Can Success Make You Miserable?

When you think  of Olympic gold medalists, you think of success—and with that, happiness.A lifestyle of victories and workouts—endorphins flooding and fresh air—coupled with exotic travel. It sounds great.

But is it?

In a recent study of elite athletes, German researchers found that 15 percent suffered from depression. Pros who reported higher levels of stress and self-pity scored even higher on a depression test.

4 Things You Think Turn Her On—That Don't

Your girlfriend's libido

  doesn't just have an on/off switch. She requires a slow build—which means there's plenty of time for mistakes. And no matter how well you think you know her hot buttons, there's a good chance a few moves in your repertoire are actually squelching her sex drive. "Men often assume women are turned on by the same things they are," says Brandy Engler, Ph.D., a Los Angeles-based sex therapist and author of The Men on My Couch. That's your first misstep—and unfortunately, it can lead to many more.  

Is Lube Hurting Your Sperm?

KY may K.O. your sperm. Motility—one measure of sperm quality that has to do with your swimmers’ ability to find and fertilize your partner’s egg—is significantly hampered by sex lubricants, according to a new study from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University. 

From Astroglide to KY, most of the lubricants tested decreased sperm quality by 20 percent or more within 30 minutes. One variety of KY—the “Tingling” type—lowered sperm motility by more than 75 percent, the study shows. The good news: None of the sperm-slowing effects of lubricants persist if you stop using them, the research shows. 

While decreased motility doesn’t guarantee you won’t get your partner pregnant, when you drop below 50 percent motility, you’re going to have a tough time, explains Lauren Streicher, M.D., a gynecologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and author of the upcoming Love Sex Again, which devotes an entire chapter to lubricants. So if you are trying to conceive, stick with brands like Pre-Seed, which only lowered motility by about 1 percent in the study—an "insignificant" amount, says Dr. Streicher. 
 

And if you're not looking to make babies, know that Astroglide won’t replace condoms anytime soon. While lubes hurt sperm motility, “all it takes is one sperm making it to the egg,” Streicher reiterates. Stick with condoms from proven brands like Durex, Trojan, and Lifestyle—they are still your best safeguard against STDs and unwanted pregnancy, according to a Consumer Reports analysis.  

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Article source: http://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/lube-hurting-your-sperm

Screw This! Lift More!

A lot of

  things may run through your head when you're performing a squat: the number of remaining reps, the sweat trickling down your back, the girl on the treadmill. But you probably don't think about your feet. "That's a mistake," says Nick Murtha, a coach for Thrive Training Systems and CEO of Elevate Fitness in Miami Lakes, Florida. "You can instantly increase your gains by 'screwing' your feet into the floor."

Can You "Catch" Diabetes?

Is your wife diabetic? If you answered yes, your risk for the disease just jumped 26 percent, according to new research from Canada’s McGill University. 

A lot of factors determine your diabetes risk—including genetics. But lifestyle choices like how much you sleep, what you eat, and how much you exercise can seriously shrink or swell your chances of developing the disease, explains study coauthor Kaberi Dasgupta, M.D.

Which Are Better: Generic or Name-Brand Meds?

Aged whiskey, high-speed

  laptops, extra-ply toilet paper—sometimes, ponying up for name brands buys higher quality. But when it comes to medications, generic drugs are like a plain white tee—the cheaper option does the same job as the one that breaks the bank. 

“Generic drugs have the same active ingredients, strength, and quality as the name-brand versions,” says Michael Fischer, M.D., M.S., associate physician at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In fact, non-commercial meds must meet the same rigorous FDA standards as their well-promoted counterparts—differing no more than batches of big name drugs produced in separate factories, he explains. 

Are Back Squats Safe?

The barbell back

  squat has been called the king of all exercises. When done correctly, it is tremendous for building strength and muscle. Which is why it’s been a mainstay in athletic training for decades.

But back in 2009, world-renowned strength coach and Men’s Health training advisor Mike Boyle said that he no longer prescribed the classic barbell squat.

Bodybuilders, powerlifters, and personal trainers on Internet forums everywhere went into a frenzy, posting comments such as “Sounds like Mike Boyle is incapable of teaching the squat” and “He doesn’t look very strong.”

Why She's Not Reaching Orgasm

Can’t get her

  off? Perhaps it’s more than lack of foreplay. 

Women with introverted personalities are more likely to experience problems in the bedroom than outgoing ladies, according to research published in the journal Sexual Medicine. In fact, more reticent respondents were also less open to new experiences. 

If your girlfriend leans more towards the quiet side, don’t worry: Providing her with emotional support can make her more satisfied with her sex life—and make it easier for her to climax, says study author Christina Crisp, M.D.