Why should a man increase his testosterone?

 

When you want to feel better, get fit, or prevent disease, changing your diet, and adding regular exercise is the typical doctor's prescription. But this may not be enough. In both men and women's bodies is a male hormone called testosterone.

 

While it may be produced more for men than women, it plays an essential role in almost every bodily function. Any kind of hormonal imbalance can bring about dire effects. The question of why should a man increase testosterone is an important one, and here’s why.

What is testosterone?

 Testosterone is a male sex hormone produced primarily in the testes and lower amounts in the adrenal gland for males. Females produce smaller amounts in the ovaries, adrenal glands, and fat cells. It plays a vital role in growth, healthy body maintenance, and reproduction.

 

Not every man has the same testosterone level. T levels increase throughout childhood and peak in early adulthood. Without testosterone, young men wouldn’t grow hair, deepen their voices, or take on stereotypical male characteristics of men.

 

Testosterone levels decrease a little each year after early adulthood, and by the time a man reaches midlife, his levels have increased dramatically. While this is a normal part of growing older, it can lower sex drive, bring on feelings of weakness, and even result in depression and anxiety.

Why should a man increase testosterone?

 Each man is different and needs various amounts of testosterone to function optimally. However, there are some common health concerns or problems that may make increasing testosterone relevant.

 

Lack of sex drive

 Testosterone is the engine behind your libido. When levels peak in adolescence and early adulthood, men are typically more sexually active. Not only is this about exploration, but driving this desire is testosterone.

 

On the flip side, low testosterone reduces the desire for intercourse or intimacy. Not having a healthy sex life may bring out feelings of frustration and anxiety. It can also harm relationships because the partner may believe it’s their fault.

 

You can increase sexual libido by improving testosterone levels. It may also result in erectile dysfunction (ED), which is an inability to get or maintain an erection.

 

Not being able to sleep

 Insomnia is when you can't fall asleep or wake up mid-cycle and have a hard time falling asleep again. It can take a massive toll on your mind, body, and relationships.

 

There are various reasons for not being able to fall asleep, and one of them could be low testosterone. It could also lead to sleep apnea, a severe sleep dysfunction that causes you not to breath for seconds while sleeping.

 

Experiencing fatigue

Have you ever slept for hours but still felt tired? This may have to do with low T-levels. Testosterone drives your energy and how awake you feel throughout the day. If you have a hormonal imbalance, one significant side effect is feeling exhausted all the time.

 

Extreme fatigue may make it harder to exercise, have sex, or even participate in daily events with family and friends.

Reduced muscle mass

It's no secret that testosterone helps build muscle mass. Reduced T-levels can result in hypogonadism, which directly affects how much men can bulk out at any age. If you're working out regularly and still seeing no results, then you may have low testosterone.

 

Experiencing hair loss

Losing your hair can make you feel less attractive and ashamed. When you have low testosterone, it can result in hair loss on your head and face and body. Baldness isn't uncommon, and genes play an essential role in hair loss. However, if you're losing hair all over your body and head, it may indicate a severe testosterone shortage.

 

Trouble concentrating or poor memory

Being unable to focus or recall events happens at any age for various reasons. However, doctors believe low T may impair your ability to concentrate and make cognition more difficult. If you suspect you're having difficulty recalling minor and significant events, speak to your healthcare practitioner.

 

Undergoing dramatic mood swings

Testosterone affects energy, cognition, and mood. Mood swings can happen to anyone at any time. Yet if your mood swings are severe with no apparent reasoning behind the sudden shift, it may indicate a health concern.

 

One concern may be low testosterone. Research indicates that men with low testosterone are more prone to depression, anxiety, and mood shifts.

 

Increased body fat

Low testosterone makes it hard to build muscle mass, but it can also increase fat cells. One area it has a severe effect on is breast tissue. Gynecomastia, or enlarged breast tissue, has to do with an imbalance of testosterone and estrogen.

 

Estrogen is a primary female sex hormone that plays a crucial role in fertility and reproduction for women. Men produce small amounts of estrogen, but an estrogen dominance with a low-T can result in a fattier waistline and bigger breasts.

 

How to increase testosterone?

You can increase testosterone levels through diet, exercise, and hormone replacement therapy. When you look at your diet, there are superfoods for men that improve testosterone, including:

 

• Beef
• Beans
• Low-fat milk with vitamin D
• Egg yolks
• Shellfish
• Oysters

 

Regular exercise can also improve testosterone naturally. However, if diet and exercise don’t give you the improvement you’re looking for, testosterone hormone replacement therapy (TRT) may be the answer.

 

TRT is controversial, and you'll read about it's either unproven or results in serious side effects. However, men have reported serious improvement in low-T health concerns when supplementing with testosterone. TRT works by replacing the low or missing testosterone with natural ones. Treatments come in various forms, including injections, pills, and topical creams.

 

If you believe you have low testosterone, the first step is to make an appointment with your doctor. After asking detailed questions and getting your full medical history, you usually have to undergo a blood hormone test.

 

 

Finding out for sure that you have low-T may make your treatment options clearer. Changing your diet and participating in regular exercise comes with no side effects, so starting there may make you feel alive again.