As you may have noticed hormone replacement therapy has been popping up all over the news lately as well as in social media, articles, and ads. One of the main hormones in question is testosterone. In men, testosterone has been applauded as a treatment from poor sex life to fatigue and everything in-between.
But why is testosterone so important to a man over 50? In this article, I will reveal how testosterone can boost your energy, but can also make you feel young and strong like you did when you were in your teens.
What Is Testosterone?
In men that have low testosterone, testosterone boosts libido and energy. It can not only build muscle mass but protect or maintain it as well. Testosterone keeps muscles strong and even helps keep your ‘family jewels’, privates – sensitive to touch.
Yet many experts disagree whether this is a problem that needs treating.
In truth, if you have testosterone levels that are low for your age and for your exercise and stress level, it’s a great idea to seek treatment to correct these levels. At least consult your medical provider and get your testosterone levels checked.
Testosterone is after all ‘what makes a man, a man’. This hormone is so vital to a man’s healthy mental disposition and physical well being, that it’s worth keeping an eye on it.
Men Over 50
Once a man reaches 50 or so his testosterone levels can start to dramatically lower anywhere from 20 to 50 percent. Yet it’s not just about age, environmental issues such as stress and pollution can have a significant impact on testosterone.
Drinking energy drinks and large amounts of caffeine can also tax the adrenals which control fight and flight. Overuse of caffeine can also increase stress causing the testosterone to reduce.
Medical Study
An interesting study was conducted where men from Texas and Georgia, ages 20 to 70 were observed from all walks of life. What this study revealed was that men who were more active and ate better regardless of age had higher testosterone levels.
What was interesting about this study was that men over 50 who performed hard manual labor actually had higher natural testosterone than men half their age who only attended school and, or worked office jobs.
Low Testosterone Makes You Tired
It’s absolutely normal to feel a little more tired as you age or less energetic, however, this does not mean you have low testosterone. Low testosterone can cause extreme fatigue. A man who has low testosterone would have no ‘gusto’.
“A man who completely lacks testosterone has no ‘get up and go’ (I call this zest),” says human reproductive science Professor Richard Sharpe, of Queen’s Medical Research Institute in Edinburgh.
Give this same man more testosterone and he will feel motivated to accomplish something more. It gives him more drive, focus and ‘gusto’, it’s after all ‘what makes a man, a man’.
What Causes Low Testosterone?
What are the symptoms of low testosterone? Give this article a read to learn the symptoms: https://t.co/gXCqndm0aG
— Dr. Ashton Brinson (@Brinson_Fam_Med) November 24, 2018
Heavy alcohol consumption can mess up your hormones which can cause your testosterone levels to decline.
Being overweight, specifically fat around the waist can convert testosterone to estradiol, a form of the female sex hormone oestrogen – estrogen. It’s common as men age that abdominal fat increases around the waist. This contributes to lower testosterone.
What’s not entirely clear as men age is whether low testosterone is the cause of increased abdominal fat or does an increase in abdominal fat cause decreased testosterone.
What is clear is that increased abdominal fat can decrease testosterone levels so it’s always a good idea to watch what you eat and ‘watch your weight’ specifically your abdominal fat.
Bottom line the larger your waist the lower testosterone you may have which brings the increased chance that testosterone can be converted into estrogen (estradiol).
Low Sex Drive
Another culprit to lower testosterone is low libido. Having a low sex drive can be the result of low testosterone, however low libido can also be attributed to psychological issues and may not have anything to do with testosterone.
The only way to rule out low-T (low testosterone) is to get your testosterone levels checked.
Always consult your medical provider if you feel that you have low testosterone. He or she can order blood serum total and free testosterone tests or you can always get an in-home saliva test and check this yourself.
Studies have shown that increasing testosterone in men who have low testosterone can improve lido and sex life dramatically. This is the case with men that do not currently have psychological problems causing low libido.
Dramatically low T levels can reduce the feeling of wanting to have sex as well as the ability to get and maintain an erection.
Conclusion
Testosterone is one of the vital hormones that make a man strong, well balanced and feel alive.
If blood or saliva levels indicate that you have low testosterone you can opt for some over the counter supplements that may increase testosterone naturally. Your medical provider can also provide hormone replacement therapies ranging from gels to bioidentical hormone implant (pellets) therapy.
Regardless its always a great idea to keep a health watch on your diet and maintain low abdominal fat to ensure that your testosterone levels are optimal.
Feel like you might have low testosterone? There are 9 signs of low testosterone that may help you determine if you need to be concerned.