Bioprint
Bioprint is a special kind of skinfold measurement on 12 different parts of the body. This method was developed by Charles Poliquin, the most famous personal trainer for Olympic athletes with hundreds of medal winners. For more than 20 years, Charles has been comparing blood counts and hormonal profiles of his clients with the thicknesses of various skinfolds. He noticed that an increase in body fat at certain areas, always accompanied with certain hormones.
He found that for each problem area one hormone is the culprit (e,g. belly fat – cortisol, legs – estrogen, …) … A poor insulin sensitivity, low testosterone levels, too little thyroid hormones, or too much cortisol always will cause problems. This explains why individuals always attach fat primarily to a specific area (abdomen, hips, buttocks, arms, …) and lose weight in diets at every body site, except the problem areas.
Chest & Triceps – The androgen folds.
The most well-known androgen is testosterone. Especially for muscle building and energy levels, androgens are enormously important in both men and women.
Hips & Subscapular – The insulin folds.
Insulin is the most important hormone when it comes to the metabolism of carbohydrates. Many people have a problem with this controlling circuit, as carbohydrates are increasingly stored in fat cells. On the basis of the respective folding thickness, conclusions can be drawn on the respective carbohydrate tolerance of a person.
Abdomen – The Cortisol fold.
High levels of stress hormones are responsible for increased fat deposition in the abdominal area. This means, that the percentage of belly fat tells you how much stress a person is, or has been exposed to. In turn, cortisol is also responsible for digestive irritation, lack of dietary nutrient absorption, and inhibited testosterone production. Similarly, a cortisol surplus increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Thighs – The estrogen folds.
Estrogens, also known as the “female hormones”, have important roles in both men and women: inhibition of bone resorption, reduction of visceral fat, control of the menstrual cycle are some major functions of estrogens. Unfortunately, many women, and surprisingly many men, have excess estrogen levels. The causes for this are manifold. The undesirable side effects of excess estrogen are inhibited fat loss, cysts, increased water retention and mood swings.
Knee & Calves- The growth hormone folds.
Growth hormones are primarily responsible for overall regenerative ability and cell growth. Our ability to concentrate and the absorption of oxygen into the blood are also centrally controlled by our growth hormones. They are mainly produced during deep sleep. While the thickness of the knee fold gives information about our liver metabolism, the calf fold shows us how restorative sleep is. Lack of sleep and an associated growth hormone deficit cause the thickness of the folds to go up.
I always call our hormones the secret rulers in our body. Only when your hormones are in harmony, maximum fat loss and optimal health are possible.
Extremely many people suffer from the consequences of hormonal imbalances, which makes their lives a torment. The consequences are listlessness, weight gain, digestive problems, in the worst case even depression. The best examples are thyroid problems, burnout, testosterone deficiency, etc.
That is why it is important to always to bring your hormones into balance with natural measures. Only this way, we can we achieve maximal results.