01 CAN BOOSTING TESTOSTERONE HELP ME DEFY AGEING?
In August of this year, UK AntiDoping (UKAD) confirmed that former Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman had been banned for four years for "taking possession of an order of 30 sachets of Testogel (testosterone gel)" at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester in 2011. The lack of charging any riders smacks of throwing said doctor under the team bus, but that's another feature for another time. For now, we've used Freeman as a high-profile, nefarious vehicle to highlight the performance potential of testosterone - and why the passage of time can see both testosterone and performance levels plummet.
Let's lift the lid on age-related decline and what you can do about it...
What is testosterone?
Testosterone is a hormone - a chemical messenger that's secreted, in the case of men, from the testicles into the blood, which carries it to organs and tissues of the body to stimulate a number of functions, many of which are conducive to stronger cycling efforts. As a snapshot, testosterone preserves and increases lean muscle mass; improves cognitive function; increases bone density to help prevent conditions such as osteoporosis; and improves your ability to recover from a workout. Those are the headline benefits. But it's also responsible for driving the process of creating red blood cells, which is clearly nectar in a sport where your muscles are demanding oxygen. And then there are performance boosts that tap into the psychological.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Air Apparent - Pollution hasn't gone away. It's still there in every lungful, even if we can't see it in the air or on the news. But there are reasons to breathe easier, thanks to pioneering projects using cycling 'citizen scientists'. Rob Ainsley took part in one...
The toxic effects of pollution have been known about for years. 'Just two things of which you must beware: Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air!' sang 1960s satirist Tom Lehrer.Over recent decades, though, pollution has dropped down our list of things to worry about, thanks to ominously capitalised concerns such as Climate Change, AI, Global Conflict, Species Collapse, etc. That doesn't, unfortunately, mean the problem has expired. Air quality often exceeds safe limits, with far-reaching and crippling effects on our health.
No limits
Not every adventure needs to be that epic, says bikepacking Scotland founder Markus Stitz
UNBOUND UNLEASHED
Josh Patterson was one of 34 starters for the inaugural edition of Unbound in 2006. Now, with more than 5,000 riders taking part in today's event, he charts the rise of the most important race in gravel
FOREST COMMISSION
Looking for a goal race in 2025 that'll stimulate the synapses and live long in the memory? You'd struggle to do better than ENID CRV in Finland
15 OF THE BEST ADVENTURES
Featuring Yorkshire, the USA, Sri Lanka and more, here are our picks of the world's greatest gravel races and routes
The stuff of dreams
Ned sings the praises of the Paris Olympics road-race course
"I rode 3,000 miles around Britain on a bamboo bike to highlight our climate crisis"
Recordbreaking cyclist and triathlete Kate Strong, 45, took to the road to raise awareness of environmental issues
FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE
We venture into the hidden gem of the glorious Creuse, one of France's least populated regions
STAR TREK
New tube shapes and carbon lay-up makes the eighth generation of Trek's legendary Madone an aero and climbing bike all rolled into one
GOLD RUSH
With conflict around the world, Paris 2024 was a ray of light. Here are our highs of a mighty Olympics
