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2 days ago
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New Study Reveals a Hidden Benefit of Weight Loss Drugs for Men
New Study Reveals a Hidden Benefit of Weight Loss Drugs for Men originally appeared on Men's Fitness. These days, many folks turn to drugs like Ozempic to help lose weight. But for men, there may be another compelling reason to consider them: a testosterone boost. According to a new study being presented this week at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting, researchers at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital found that weight loss medications can help reverse low testosterone levels in men with Type 2 diabetes or obesity. The researchers examined health records of 110 men with Type 2 diabetes or obesity to track hormone changes while using GLP-1 receptor agonists. They tracked testosterone levels before starting the medications and followed up for 18 months during treatment. About half of the participants had low or borderline low testosterone initially, with most achieving normal levels by the end of the study. The average age of the group was 54."The increases we observed were more modest than what you would typically see with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). However, they occurred naturally, without testosterone replacement therapy, and likely reflect the body recovering its normal hormone production as weight and insulin resistance improved," Shellsea Portillo Canales, M.D., lead author of the study, told NBC News. Just as weight loss drugs have surged in popularity, so too has testosterone therapy. Between 2019 and 2024, prescriptions for testosterone reportedly jumped from 7.3 million to over 11 million. "Doctors and their patients can now consider this class of medications not only for the treatment of obesity and to control blood sugar, but also to benefit men's reproductive health," Portillo shared in a Study Reveals a Hidden Benefit of Weight Loss Drugs for Men first appeared on Men's Fitness on Jul 15, 2025 This story was originally reported by Men's Fitness on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
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2 days ago
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We Settle the Debate: Is the StairMaster or Treadmill Better for Weight Loss?
We Settle the Debate: Is the StairMaster or Treadmill Better for Weight Loss? originally appeared on Men's Fitness. Men's Fitness aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission. After years of talking about your weight loss plan, you've finally decided to take action. You hired a personal trainer, have a solid workout routine, and found the motivation you've been searching for. But here's the issue—you want to burn fat and get fit but have limited time. Should you hop on the treadmill? Or start knocking off floors on the StairMaster? The good news: If your goal is to get your heart pumping, your legs burning, and your fitness improving, you can't really make a wrong choice whether you go with the StairMaster vs treadmill. 'Both are really good for building aerobic capacity. And they're both fairly equal from a lower body fitness standpoint,' says Shawn Arent, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., chair of the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina. But depending on your fitness goals, mobility, and what you want to—or don't want to—get out of a gym session, the StairMaster or treadmill may be a better cardio workout. Below we discuss what makes each great, drawbacks for each piece of equipment, and interval workouts you can use on each machine to help keep your cardio sessions fresh. StairMaster vs Treadmill: How Are They Different? Both Improve Cardiovascular Fitness And they do so to a similar degree. In a 12-week study of active females from 2004, treadmill and StairMaster workouts both improved VO2 Max, a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. VO2 Max is both a marker of fitness and healthy longevity. Both Burn Similar Amounts of Calories You may be wondering which is better—the StairMaster vs treadmill for fat loss. In a study comparing lots of different cardio machines, recreationally active men who went all-out on the StairMaster and treadmill burned a similar number of calories per minute. The treadmill burned slightly more (17 calories per minute) than stair climbing (15), but both machines outperformed stationary bikes and elliptical machines. They're Both Good for Beginners and Advanced Exercisers Even if you've never scanned a gym membership card before, you already know how to run, walk, and climb stairs. The stair climber might be slightly better for beginners who want to do high-intensity work, says Greg Pignataro, C.S.C.S., founder of Never Past Your Prime, because it 'forces you to move in a way that reinforces proper movement mechanics.' The Mechanics Are Different The main difference between a stair climber and a treadmill is obvious: Using a treadmill, you're walking or running on a moving belt, while on the StairMaster or other type of stair climber, you're climbing steps. Stair Climbing Is Lower Impact Running on a treadmill puts more impact on your lower body joints than walking or trotting upstairs. Increasing the speed at which you run on a treadmill increases those joint-jarring impacts, says Ryan Koziol, owner of RYKO Fitness. Bumping up the speed on a StairMaster is still a low-impact form of exercise. Treadmills Are More Versatile While you can increase the speed or resistance on a stair climber, Arent says, the treadmill's ability to adjust speed and incline can provide more flexibility for making the workout easier or harder. Each Challenge Your Leg Muscles Differently Both pieces of equipment will challenge all the muscles in your legs, but climbing stairs can provide more overall activation of the quadriceps, the muscles in the front of your thighs, Arent says. Walking or running on the treadmill at an incline closes this gap. And to increase glute activation on a stair climber that is a step mill—a type that has a series of steps that cycle through instead of foot pads—you can skip a step, he says. Treadmills May Transfer to Sports-Specific Goals If you want to run 5Ks or other races, you'll want to actually run, Arent says. And you can only really do that on a treadmill. But a study from 1993 found that college-aged women who did stair workouts for nine weeks improved their time in a 1.5 mile run, though not quite as much as other women who trained on the treadmill for the same period. Treadmill: Pros and Cons The treadmill will help you rack up steps and elevate your heart rate. But it's got other unique benefits that other cardio machines don't have. Pros of the Treadmill If you want to run fast, you've got to run, says John Peel, a trainer for iFit and Nordic Track. 'It's going to suit the trail runner, distance runner, and casual hiker more appropriately,' he says, because the incline can be increased to mimic some of the conditions faced in races. Experts agree that the best way to run on a treadmill is with some level of incline. This reduces the impact of each step, Pignataro points out, and also makes it less likely that you'll land on your heel, a jarring impact that can result in injury. Versatility Bikes, ellipticals, and step machines can only increase or decrease speed and resistance. Because you can adjust not only the speed but the incline of the treadmill, it may also be the most versatile piece of cardio equipment in the gym. You can also just walk on a treadmill and get an effective workout, Koziol says. The ability to change multiple variables also lets you do multiple kinds of workouts: It's easy to train slow, fast, at steady paces, or at different speeds or incline intervals. Challenging at an Incline While you may think of a treadmill as a piece of equipment for running, using it to walk at an incline may be even more effective, and it reduces the impact you'd feel while running. Koziol suggests trying to start walking at 5 to 7 degrees of incline, going for 10 to 20 of the Treadmill Leads to Bad Running Mechanics The treadmill's moving belt forces you to run differently than you would outside, Pignataro says. 'It's like having a rug pulled out from under you constantly,' he says. As a result, it's more difficult to keep your center of gravity landing over the center of your foot. Instead, your leg goes in front of your body, and you land on your heel. 'That's not the way we're designed to run,' he says. 'The forefoot should be the first point of contact. If you're landing on the heel first, it's my professional opinion that you're doing more harm than good.' To reduce this effect, run at an incline, he says. Your foot will be on the treadmill for longer on each step, and it's easier to strike with the center and front of your foot. Requires Lots of Ankle Mobility at High Inclines When walking on a treadmill at an extreme incline, your ankle needs to flex so that your toes come toward your shins. This movement is called ankle dorsiflexion, and not everyone has great mobility in this way, Arent says. If this is causing you discomfort, the stair climber may be better for you. High Impact Especially when running at low or zero incline, the treadmill is jarring. With each step slamming onto the belt, you're sending shocks up through your feet, ankles, knees, and hips. This can result in overuse injuries or pain in the long haul, Koziol says. Boring and Repetitive There's a reason the treadmill is sometimes called the 'dreadmill.' While it can be the only option for certain exercisers to run during colder months, running on the treadmill can still be a drag. StairMaster: Pros and Cons Climbing on a StairMaster, step mill, or other stair climbing machine is a great option for meeting the weekly recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate or vigorous cardiovascular activity. Plus, it also has some bonus benefits that other cardio machines can't provide. But buyer beware, there are also a few nitpicky drawbacks to consider. Pros of the StairMaster Encourages Good Movement Mechanics Unlike the treadmill, which can lead to heel striking, climbing on a step mill or StairMaster 'forces you into better mechanics automatically,' Pignataro says. This means that you'll step and land on the front and center of your foot instead of with the heel. 'It's basically impossible to climb stairs on your heels.' This foolproof mechanical advantage makes the stair climber less likely to get you hurt, he says, and also an ideal choice for beginning exercisers. A Challenging Workout No surprise here. Climbing stairs is harder than moving at the same pace on flat ground (or a flat treadmill). You'll be able to get to higher intensities at lower speeds, Koziol says, which has an added bonus: You can work harder without increasing the impact of the exercise on your joints. Greater Quadriceps Activation Climbing stairs will work all the muscles in your legs, just like walking or running on the treadmill. But the StairMaster will work the quadriceps, the muscles in the fronts of your thighs, a little harder, Arent says. Climbing the steps at a fast pace will also work the muscles in the back of your legs, also known as your posterior chain, harder than flat or low-incline treadmill walking or running, Peel says. Cons of the StairMaster Burns Slightly Fewer Calories In a study that compared 10 different cardio machines, the step mill—the kind that has a revolving staircase you climb—burned an average of 354 calories in 30 minutes, the second-most among the different exercises studied. The only machine that beat it was the treadmill, but not by much: Exercising at a similar intensity, treadmill exercisers burned 378 calories. Only Speed or Resistance Can Be Changed On a step mill, the type of StairMaster with steps that rotate, the height of the stairs can't be adjusted. For some exercisers with knee issues, Arent says, this can cause some discomfort. If you're using an older-style stepper, where the foot pads connect to the machine by metal arms and go up and down, you can shorten your steps, he says, to find a range that doesn't cause knee discomfort. More Challenging For some exercisers, this is a pro, but for others, the challenge of bounding up stairs is a deterrent. The solution, Koziol says: Go slower. Walking at an incline on a treadmill is tough at a slow speed, and so is climbing stairs. If your heart rate is elevated, you're getting a good workout—even if it's not as fast as you'd run. It Can Get Repetitive Like the treadmill, the scenery doesn't change when you're on the stair climber. It can get boring. StairMaster and Treadmill Workouts While both the StairMaster and treadmill work for steady state cardio, there's more you can do than just hop on either of these machines and move for 30 minutes. Try these variations when incline walking, incline running, or on the StairMaster. Incline Walk: the 12/3/30 Workout When you increase the incline on a treadmill, Koziol says, the change in difficulty ramps up quickly with each uptick in slope. So even walking slowly provides a serious challenge. Case in point: His favorite treadmill workout, called '12/3/30.' 'It's a 12 percent incline at 3 mph for 30 minutes,' he says. Even at this slower pace, the ramp will be a challenge. If it's too hard, he says, start at a slightly lower incline and work your way up. Incline Walking or Running Intervals High-intensity interval training (HIIT), where bouts of high-intensity work are alternated with lower-intensity work or rest, is a time-efficient way to burn calories on either machine. These workouts go by quickly, Peel says, and work up a great sweat with less repetitive ruminating than a steady-state bout. Set the speed and incline at a level where you'll be challenged for 30 seconds, Peel says. After 30 seconds of work, step to the sides of the belt to recover for 30 seconds. Repeat for 10 to 20 rounds. StairMaster Intervals: Use Resistance/Levels Koziol loves the StairMaster for interval training. For easier efforts, he says, set the StairMaster at a level where you're walking very slowly up the stairs—almost like you're trudging. This could be a level 3 on the StairMaster for many exercisers. 'There is no 'too slow' here,' he says. For the harder efforts, set it at a level, probably between 6 to 10, where it's like you're rushing up the stairs (imagine you're late for a meeting, and the elevator's on the fritz). Perform seven rounds of 1 minute of the hard effort, followed by the easy effort for the same amount of time. Try this workout on its own for a cardio day, or at the end of your strength workout. StairMaster vs Treadmill: Frequently Asked Questions Which is better for fat loss? Either one will work well. There is no 'best' cardio method for burning fat. Studies have found that for maximum fat burning during exercise, people with more than 35 percent body fat will burn the most working between 61 to 66 percent of their maximum heart rate. People with body fat percentages below 35 will burn the most between 57 to 64 percent of their max heart rate. While you'll burn more fat during cardio workout at these lower intensities, studies have shown that when the amount of work done is evened out, there's very little difference in calories and fat burned over a 24-hour period with high vs low-intensity cardio. Should I hold on to the handles? Only if you need to balance. Holding on significantly reduces how difficult both the treadmill and StairMaster are since they reduce the amount of body weight you need to move, Arent says. To maximize your results and simultaneously train your core to hold you upright, keep your hands off the handles if you can. Is running on a treadmill the same as running outside? For running form, no. Running on the treadmill can cause you to strike with your heels, Pignataro says, resulting in jarring impacts. And at higher speeds, he says, running on the treadmill isn't so much running as it is skipping or bouncing on a moving belt. From the perspective of the number of calories you'll burn, running outside and on a treadmill are pretty close, though. In a 2019 meta-analysis, scientists found that when running on the treadmill—even without an incline—study participants used as much oxygen as they did for outdoor running at speeds up to six minutes per Settle the Debate: Is the StairMaster or Treadmill Better for Weight Loss? first appeared on Men's Fitness on Jul 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by Men's Fitness on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
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Forget Weight Gain—This Is How Your Body Really Reacts to One Cheat Day, Study Says
Forget Weight Gain—This Is How Your Body Really Reacts to One Cheat Day, Study Says originally appeared on Men's Fitness. Men's Fitness aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission. Binging on food—whether during a Sunday football showdown or during the holidays with the family—is never a great idea. Even if you try to offset the occasional fast food splurge with some follow-up exercise or extra attention to the crudité plate, there's no denying that a fatty food bomb can leave you feeling pretty awful. And, as it turns out, even a single cheat day's worth of pigging out on pizza or sausage dip may be harming our body more than we thought, as one study found. In a small study at Loughborough University in the U.K., researchers fed 15 healthy, young adults—nonsmokers, physically active, and free of cardiovascular disease or diabetes—a diet packed with greasy stuff like sausages, bacon, cheese, burgers, and cheesecake for one then gave the participants a sugary drink followed by an oral glucose tolerance test. The finding? After eating all that fat, the participants' bodies were substantially worse at handling sugar, which is linked to a reduction in insulin sensitivity. "Our pilot data suggests that a single day of high-fat overfeeding is sufficient to impair whole-body insulin sensitivity in young, healthy individuals," said Siôn Parry, a doctoral candidate at the Loughborough University School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. "This may have implications for those with binge-eating disorders, or those who overeat during holiday periods or at times of celebration…We also do not know how long the negative effects of this diet last, or whether repeated periods of short-term, high-fat overfeeding leads to a progressive worsening of glycemic control." Bottom line: Prioritize healthy fats that won't hammer your system quite as Weight Gain—This Is How Your Body Really Reacts to One Cheat Day, Study Says first appeared on Men's Fitness on Jul 23, 2025 This story was originally reported by Men's Fitness on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
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2 days ago
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This Aggressive Weight Loss Method Actually Works, Nutrition Expert Says
This Aggressive Weight Loss Method Actually Works, Nutrition Expert Says originally appeared on Men's Fitness. If you have an event coming up—like a wedding or seaside vacation—and want to shed a few pounds fast, it might not be out of reach. In a recently shared Huberman Labclip, Andrew Huberman and nutrition expert Layne Norton, Ph.D., explored the topic of rapid weight loss and whether or not it can be done safely. There's a widely accepted belief that fast weight loss isn't sustainable and that the weight will come right back. But Norton says that's not always true, especially for people with higher body fat. "The research data actually tends to suggest that people who are obese who lose a lot more weight early are more likely to keep it off," Norton said. While it may seem counterintuitive, early results can also create a stronger buy-in effect, which helps people stick to their laid out a common scenario: someone wants to lose fat fast—maybe three pounds per week—by cutting calories in half and doubling their workouts. Norton said that approach can work, but it depends on your body composition. "The more adipose tissue you have, the more aggressively you can diet without negative consequences," Norton explained. In simpler terms, the more body fat you have, the more aggressive you can safely be with dieting without risking lean muscle loss. But if you're already lean, extreme restriction can backfire and lead to muscle loss or metabolic issues. Both Huberman and Norton agree that rapid weight loss isn't sustainable long-term, but it can be a helpful short-term tool if followed by a transition into a more manageable lifestyle Aggressive Weight Loss Method Actually Works, Nutrition Expert Says first appeared on Men's Fitness on Jul 28, 2025 This story was originally reported by Men's Fitness on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Entertainment
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Sacha Baron Cohen doesn't realise his midlife post-divorce body is repellent to most women
'From Borat to buff,' the caption reads on the cover of Men's Fitness, along with a topless shot of… wait, that can't be Sacha Baron Cohen, can it? My first thought was oily biltong. My second thought was one of those comedy cooking aprons featuring a male torso. My third thought was: ooh, hench, what do you bench? No, of course it wasn't. It was this: I get the 53-year-old actor and comedy writer is now officially divorced from his wife, Isla Fisher, 49, but I'm not sure the revenge body thing is really working. Back in the day (1994, to be precise), Diana, Princess of Wales, stole the show with a daring off-the-shoulder black dress to signal her couldn't-care-less-but-actually-care-a-lot insouciance. I can't see why a Celine Homme polo shirt and Tom Ford linens wouldn't have done the trick for Baron Cohen. He's a dad with two daughters and a son, and therefore absolutely entitled – some would say obliged – to rock a dad bod. What his Australian ex-wife makes of it all is anyone's guess. The couple met at a party in 2001 and were engaged in 2004. The Wedding Crashers actress converted to Judaism to marry Baron Cohen in 2010. Although they announced their separation in 2024, they said it had happened a year previously. Both have been at pains to keep their personal lives private. But now that the privately educated Cambridge graduate has joined the Hollywood elite, he happily admits he brought in a crack team for his ripped glow-up, which he describes as 'a midlife crisis'. Plus, he has been cast as Marvel's supervillain devil Mephisto, who makes evil pacts with mortals in order to acquire their souls, which concentrated his mind. 'Some celebs use Ozempic, some use private chefs, some use personal trainers. I did all three,' he told the magazine. 'This is not AI, I really am egotistical enough to do this.' Given he was put through his daily workouts by someone called @theangrytrainer, his dedication, appropriately enough, verged on the demonic. It's a far cry from his wannabe gangsta Ali G character back in the 1990s, which led to his film about his shockingly inappropriate Kazakh journalist, Borat, in 2006, and then his mockumentary about monstrous Austrian fashionista Brüno three years later. In 2012, he played Admiral General Aladeen in The Dictator, billed as 'the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed'. Now a bona fide A-lister, Baron Cohen has clearly fallen prey to the literal arms race dominating the big franchises, which has seen male actors (and their body doubles) push their physiques into superhero proportions. Having presumably forgotten that superheroes aren't real. These days, muscle mass equals star power. On screen, at any rate. In Men's Fitness, Baron Cohen has found the perfect body-conscious audience for his great reveal, but I'm not sure how many women will find his pumped-up pecs a thing of beauty. It's great for any midlifers to have a stimulating hobby, and there's something deeply attractive about a man pursuing a passion. But there's something troubling when that passion turns out to be sculpting himself in the image of a cartoon character.
