Do I Have Low Testosterone?
Some Crucial Facts About Testosterone ( Plus A Few Myths Too )
If you are aged over 30 years old and have noticed a general decline in energy levels, sex drive, muscle tone as well as sleep quality and moods, there is a distinct possibility that you could well be suffering the effects of low testosterone production…
Often simply called Low T – this problem, in most cases, is relatively easy to treat and many millions of men worldwide have been able to lead full and active lives right through into old age after seeking a diagnosis and subsequent treatment for the problem.
We have looked at depth into the facts about this condition, its causes, effects and subsequent treatment options, we hope that the articles on this website are both informative and useful to you.
But First Lets Check Out Some Facts About Testosterone:
Table Of Contents
Testosterone Facts
Ok – you know that testosterone is important, what it is and how it’s made, but why exactly are high testosterone levels so important to maintaining optimal health? Well, that’s exactly what we’re looking at today.
While you’ve probably heard of a few of these testosterone facts before, we think there’ll be a few that surprise you, too. Here we go…
Testosterone Boosts Libido And Supports Powerful Erections
Let’s get the important one out of the way first. – And If you haven’t heard of this one well, quite frankly, where have you been?? Testosterone is a sex hormone, which is why erectile dysfunction and lack of sex drive are two the most common signs of low T levels.
A key Australian study looked into the direct link between sexual activity and testosterone production:
Low Testosterone Can Be The Result Of Having Less Sex
A recent study carried out in Australia has indicated that reduced testosterone appears to be the results of a low libido
The study – Titled the Concord Health And Ageing In Men Project was held in Sydney…
It followed 1705 men aged 70 or over, and is reported to be the largest and most comprehensive study of the health of older men ever conducted in the world.
The Study
Over two year period scientists found that baseline serum testosterone levels did not predict or cause a decline in sexual activity or desire..
On the contrary it discovered that a drop in testosterone levels was strongly related to those having less sex.
The men visited the scientists several times during the course of the study, and each time fewer asked sensitive questions about their sex life and activity.
These included:
- “How often are you able to get and keep an erection that is firm enough to enable sexual intercourse”
- “How many times over the past month have you had any sexual activity that reached ejaculation? “(including both masturbation and intercourse)
- “Compared to how you felt at the age of 50, how much desire for sex do you have?”
At the visits the men also had their levels of DHT, Estradiol, and Estrone checked along with the levels of Sex Hormone Binding globulin (SHBG), Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
The results after the two years was that baseline serum testosterone, DHT, E2 and E1 did not predict decline in sexual activity, sexual desire and erectile function.
As a distinct Contrast , the decline in testosterone (but not in DHT, E2 or E1) over time, though less than 10%, was strongly related to decreased sexual activity and desire, but not to erectile dysfunction.
You Can Read The Full Study By Clicking Here –
Testosterone Decreases Body Fat
Testosterone plays a key part in regulating our insulin and glucose levels, as well as in fat metabolism.
So as our T levels start to drop and the body struggles to regulate glucose and insulin (as well as metabolise fat), it’s unsurprising that fat cells begin to build up.
It can also result in gynecomastia (AKA Man Boobs)
But there’s more – these fat cells also work to convert testosterone to estrogen, facilitating even greater loss of testosterone.
Annoying, we know. This possibly explains why overweight and obese men tend to experience higher levels of estrogen and low T levels.
Low Testosterone = Increased Body Fat And Obesity
As men start to get older, its well documented that their natural testosterone production starts to steadily deplete.
This coincides with a loss of muscle mass and tone along with a gradual increase of body fat, in particular around the abdomen.
Science has proved that this is not a coincidence, it has been proven that age related decline in testosterone production is closely associated with the increase of belly fat.
Why Does Testosterone Affect Obesity
Testosterone plays a highly crucial role in our body, it helps control the way we balance glucose, insulin and fat metabolism.
As our testosterone levels fall, so does its powerful stimulation of insulin sensitivity.
This has a major impact leading to increased body fat, along with( in certain cases) type 2 diabetes, and full blown metabolic syndrome with all its associated consequences.
As mens testosterone levels drop with age, the process known as aromatase in adipose tissues starts to convert testosterone into estrogen.
Having extra estrogen in your body causes testosterone production to slow even further. This causes more body fat to develop which increases estrogen further which deceases testosterone even more – the circle just keeps going…..
Low testosterone is also closely linked to a rise in certain inflammation markers including C-Reactive Protein (CRP)..
These markers play an important part in both obesity and many related conditions that can include certain cancers…
Inflammation is also closely linked to insulin resistance and the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Added to this, excess fat produced as a results of low testosterone increases the levels of inflammatory cytokines..
This can potentially start a circle of increased inflammation, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease that results in full blown metabolic syndrome.
These findings have demonstrated the defined and close link between testosterone and a whole host of chronic conditions that are commonly found in older men:
- Atherosclerosis
- Hypertension
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Urinary Tract Symptoms
- Erectile Dysfunction
All the above can be reduced and even eliminated with increase testosterone production
Testosterone Increases Muscle Mass
Testosterone is a super hero when it comes to increasing muscle mass and overall strength. This is because it increases the body’s muscle protein synthesis process, making it quicker and easier for the body to build quality lean muscle mass.
Testosterone And Building Muscles
Testosterone is the key to everything male…. and it’s not just the older man that needs to make sure that his levels are at their peak….
Mind You – an exercise routine will benefit anyone, regardless of age, even if you are older (70+) you can still take care of yourself, and potentially even turn back the hands of time with some well thought out, sensible exercising…
I came across this short, but informative article the other day that detailed the best exercises for seniors – its certainly worth a look.
Younger men, particularly those who workout regularly or take part in all kinds of sport need to maintain optimum testosterone levels to ensure that their muscle mass, tone and strength is at its peak..
Keen bodybuilders in particular know just how crucial this is, and a good natural testosterone booster will help maintain and in most cases boost testosterone levels, helping them to build larger, stronger muscles, boost energy levels, recovery and at the same time help reduce any unwanted body fat.
Many of the testosterone boosters that I have reviewed on this website will work just as well on the younger man who desires larger muscles…
Several products that I particularly recommend are listed in My top t booster page… you can click the relevant links and read my reviews, thoughts and recommendations…
Testosterone May Fight Depression
Research has found a strong correlation between symptoms of depression and low testosterone levels. What’s more, introductory research has highlighted that testosterone treatments can actually help alleviate some symptoms of depression.
Feeling Depressed? Check Your Testosterone Levels
Published in the medical Journal Biological Psychiatry are details of clinical studies recently carried out at the Medical University of Vienna that have highlighted a distinct link between reduced levels of testosterone and cases of depression.
The Study
The study was somewhat unusual in that it studied 33 men who were seeking gender reassignment therapy…
Their levels of Seratonin ( known as the feel good hormone which controls moods alongside many other bodily functions) were checked alongside their natural levels of testosterone…. the men in the group found suffering with reduced levels of testosterone also displayed symptoms of depression.
Siegfried Kasper – head of the Universities Department Of Psychiatry and psychotherapy told us
“ The study has shown that testosterone increases the potential binding sites for commonly prescribed antidepressants such as SSRIs in the brain and therefore provides major insights into how sex hormones affect the human brain and gender differences in psychiatric illnesses,”
The researchers hope that this study and its findings will help patients with depression ( currently over 350 million people worldwide) to be successfully treated.
Many men are now finding relief by taking natural testosterone boosting supplements… this helps to improve their natural seratonin levels as well as boost energy, muscle tone and help to re-invigorate a sluggish sex drive.
Testosterone May Increase Competitiveness
Testosterone is heavily linked to the desire to win and achieve power and status, which is why levels of the hormone tend to ramp up before competitive situation.
This can have a range of effects including increased muscle mass, feelings of power, greater endurance, faster reactions and improved visual clarity. Research has shown that men who experience no drop in T levels are more likely to continue playing competitive sport, demonstrating the link between T levels and competitiveness.
Testosterone Increases Dominance
Numerous studies have found strong links between testosterone and the desire for dominance.
While this can sometimes manifest itself in negative ways, it’s more likely to assert itself in motivation for success, both inside and outside of the workplace (and maybe with the ladies…)
Testosterone Helps You Attract The Opposite Sex
This is a big one that has been more or less been proved true by numerous clinical studies.
A case in point? A recent study which saw men compete for a female showed that those who were assertive were most successful – a trait heavily linked with strong T levels.
Can Boosting Testosterone Make You Irresistible To Women?
It’s not rocket science – look good, and you’ll likely do a much better job at attracting the opposite sex.
Look around you and you’ll see that the men with broad chests, ripped apps and toned arms are the ones accompanied by the beautiful women.
It’s simply a matter of primal nature that in order to attract a mate, we pay attention to the way that we look and look after ourselves.
In fact, we humans are actually much more subtle about using our physical features to
attract the opposite sex – no doubt you’ve watched deer locking horns to fight over a female on some nature TV channel, or seen a peacock fan out its feathers to attract a mate.
When it comes to male humans attracting females, there’s a little bit more to it – like testosterone levels. Let’s take a closer look at how T is linked to our interactions with the opposite sex.
Testosterone And Sexual Desire
In males, testosterone levels are at their highest between puberty and the early thirties. And this isn’t confined to just humans – other mammals are the same, too.
Along with all kinds of physical attributes like facial and bodily hair, voice depth and muscle mass, this also has a big impact on sex drive and sexual motivation.
Once the dreaded ‘3 zero’ hits, however, T levels take a slow but sure nosedive, often leaving men experiencing lower sexual appetite, poor libido and less than satisfactory sexual performance.
This is in stark contrast to men with higher T levels, who’ll more than likely boast an insatiable sexual appetite, all night long endurance and a more athletic physique.
But that’s not where the relationship ends.
Numerous studies have highlighted that men with higher testosterone levels also respond more positively to sexual stimuli, while a study that chemically supressed T levels saw participants become less sexually active and less likely to masturbate.
T levels can also rise dramatically in response to flirtatious behaviour, especially in the company of someone you find attractive.
Testosterone And Sexual Attraction
Men with higher testosterone levels are generally more motivated to find a partner, mate and pass on their genetic make-up.
They are also more likely to be attractive to women: a University of Mexico study claims that women are more physically attracted to men with traditionally masculine features, dominant characteristics and competitiveness – all traits linked to testosterone.
But that’s not all – the women also experienced an active drop in attraction levels in men who didn’t display these traits.
There are other ways in which testosterone manifests itself in male/female interactions, too.
Here’s an example: men with higher testosterone levels are more inclined to be attracted to more feminine faces.
A study featured in Hormones and Behaviour manipulated the faces of women to make them appear more feminine or more masculine.
Their attractiveness was then rated at random by 29 male participants with a mixture of high and low testosterone. The high testosterone group picked out the feminine faces as the most attractive.
And it works the other way round, too. Testosterone triggers the release of the androstenone chemical in men, something known to directly impact how attractive men are to women.
A study published in Archives of Sexual Behaviour closely linked higher androstenone in men with increased sex, affection and petting from females.
Coupled with the great masculinity and dominance brought on by testosterone, you’ll see it’s a killer combination.
Testosterone And Dating
Look hard enough and you’ll find stacks of research out there …
One subject that crops up a lot although it sounds weird actually involves birds, testosterone and male/female interaction, and it has much more in common with us than you may originally think.
One study found in the Hormonal Behaviour journal, for example, detailed that Canaries given testosterone reached a higher singing volume – an important ritual in attracting a mate.
We’re not advocating that you get the mic out, but we there are other ways testosterone can regulate our brains to improve our attractiveness to the opposite sex. Here are a few examples:
- Greater strength
- Less body fat
- More lean muscle mass
- Better moods
- Higher libido
Need any more convincing as to why you should be investing in a testosterone supplement?
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Testosterone May Strengthen Your Heart
While the evidence isn’t conclusive, there’s fairly strong indicators that boosting Testosterone levels can help prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease.
Boost Your Testosterone And Reduce The Risk Of Heart Attacks..
One of the largest studies ever carried out has looked at the effect that testosterone boosting has on men aged between 50 and over,,
The study which was published the European Heart Journal looked at over 83000 men with lower than normal testosterone levels..
The men were divided into three groups :
- Those whose testosterone levels had returned to normal after supplementation.
- Those who had been taking testosterone boosters but who’s levels had not normalised.
- Those who had low testosterone levels and had received no treatment whatsoever..
The scientists took into account other factors that included, other medications, cholesterol levels, BMI, lifestyle etc and follow ups ranged from between 5 and 6 years..
A noticeable contrast appeared, particularly between the group who received testosterone treatment and regained normal levels and the group who were untreated….
The group who used T-Boosters were found to have been 56% less likely to die during the follow up period, 24% were found to be less likely to have a heart attack and 36% were found to be less likely to have a stroke…
Similar differences were found between the 2nd and 3rd group, but not as pronounced
In conclusion, this study demonstrates the importance of maintaining healthy testosterone levels as failure to do so could potentially result in a greater risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Testosterone Strengthens Bones
Testosterone has proven to play a key role in bone health and strength, increasing bone density by stimulating bone mineralisation and decreasing bone resorption. In fact, older men who suffer from osteoporosis tend to have low T levels.
Testosterone May Decrease Your Chances Of Alzheimer’s Disease
This is a bit of a surprising one, but numerous studies have spotted a correlation between Alzheimer’s disease and low testosterone levels, including a 2010 University of Hong Kong study.
Testosterone May Help Boost Your Brain Power
Testosterone has also been proven to support improved cognitive ability in older men. A Dutch study showed a direct relationship between T levels and strong brain function, and others have shown the potential to aid memory lost with testosterone supplementation.
This is why many people believe that testosterone can actually prevent mind decay in elderly men, easing memory loss, brain fog and problems focusing.
While you might not be old yet, our advice is to start good habits now.
Testosterone Makes You Take Risks
This is an interesting one and is actually backed up by some solid clinical studies. This includes a study that concluded than men with low social status but high testosterone levels were much more prepared to take risks to gain status and power than those already in a better place, but with lower T levels.
Testosterone Myths
So now we’ve established the key benefits of testosterone, let’s cut through the smoke and mirrors and bust several of the biggest myths surrounding this powerful hormone.
High Testosterone Can Make You See Red
Probably the most prevalent testosterone myth, the link between high T and anger actually has no evidence behind it. In fact, many researchers believe that it’s actually low testosterone levels that can cause anger issues, as low T is also linked to depression in men – of which anger is a key symptom.
So why is the myth so common? Probably because of the well-publicised association of testosterone use in anabolic steroids – after all, we’ve all heard of ‘roid rage’. Unfortunately, it’s just not true in reality.
Aggression, bullying and other antisocial traits are all often linked to testosterone overload – especially when it comes to teenage boys.
Studies in both adolescents and grown men, however, have shown no correlation between high testosterone levels and physical aggression and other anti-social behavior.
In fact, clinical trials have proved quite the opposite, and have actually demonstrated pro-social qualities in men with higher T levels when it comes to scenarios like bargaining.
Testosterone Causes Prostate Cancer
This has been the common assertion among medical professionals since the 40s – but is actually based on just one case and one patient!
Luckily, modern research has since proven that there’s no link between high T levels and a heightened chance of developing prostate cancer. There’s just one aside here – if you already have prostate cancer, high T levels can compound the illness, so it’s best to tread carefully.
Low Testosterone Can Increase The Severity Of Existing Prostate Cancer
An article in Australian based Oncology Update has announced details today of a study carried out in Melbourne that has highlighted the link between decreased testosterone levels and the risk of developing prostate cancer.
The study involving 154 patients with low risk prostate cancer were followed for 3 years…
It was discovered that 35% of these men ( 54 out of the original 154) progressed from having low risk to high risk disease.. the link between these men was that they all had free testosterone levels below 0,45ng/dl.
The study concluded that men with similar levels of free testosterone were up to 4 times more likely to become high risk and require radiation or surgery compared to those men with higher levels.
Researchers found no differences when comparing age, bone density, BMI or total testosterone levels
So there you have it – the facts and the fiction when it comes to Testosterone levels!
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