don’t inspire me so much as principles and ideals. CK: Ryan, thank you for taking the time to talk about your first Ironman finish. |
