British Scientist Conduct Experiment

[chewytorch]

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2008/04/26/Scientists-link-baldness-weight-lifting/UPI-84821209238584/

LONDON, April 26 (UPI) -- British scientists say lifting weights can cause baldness.

That's because weight training increases testosterone levels immediately after a session, rising 25 percent after 45 minutes, The Sun reported. About 30 minutes later, testosterone levels drop as the hormone is converted to dihydrotestosterone or DHT, which shrinks hair follicles and roots.

"We have seen an increase in men in their 20s and 30s who regularly circuit train," Rogers Medical Group, a practice specializing in hair transplants, said in a statement. "There's no doubt it is often a factor in hair

loss."

While inheriting genes for baldness is still the biggest single cause of hair loss, scientists say training with weights is No. 2. Women who lift weights are also likely to end up with thinner hair.

Heavy-set men who eat high-fat diets are at the most risk of losing hair because of weight-lifting.



What can we do about this. Is there special shampoo we can use after working out to make sure the DHT will not affect the hair or are we completely screwed.

[Fixed by 35]

The Sun?

Seriously, you do know that newspaper has a reading age of about 7 (is that Grade 2 in the USA)? It is to journalism what a child's finger painting is to art. With a topless woman on page 3.

The Sun has an approach to journalism that can be summarised as follows. It hears a ridiculous rumour, jumps to some bizarre conclusions and then it prints it as news. Other idiotic journalists around the world then pick up this 'news' and run it themselves.

I imagine this story came about as a result of an undergraduate science student at a former polytechnic hypothesising on hair loss for their dissertation. The Sun then probably interpreted it as serious research.

I cannot remember the source and would ask that someone more scientifically minded confirms this, but it was my understanding that the DHT on its own is not the problem; the problem is our scalp hair's sensitivity to it. Men with hair tend to test for the same sort of levels of DHT, it just doesn't stop their scalp hair growing (I guess they just have side hair all over!)

[mattj]

Fixed, I think the point would be that the increased levels of DHT might cause more aggressive hairloss in those already susceptible to it. Perhaps also it could overwhelm anti-androgens such as Propecia.

[chewytorch]

Well I know it's ridiculous to say that weight lifting CAUSES balding. I'm just saying in men that already have MPB that maybe it could speed it up?

[Fixed by 35]

I guess creating more DHT at a younger age could aggravate things, but I suspect it is of limited significance.

[NvIs]

I think thats a load of bull! There's no control, no test subjects, no data ect... Its just a simple observation.
I've been going to the gym for years, and I've been working out with friends who are prone to MPB and just have good genetics. Some of my friends have started balding because they have MPB, some haven't even though balding runs in the family.

I actually see just as many over weight people at the gym that are bald or going bald as there are really buff people / every day people that have signs of balding.

Based off of this article then, running causes hair loss, sex causes hair loss, weightlifting can cause hair loss, some foods can cause hair loss... Its just unfounded