I need some support, I need some advice

[CMChristich]

Hey forum members, a little about myself. I'm 24 years old, prior service and college student. I love the sport of bodybuilding, I have yet to compete, but if I can remain injury free I will compete this year. I'm trying to make this short because I could ramble on and on about this. I feel like I have ran into a wall. Long story short, my training, the stresses of school, or something has killed my libido and is affecting my relationship with my girlfriend. I had my test levels ran and I'm sitting at 486 with a free test of 69. The doctor told me this was considered average but on the lower end on the spectrum. I have problems sleeping, I have mild sleep apnea. I continue on with my training regimen, my strength is still there. Is there anyone else out there, that has experienced this. I don't feel like I am in a state of over training. I'm gonna keep pushing on, that's my only option. I just want to know if maybe I need HRT, or maybe with what I am dealing with is normal. I know a lot of bodybuilding are not in relationships, is this why? I'll post a pic so you guys can see, I'm not lacking in physical size from my bodyspace. Fuck lol I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. Any words of advice will be much appreciated.

So can intense training destroy your sex drive?

http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2012/08/15/28061872/profilepic/IxypPgScUScZsRNQSooKGmHALfIWTlpDjfhF.jpg

[Ragin Asian]

You should actually request to see an endocrinologist. There are other factors involved that can affect libido and just doing a blood panel on your overall test levels doesn't provide enough answers. If you're on the low side at the age of 24, that is unusual. If you were over the age of 35, then I'd say maybe. All the more reason to get a referral for an endo. Primary care physicians aren't on the up and up when it comes to the human endocrine system - they have a general knowledge but not enough to pinpoint what may be causing problems. Did you tell your doc about your low libido?

[Ragin Asian]

Also, to answer your question about intense training destroying sex drive - it depends on the person, but I would say it shouldn't. You have a lot of stressors going on in your life as you mentioned - but at the prime age of 24, your sex drive should still be thriving. Lack of good sleep is one killer, though. If you're not getting enough REM sleep, your body is not recovering properly or adequately and any added stress in your day to day life will just drag you down - further impeding your ability to build muscle mass, recover, and to have a libido at all. If you have mild sleep apnea - get that in check! You're not getting enough hours of REM sleep with sleep apnea on any level. At least that's one aspect you can control and do something about. Find out why you have it and get some help to correct it. I know many lifters with sleep apnea, but most of them are huge - even my own husband has it because of the size of his neck, traps and shoulders coupled with his enlarged lymph nodes from his condition. He has used CPAP's before and it helped for awhile but he has a tendency to yank it off in the middle of the night. We have found ways to adjust his sleeping angle with special pillows and make sure to keep him on his sides when he sleeps instead of his back. That and he keeps his bodyweight under 240lbs - anything over and it's just plain misery.

I'm sorry, but intense training is not your culprit. If anything, it should boost your libido. Get your sleeping in check and find an endocrinologist to further investigate your test levels, thyroid, etc.

[Hollow]

One aspect I can comment on, is the Sleep Apnea. I can completely relate with your husband Ragin Asian (pulling the mask off, sleeping on sides verses back, etc.) and I will say this, I never realized how critical and how much sleep (the lack of) can really tax not only you physically but mentally and emotionally. I'm no doctor and only speaking from my own experience but if you're not getting solid sleep, it will affect your libido.