What if I told you that some of the most commonly held Bro science beliefs out there, arent really backed by science. Yep some of your most swear by health, wellness and exercise info out there could just all be hearsay. Today we are discussing and debunking some of the most popular bro science myths out there.( And i’m curious to know what you believe, let me know if you agree or call B.S. on some of these philosophies.
Alright here are 8 Bro Science philosophies that frankly need to just go away.
Alright, here are 8 BroScience Myths destroyed with actual science. Ready?
Myth #1: It’s best to abstain from sex before an athletic competition event.
You’ve heard it with boxers, football players, you name it. People that wont umm do the deed before a big match because… the belief is: that it could negatively affect one’s athletic performance.
This is actually one of the longest-held superstitions in sports going back to ancient Greeks and romans. But according to the experts, the whole no sex before sports is….
Much more rooted in unfounded fear than actual science.
Additionally a study out of california state university san marcos where healthy men on average aged 25, they were studied to see whether or not sex affects the amount of muscle focre men can exert with their legs the following day. They took a look at leg strength and endurance twice: once on a day where they had sex and once on a day where they did not engage in extracurricular activities.
The study revealed that there was no impact on the maximum leg torque achieved. Self-reported levels of physical and mental fatigue also didn't differ or make the participants feel—any weaker either. Granted this was a small study with limiting factors, but sex was determined to not make at least these men weaker.
On the other hand one of, if not the greatest Boxer all time Muhammed ali was rumored to not have sex 6 hours before a boxing match because of the possibilities of being physically or mentally weakened. What are your thoughts on this, i’m curious do you think this myth is true or or do you call BS? Let me know in the comments
Myth #2: Tons and Tons of Crunches are Needed for a 6 Pack
Sorry Broskis this one is false! Despite the overwhelming fitness market that is trying to sell you all types of beer gut busting contraptions and ab routines, I hate to break it to you but you just can’t get around the fact that diet and nutrition are the secret sauce to a flat stomach and possible washboard abs.
I don't care what kind of malarky the meatheads at the gym are trying to sell you on, the truth is if you want to get noticeable abs, you will have to shed the top layer of fat that covers the muscles in the midsection. And unfortunately you can't really target specific fat sections like saying oh I only want to burn fat in my stomach area. I wish that’s how it worked but it isn't. The best way to naturally achieve your washboard goals is to instead lose excess fat from your entire body through diet and exercise. .
Now let me clarify, this doesn't mean you can't do sit ups or crunches to strengthen your abs but in order to specifically get that superhero type 6 pack it is absolutely necessary to burn fat first.
Plus some other food for thought, your abs are somewhat of a small isolated muscle group and when you target only them, you're not really getting that optimal fat burn type of metabolic effect.
Myth #3: Men Can’t Suffer From Breast Cancer
This bro myth is flat out false. Although definitely more rare in men, I’m sorry to report anyone with breast tissue, which is all of us, can potentially suffer from this disease. That’s why it's important to be aware of your health or more specifically changes in your health. If one sees warning signs such as a lump in the under arm or chest area, or a sudden fluctuation in breast size or any abnormal rashes in and around the nipple area. Make sure you talk to your health care provider immediately.
Especially if you have increased risk factors like: exposure to estrogen, like with hormone therapies, or Liver disease, obesity, being over the age of 55. These factors could put you at a higher risk, especially if you have a family history of cancer. Some people inherit abnormal mutated genes from their parents that increase the risk of breast cancer. Mutations in one of several genes, especially a gene called B-R-C-A-2, put you at greater risk of developing breast, prostate and ovarian cancers. If you have a family history of cancer, discuss this with your doctor. They may recommend that you meet with a genetic counselor in order to consider genetic testing to see if you carry genes that increase your risk of cancer.
Myth #4: You Need to Drink Protein Shakes to Build Muscle
This is a no bro. If you are getting enough protein in your everyday diet, honestly there is no real need to drink a supplemental shake. But let’s rewind a sec to that part where I said supplemental. Yes, that's the key to understanding here.
Protein shakes are in fact a supplement and that means they should be used or consumed to fill in your nutrition gaps. What does that mean exactly? Well first you need to determine how much protein you should be getting a day and that really depends on your size and fitness goals.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Which isn't much, that's basically just to meet your basic nutritional requirements.
Myth #5: Erectile Dysfunction Only Affects Much Older Men.
Sorry I’m calling B.S. on the ED only targeting older men.
According to the National Institutes of Health, about 30 million in the United States are affected by erectile dysfunction — that’s about one in every five men.
So what causes ED? Well it can really be caused by a number of things but most notably, issues like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, drug use, and performance anxiety just to name a few. Also I hate to be a buzzkill here but surprisingly, alcohol isn’t great for erectile health.
In a 2007 study, researchers found that men with alcohol dependence syndrome had a high rate of sexual dysfunction. Of the 100 men that participated in the study, 72 percent had either one or several forms of sexual dysfunction, ED being one of the most common. If you find you or someone you know struggling with this issue, talk to your doctor, that way you can try to find the underlying issue of what's causing it and what possible treatments there are.
Myth #6 Eating at Night Makes You Fat
This one’s a little controversial but generally speaking this is False. Despite what you’ve heard, it’s not about when you eat, it's about what you eat. And let’s be real with ourselves for a sec. Sometimes at night when folks are tired, or say they had a little alcohol or other umm substances, what they reach for in the fridge isn't the most healthy.
Experts say its more of a behavior correlation. So people who tend to do late night snacking according to studies, they tend to opt for calorie dense or sugar filled snacks or heck even whole pizzas and door dash offerings that are no doubt tasty and convenient but that often put them over their targeted caloric intake for the day. It’s this type of binge behavior that leads to weight gain. Not necessarily the fact that you’re munching at midnight.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Weight Control Information Network website, “it does not matter what time of day you eat. It is what and how much you eat and how much physical activity you do during the whole day that determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain your weight.” and According to the Center for Disease Control, it’s the calories you burn over a 24-hour period that determines fat gain/loss, not when you intake those calories.
In the most simplest terms, calories in vs calories out. No matter the time of day.
And of course the type of calories you consume is important as well. A late night protein shake with about 120 calories and 30 grams of protein is going to hit much differently than a slice of pizza that has around 285 calories and maybe 12 grams of protein.
Myth #7: Snoring
It's just what guys do? Right, bro? Wrong, that's a whole lot of hogwash. No matter who you are, every now and again, you might find yourself sawing logs from, say, a clogged nostril, allergies, changes in the weather, infection, weird sleeping position. You name it. But this is not just bros out there that snore. This truly can affect anyone at any time. But if you find that your snoring becomes persistent you may just want to get this checked out. Prolonged snoring can be problematic far beyond your partners ears in fact it may be a sign of a more dangerous sleep disorder like sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night's sleep, you might have sleep apnea. Usually risk factors include being overweight, or older age, sometimes the use of alcohol and other depressants can also contribute to this sleep disorder as well.
But sleep apnea can up one’s risk for developing high blood pressure and heart disease, so if you or someone you know find themselves snoring much louder than usual, or pausing with they breathe at night, or gasping, taking shallow breaths, or frankly just being restless at night, it may be wise to seek out your trusted health care provider to get to the root of this.
8. Cardio is the only way to get skinny. Cardio is the only way to slim down.
Sorry to report bro this is total B.S. Now while it is true to some degree to say you don’t see many marathon runners who are overweight, constant cardio though isn't the best way to shed those pounds. If you want to lean out and get more sculpted in the process, the best way to do this is by combining strength training and cardio.
Cardio’s great because it burns more calories and is good for your heart, nervous system, and improved brain plasticity and you don’t not want to do cardio. But on a very basic level, strength training increases your metabolic burn rate, meaning you will be burning calories long after your workout stops. So be safe and just do a bit of both if you really want to trim down.