Before getting into how you can spot and treat low testerone levels, a basic understanding of Testerone and the effects it has on your body is crucial. Testerone, occasionally mistyped as “testosterone”, is a male hormone (an androgen) that helps define what makes men who they are. During puberty testerone levels surge, deepening voice, building muscle and bone, and increasing libido. Later in a man’s life, testerone is still present in the body, helping to maintain male characteristics. Low Testerone levels plague a large number of males and results from declining testerone production after the age of thirty.
Although the decline of testerone is relatively slow (only one or two percent a tear), over a larger period of time low testerone develops. The decline in Testerone is universal in all males; however, only a fraction of men are diagnosed with Testerone levels far below what is normal for their age.
Spotting Low Testerone:
Low Testerone Help
• One of the main signs that men see is an increase in body fat (primarily around the waistline) or an increase in blood pressure, which in turn poses cardiovascular complications
• Decrease in muscle mass and bone density, or any other symptom that could be perceived as premature aging
• Trouble with sleeping (in the long term, you should not mistake loss of sleep due to periods of heavy stress)
• Rapid mood swings, anxiety, and agitation are all emotional indicators of low testerone
• Feelings of lethargy; physical or mental tiredness with no discernible cause
• And finally, the most common symptom of low Testerone is a decrease in libido
Symptoms associated with low testerone production are considered a relevant medical risk. The Food and Drug Administration puts the number of Americans who suffer from low Testerone at roughly five million. However, this number could be significantly larger as a few of the symptoms, such as mood swings, low energy levels, and a general lethargy are often misdiagnosed.
Things you can do if you Suspect Low Testerone Levels:
The first step you should take if you suspect you have low Testerone levels is to seek medical advice. Your physician can determine if your Testerone levels is outside of the normal range (generally 350 to 800 nano grams per deciliter). Most professionals recognize any value less than 300 nano grams per deciliter as the threshold for low Testerone; however, if you exhibit any of the symptoms listed above, you should consider discussing the matter further with your physician. Low Testerone is treated in a variety of ways including dietary and lifestyle changes, or through Testerone supplements.
Dietary:
• Increase the amount of zinc in your diet – Zinc helps in the production of Testerone and is an inhibitor for the transformation of Testerone to estrogen. Oysters, poultry, crab meat, beef, and liver, as well as beans, nuts, seeds, and brown rice are all foods that are rich in Zinc.
• Increase healthy fat intake/cut back on body fat – Cut down on unhealthy fats while replacing them with healthy monounsaturated fats and lipids (nuts, peanut better, tuna or other sources or omega 3, and olives).
• Balance food consumption – Overeating during meals, or skipping them, is harmful to your body’s natural metabolic regulation. Eat frequently in balanced portions.
Lifestyle:
• Sleep – The metabolic processes in our body rely on sleep, if you do not get regular sleep (seven or eight hours a night), you stand to inhibit your body’s natural testerone production.
• Cardiovascular and Strength Training – Cardio, while a necessity for your heart, produces cortisol which harms Testerone levels. Make sure to balance any cardio you do with an equal amount of strength training (with an ideal range of three sets at five reps per set).
• Booze – Alcohol is proven to have an adverse effect on testerone levels. Halting frequent alcohol consumption will do wonders.
Supplements:
• Testerone Replacement Therapy (TRT) – Testerone supplements, injections, or gels can be used to help supplement the body’s natural Testerone production. Bioidentical hormones can be used in TRT to help reduce any damage using artificial hormones can do to your body’s natural production.
Many men suffer from low testerone levels, impacting their everyday lives; however, there are a number of treatment options available to help you get back to living your life.