Have you ever imagined yourself with a walnut-varnished torso and arms as big as your legs? Are you a drainpipe who is allergic to all sports? Now, it does not matter whether you are the big muscled male or just a simple person who has not grown the extra muscle tissue yet. Testosterone is what defines you as a man. It is more than just a bodybuilder’s juice.
Now, gym performance is essentially a very small part of testosterone’s role in your body. Testosterone can be labeled as the most important hormone in a male’s body. Testosterone helps in:
- Controlling a person’s behavior
- Improving the psychology
- Promoting reproduction
- Sexual performance
In essence, testosterone is critical for all aspects of your body. If your testosterone secretion is normal, you will develop good hormone levels and great energy levels. Additionally, you get a level head and healthy body composition. However, when the supply of the hormone is low, all these advantages are unavailable.
What is Testosterone?
Testosterone is the male hormone produced by the endocrine system that is essential for the development of:
- Libido
- Body energy
- General wellbeing
- Strong and thick bones and
- Muscle strength
Statistically, people with good levels of this hormone are bound to experience better lives than those without. However, though you might have great testosterone, it is subject to dissipation. One of the major factors that lead to decreased testosterone levels is age. Scientifically, you will start to experience lower testosterone levels at age 40 consistently. You, however, don’t have to worry about any drastic effects when this happens.
Effects of Testosterone on Men
To better understand how testosterone affects your body and functioning, let us look at its major functions:
<h3>Body Building</h3>
Now, testosterone is essential for how your feel or act. Essentially, while it provides you with the bodybuilding blocks you need – muscle tissue, bone density, and physical abilities – it also helps to keep you fit. However, you should not be tricked into thinking that excessive levels of testosterone are a good thing. In essence, you should only get extra testosterone if:
- Your normal levels are declining
- You can’t produce sufficient levels of the hormone naturally
- You are on the verge of infertility
Extreme levels of this hormone may not work as expected. Essentially, the current understanding of various hormones produced by the endocrine system is limited. Therefore, some levels of testosterone may not be as great as you would want them.
<h3>Sexual Drive</h3>
The male reproductive organs are more reliant on good testosterone levels than most of the other bodily organs. In addition, without adequate levels of this important hormone, you might develop erectile dysfunction. Before you go around blaming some problems on the lack of adequate testosterone, you should understand that ED -erectile dysfunction- can also be caused by other factors such as depression and diabetes. However, if you do not have these conditions and cannot have an erection, it is more likely that your testosterone levels are down.
<h3>Health Driver</h3>
Low testosterone is prone to affect your general health. In addition, testosterone is essential for the production and maintenance of good levels of insulin. Therefore, without good levels of testosterone, you might be in for some health problems. Additionally, testosterone is essential for neurotransmitters in your nervous system. Without it, your general mood and wellbeing will be negatively affected.
However, diabetes can mimic signs of low testosterone levels. Therefore, before you get yourself treated for testosterone deficiency, get an evaluation of your other faculties. Now, it is most likely that you have heard about possible cardiovascular diseases and cancer if you supplement your testosterone hormone levels. Scientifically, these claims are not well backed by evidence. However, the benefits of testosterone treatment are more significant and outweigh any probable risk.
How to Tell When Your Testosterone Levels Are Down
- Signs of low levels of testosterone include:
- Loss of libido
- Erectile dysfunction
- Loss of morning erections
- Declining physical strength
- Declining muscle mass
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Weight gain
- Loss of hair and failure of hair to grow
- Hot flushes
When you visit your doctor, you must be very open. You will need to inform your doctor about your sex drive and normal body symptoms. This will ensure that you can at least get a hormone test.
Should I Supplement My Testosterone?
Essentially, if you have low levels of this hormone, then you should. If your levels are normal, you should not.
Increasing the Testosterone Levels Naturally
In some cases, boosts in testosterone can come from natural supplementation and changes in diet. Here are some ways that you can potentially increase your testosterone levels without visiting a doctor:
1. Find your balance by maintaining a healthy lifestyle
2. Avoid drug usage
3. Use the drugs that give your body a balance
4. Do exercises to burn some fat
5. Eat healthily – here are some foods that boost testosterone!
6. Reduce your level of drinking
7. Spice your food – use chilies and other spices to make it tastier.
In a nutshell, testosterone is essential for normal body functioning and performance. You can tell that your levels are low by observing your moods, sexual performance, and muscle mass. On the other hand, if your levels are down, you can naturally improve by adopting a healthy lifestyle.