The Importance of Testosterone
By Jeff Davis
Testosterone, or the male “sex hormone,” is one of the most important hormones produced by the body. In adults, Big T is considered responsible for the regulation of sex drive (libido), bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass and strength, and the production of red blood cells and sperm in men. Yeah, you need all that stuff.
During puberty, testosterone helps boys develop typical male adult physical features like body and facial hair, increased muscle mass and strength, deeper voices, and larger genitals.
Is testosterone important for women as well as men?
You may not know it, but testosterone is an important hormone in women also. Healthline says, “Combined with estrogen, the female sex hormone, testosterone helps with the growth, maintenance, and repair of a woman’s reproductive tissues, bone mass, and human behaviors. An imbalance of testosterone in the female body can have damaging effects on a woman’s health and sex drive.” Testosterone also impacts menstruation and fertility in women. In addition to improving libido, restoring testosterone to optimal levels in women can help elevate mood, increase energy levels, improve muscle mass and definition, and help manage weight.
How do I know if I have low testosterone levels (what are the symptoms)?
According to the American Urological Association, roughly 4 out of 10 men over the age of 45 have low testosterone. Low testosterone levels, or “low-T” (sometimes referred to as male hypogonadism), is a medically diagnosed condition. Low testosterone symptoms in adult males may include:
- Low sex drive
- Reduced erectile function (difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection)
- Loss of body hair
- Less beard growth
- Loss of lean muscle mass
- Decreased bone mass
- Feeling very tired all the time (fatigue)
- Obesity or weight gain
- Depression or mood changes
- Hot flashes
- Memory problems
If you have one or more of these symptoms, consider talking to your doctor. Clinically diagnosed male hypogonadism or low-T can be effectively treated with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), commonly administered via injections, gels, or patches.
Can my testosterone be too high?
You might reason that if some testosterone is good, more must be better. However, overly high testosterone levels are not desirable in either males or females. Excessively elevated testosterone levels in women can cause decreased breast size, facial hair growth, deepening of the voice, and low sex drive. In men, it can cause high blood pressure, headaches, heart or liver problems, enlarged prostate/difficulty urinating, insomnia, weight gain, infertility/low sperm count, and drastic mood swings, and testicular shrinkage.
Interestingly, studies have shown that the amount of testosterone required to maintain muscle mass, fat mass, strength, and sexual function vary widely in men. In other words, what might be considered sufficient T levels in you might be considered excessive or inadequate in another male.
Are there testosterone supplements?
Outside of a medically diagnosed low-testosterone condition, active males, those who feel they have begun to slow down as they age, and those who need a little extra zing in the bedroom may benefit from so-called “testosterone supplements” that don’t contain any testosterone or hormones but rather can increase or optimize the body’s own natural production of testosterone. Proper levels of both testosterone and growth hormone are essential to male youthfulness—they’re independent but complimentary regulators of many wellness benefits.
TestroVax Max is a one-stop men’s formula that improves mood, supports natural energy production, and even supports libido. The ingredients in TestroVax Max have been demonstrated to significantly increase free and total testosterone, increase strength, improve psychological well-being, support sexual well-being, and support natural energy production.