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Mental health and testosterone

In the era of gender equality, talking about testosterone influence to the male psychology may be a bad idea. On the other hand- testosterone research studies about its impact on behavior in men are booming like never before.
It plays a significant role in the etiology of depression and anxiety1.
In simple words- less testosterone means higher depression and anxiety rates in a population of males.
Another study on mice has demonstrated that testosterone reduces anxiety in a clear dose-dependent manner. The more testosterone- the lesser is the anxiety (at least in mice) 2.

Read on, by the end of this article; you will find out how testosterone controls behavior and emotions of males throughout their life.

Sex drive

The well-known testosterone effect has been extensively documented throughout a number of studies over the past decades. In 1992, research about testosterone effects on the sexual behavior of a man with erection problems perfectly depicted short-term effects of increased testosterone levels. According to the findings, it increases the frequency of sexual activity and ejaculation3.
Although it’s 25 years old, scientific community often cites this paper today.
While evaluating testosterone effects on the mood, a study published in 2004, stated that increased hormone level, even after only one shot increases libido4.

Fatigue

Low testosterone level may be the cause of chronic fatigue! The first symptom that vanishes after its substitution in patients with hypogonadism is fatigue. Hypogonadism is a condition in which the body cannot “achieve” the normal level of testosterone- simply, there is not enough of it. Patients report increased energy, better mood and better tolerance of physical activity after boosting the hormone level. Hypogonadism is not the only cause of low testosterone. Over time, as the aging processes take place, the levels of a “men hormone” constantly drop. When does it start its decline? After the age of 30!

Cognitive function test, memory, and learning5

The male brain fed with enough testosterone is a proactive brain. Several studies have provided evidence for a link between its levels and spatial/general cognitive function. These effects are particularly apparent in men with low levels of testosterone (after boosting the levels, improvements take place). An experiment on rats in the maze has proved that animals with higher levels of testosterone found the exit faster. In addition, the group with increased hormone level learned and memorized the labyrinth much quicker so they could easily find the exit every time.

Depression

The activation of androgenic receptors in the brain increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine. In simple words, the males brain centers that trigger good mood are packed with androgen (testosterone) receptors. Once activated, these receptors cause serotonin and dopamine increase which, altogether, results in better mood and the subside of depression symptoms. The effects of the hormone on depression are particularly measurable in elderly.

Diabetes type 2 (DMT2)

A number of studies found the link between the risk of developing DMT2 and low testosterone level. The analysis of a group of men aged 53-88 years with untreated diabetes compared to the age-matching group of men with a normal blood sugar level (individuals who do not have diabetes) revealed that lower levels of testosterone are associated with the presence of diabetes5. For some, this may seem like a random- illogical finding, but keep in mind that testosterone functions in the body go far beyond it’s well- known effects on sex drive.

Social hierarchy

Testosterone fuels the traditional aspects of a male personality. Males with high-level confidence almost always have a high level of testosterone in the blood. Protectiveness and competitiveness are another characteristics of males with elevated testosterone level. Altogether, these ensure survival and success in the fast and stressful tempo of living. When the stress hormones kick in (which happens to all of us almost every day), high testosterone will give you enough strength to walk into the mindset of an assertive person5.

Reader’s takeaway

Testosterone shapes the mind of a man throughout his entire life. Its levels start to drop after the age of 30. This causes a subtle but in the long run devastating effects on the mood, behavior, and sexuality. Also, low level of testosterone is a risk factor for diabetes type 2, a decrease of bone mineralization and many other health conditions. The cause of testosterone decline in aging men is not deterioration of body’s ability to synthesize it. The cause is decrease of the signals that stimulate its production. The booster can bring back testosterone levels by increasing stimulation signals. This mechanism ensures bypassing side effects of excessive testosterone supplementation.
1. McHenry, J., Carrier, N., Hull, E., & Kabbaj, M. (2014). Sex Differences in Anxiety and Depression: Role of Testosterone. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 35(1), 42–57.
2. Aikey J. L., Nyby J. G., Anmuth D. M., James P. J. (2002). Testosterone rapidly reduces anxiety in male house mice (Mus musculus). Horm. Behav. 42, 448–460.
3. Anderson RA, Bancroft J, Wu FCW 1992 The effects of exogenous testosterone on sexuality and mood of normal men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 75:1503–1507
4. Daryl B. O’Connor, John Archer, Frederick C. W. Wu; Effects of Testosterone on Mood, Aggression, and Sexual Behavior in Young Men: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Study, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 89, Issue 6, 1 June 2004, Pages 2837–2845
5. Testosterone and Aging: Clinical Research Directions. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Assessing the Need for Clinical Trials of Testosterone Replacement Therapy; Liverman CT, Blazer DG, editors. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2004.

Mental health and testosterone
In the era of gender equality, talking about testosterone influence to the male psychology may be a bad idea. On the other hand- testosterone research studies about its impact on behavior in men are booming like never before.
It plays a significant role in the etiology of depression and anxiety1. In simple words- less testosterone means higher depression and anxiety rates in a population of males.
Another study on mice has demonstrated that testosterone reduces anxiety in a clear dose-dependent manner. The more testosterone- the lesser is the anxiety (at least in mice)2.
Read on, by the end of this article; you will find out how testosterone controls behavior and emotions of males throughout their life.

Sex drive
The well-known testosterone effect has been extensively documented throughout a number of studies over the past decades. In 1992, research about testosterone effects on the sexual behavior of a man with erection problems perfectly depicted short-term effects of increased testosterone levels. According to the findings, it increases the frequency of sexual activity and ejaculation3. Although it’s 25 years old, scientific community often cites this paper today.
While evaluating testosterone effects on the mood, a study published in 2004, stated that increased hormone level, even after only one shot increases libido4.

Fatigue
Low testosterone level may be the cause of chronic fatigue! The first symptom that vanishes after its substitution in patients with hypogonadism is fatigue. Hypogonadism is a condition in which the body cannot “achieve” the normal level of testosterone- simply, there is not enough of it. Patients report increased energy, better mood and better tolerance of physical activity after boosting the hormone level. Hypogonadism is not the only cause of low testosterone. Over time, as the aging processes take place, the levels of a “men hormone” constantly drop. When does it start its decline? After the age of 30!
Cognitive function test, memory, and learning5
The male brain fed with enough testosterone is a proactive brain. Several studies have provided evidence for a link between its levels and spatial/general cognitive function. These effects are particularly apparent in men with low levels of testosterone (after boosting the levels, improvements take place). An experiment on rats in the maze has proved that animals with higher levels of testosterone found the exit faster. In addition, the group with increased hormone level learned and memorized the labyrinth much quicker so they could easily find the exit every time.
Depression
The activation of androgenic receptors in the brain increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine. In simple words, the males brain centers that trigger good mood are packed with androgen (testosterone) receptors. Once activated, these receptors cause serotonin and dopamine increase which, altogether, results in better mood and the subside of depression symptoms. The effects of the hormone on depression are particularly measurable in elderly.
Diabetes type 2 (DMT2)
A number of studies found the link between the risk of developing DMT2 and low testosterone level. The analysis of a group of men aged 53-88 years with untreated diabetes compared to the age-matching group of men with a normal blood sugar level (individuals who do not have diabetes) revealed that lower levels of testosterone are associated with the presence of diabetes5. For some, this may seem like a random- illogical finding, but keep in mind that testosterone functions in the body go far beyond it’s well- known effects on sex drive.
Social hierarchy
Testosterone fuels the traditional aspects of a male personality. Males with high-level confidence almost always have a high level of testosterone in the blood. Protectiveness and competitiveness are another characteristics of males with elevated testosterone level. Altogether, these ensure survival and success in the fast and stressful tempo of living. When the stress hormones kick in (which happens to all of us almost every day), high testosterone will give you enough strength to walk into the mindset of an assertive person5.
Reader’s takeaway
Testosterone shapes the mind of a man throughout his entire life. Its levels start to drop after the age of 30. This causes a subtle but in the long run devastating effects on the mood, behavior, and sexuality. Also, low level of testosterone is a risk factor for diabetes type 2, a decrease of bone mineralization and many other health conditions. The cause of testosterone decline in aging men is not deterioration of body’s ability to synthesize it. The cause is decrease of the signals that stimulate its production. The booster can bring back testosterone levels by increasing stimulation signals. This mechanism ensures bypassing side effects of excessive testosterone supplementation.
References:
1. McHenry, J., Carrier, N., Hull, E., & Kabbaj, M. (2014). Sex Differences in Anxiety and Depression: Role of Testosterone. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 35(1), 42–57.
2. Aikey J. L., Nyby J. G., Anmuth D. M., James P. J. (2002). Testosterone rapidly reduces anxiety in male house mice (Mus musculus). Horm. Behav. 42, 448–460.
3. Anderson RA, Bancroft J, Wu FCW 1992 The effects of exogenous testosterone on sexuality and mood of normal men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 75:1503–1507
4. Daryl B. O’Connor, John Archer, Frederick C. W. Wu; Effects of Testosterone on Mood, Aggression, and Sexual Behavior in Young Men: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Study, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 89, Issue 6, 1 June 2004, Pages 2837–2845
5. Testosterone and Aging: Clinical Research Directions. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Assessing the Need for Clinical Trials of Testosterone Replacement Therapy; Liverman CT, Blazer DG, editors. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2004.


Tips to Increase Testosterone Levels

Tips to Increase Testosterone Levels

It’s no secret that testosterone one they key hormones behind looking and feeling our best. It’s associated with lower levels of fat mass, high quantities of muscle and increased physical performance.

 

Yet, many men actually have much lower testosterone levels than what’s optimal or even considered healthy. In fact, around 1 in 40 men over the age of 30 have low testosterone levels, affecting around 4 to 5 million men in the U.S. alone. The natural healthy range is generally defined as being between 400ng/dl (nanograms per decilitre) to 800ng/dl with anything below 300ng/dl being considered ‘low’. Just some of the symptoms that low testosterone can cause are poor sleep, increased fat storage, muscle breakdown, decreased motivation, depression, reduced sexual libido, infertility, and much more. Therefore, not only can low testosterone affect the way you look, but the way you feel, too.

 

What’s the cause?  And can we increase testosterone levels? Well, there are actually a variety of reasons why our testosterone might decline. The most prevalent reason is age. Once we get past thirty our natural testosterone levels start to decline. According to a 2010 paper, between 19 and 39 percent of men over the age of 45 have low levels of this important hormone.

 

The other big influencer is the way we live. Under exercising and overeating dramatically affect the response and production of our hormones. Not only eating too much food but eating the wrong foods is an easy way to lower your health in a number of ways. The modern western diet is based around convenience opposed to nutrition which means that there’s a high amount of processed food.

 

Thankfully, this also means there’s an easy way to raise our testosterone back to normal or take it even higher. First, make sure that you’re getting enough physical activity each week. 3-4 45-60 minute sessions per week is enough. Strength training has been shown to have a greater impact on raising testosterone than cardo, so it’s wise to make sure a majority of your time is spent resistance training. In terms of your diet, try to follow the 80/20 rule. This is where 80% of your intake is natural, whole and unprocessed food whilst saving 20% for some less-nutritious indulgences.

 

Lastly, you can also try including some testosterone boosting supplements. Supplements such as d-aspartic acid, vitamin D, Tribulus Terrestris, fenugreek, DHEA, and ashwagandha have all been associated with naturally increasing testosterone levels.

 

Testosterone is strongly linked to many aspects of our health and therefore, it really all comes down to common sense. Things we tend to think are unhealthy for us usually are.