The human body naturally produces a hormone called testosterone, which plays many different important roles in men — from the development of physical features to the regulation of the different sexual functions.
What are the roles of testosterone?
In men, testosterone is produced by the testes or testicles. It influences various aspects of your life — physically, mentally, and sexually.
Bone mass
Testosterone ensures that a man grows and develops bones that are strong and healthy. Without it or without enough of it, there is a great risk of fragile bones and bones that are prone to osteoporosis and other diseases.
Muscle strength
Testosterone aids in muscle strength, most especially from puberty through adulthood. If there is low testosterone, the likelihood of muscle loss and other muscle disorders increases.
Genital development
Testosterone is vital to the development of the penis and the testicles. It is needed from as early as the fetal stage to begin the proper growth and formation of the male genitalia. Once one hits puberty, it continues to assist in the enlargement of the male sex organs for optimal sexual and reproductive health.
Body fat distribution
Testosterone takes on a key role in the body’s ability to process, absorb, and distribute fat in the body. If there are low testosterone levels in the body, excess fat may be improperly stored, and raise the risk of weight gain and obesity.
Production of new red blood cells
Testosterone facilitates the production of new red blood cells for improved cardiovascular health. If there is not enough testosterone in the body, blood circulation and blood flow to the different organs and systems may suffer and result to impaired erectile and sexual functions.
Sex drive
Testosterone helps regulate sex drive or libido. If testosterone levels are low, there is an increased risk of low libido or disinterest in sex.
Sperm production
Testosterone contributes to the production of healthy sperm. Without enough amounts of testosterone in the body, low sperm count and infertility may occur.
What is low testosterone?
In order for men to function right and well physically and sexually, keeping testosterone levels within the healthy range is crucial. If your testosterone levels are below the ideal range, it means your testosterone levels are low, and this can cause various health problems that can significantly lower your quality of life.
Testosterone levels in the body are usually measured in nanograms per deciliter or ng/dL. According to medical professionals, the average testosterone levels by age in men are:
25 years old to 34 years old
- Total testosterone – 617
- Free testosterone – 12.3
35 years old to 44 years old
- Total testosterone – 668
- Free testosterone – 10.3
45 years old to 54 years old
- Total testosterone – 606
- Free testosterone – 9.1
55 years old to 64 years old
- Total testosterone – 562
- Free testosterone – 8.3
65 years old to 74 years old
- Total testosterone – 524
- Free testosterone – 6.9
75 years old to 84 years old
- Total testosterone – 471
- Free testosterone – 6.0
85 years old to 100 years old
- Total testosterone – 376
- Free testosterone – 5.4
How do you know how much testosterone there is in your body?
To determine the amount of testosterone you have in your body, you should talk to your doctor about undergoing a testosterone level test.
Usually, testosterone levels tests take only a few minutes, and are conducted early in the morning, between 7 and 10, as these are the hours when the body’s testosterone levels are at their highest. You will only need to provide a blood sample, and the laboratory will take care of the rest. You just wait for the test results to know if your testosterone levels are okay.
If your test results show that you have low testosterone, you should talk to your doctor about the possible treatment solutions you can take to fix the problem. Failure to do as soon as possible can bring about numerous risks and hazards that can negatively impact your physical, sexual, and reproductive health.
What happens if you have low testosterone?
There are many side effects to having low testosterone levels in the body.
Low sex drive
Not having enough testosterone can cause a decrease in your desire for sex, so there is a risk of having conflicts with your partner or of ending up with an inactive sex life.
Erectile dysfunction
Testosterone is key to keeping blood flowing properly in the body. So, if there is a lack of it, getting blood to flow to your penis can be troublesome, and result to the inability to get or maintain erections for sex.
Reduced sperm count
One of the factors that ensure the production of enough sperm with good structure and motility is healthy and normal testosterone levels. So, with low testosterone levels, your ability to produce large amount of good quality sperm will be in jeopardy, and your odds of suffering from infertility shoot up.
Loss of bone and muscle strength
Because testosterone takes on a big role in the growth and development of healthy bones and muscles, a shortage of it can weaken them and expose them to various bone and muscle diseases and disorders.
Increased body fat
Testosterone is needed to properly distribute fat in the body, so if you have low testosterone, there are several possibilities that can occur, including increased body fat, weight gain, and higher likelihood of obesity, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure levels, and others.
Emotional and mental changes
Men with low testosterone have been observed to be more prone to fatigue, anger, depression, anxiety, and stress.
What should you do to increase your testosterone?
To boost your testosterone levels, you should try eating testosterone-boosting foods, such as beef, oyster, shellfish, salmon, tuna, and spinach. You should also talk to your doctor about using testosterone boosters, such as testosterone pills, skin patches, gels, and injections, to get your testosterone levels back up to normal, and improve your overall health.
