Your Guide to What Testosterone Is and What It Does for Your Body

What Is Testosterone? A Complete Guide Health Centre by Manual Medical Information, Reviewed by Experts

When the testosterone is under 300, that’s when we would consider an adult male to have low testosterone. With TRT, a man receives medicine to raise his testosterone levels back to a normal range. Many men find that symptoms like low sex drive and moodiness improve with TRT.

Unlike the precipitous drop in hormones that women experience at menopause, however, the decline in men is gradual, averaging just over 1% a year. This drop is imperceptible at first, but by age 70, the average man’s testosterone production is 30% below its peak. Still, testosterone levels remain within the normal level of testosterone in female (diablotine-coiffure-mode-solomiac.fr) range in at least 75% of older men, which is why many men can father children in their 80s and beyond. In men, prolonged exposure to anabolic steroids results in infertility, a decreased sex drive, shrinking of the testes and breast development. Liver damage may result from its prolonged attempts to detoxify the anabolic steroids. Behavioural changes (such as increased irritability) may also be observed. Undesirable reactions also occur in women who take anabolic steroids regularly, as a high concentration of testosterone, either natural or manufactured, can cause masculinisation (virilisation) of women.

Testosterone is absorbed directly through the skin when you apply the clear gel once a day. You usually rub this on your shoulders, upper arms, or thighs, depending on the instructions on the medication. Be careful about letting children or female loved ones touch the treated area or touch unwashed clothes that were in contact with the gel, as testosterone may get transferred to them. Deciding to pursue a course of TRT involves deciding between the perceived benefit of the therapy on the symptoms of a particular individual and the risks of the treatment. Studies have shown that TRT mainly impacts bone strength and hemoglobin levels in the blood, but not mental sharpness.

An adult male’s testosterone level should be between 270 and 1000. Testosterone levels peak at about the age of 20 years, and then the testosterone slowly declines with age. In younger men, the average testosterone level is in the range of 650.

Treating normal aging with testosterone therapy is not advisable. In recent years, researchers (and pharmaceutical companies) have focused on the effects of testosterone deficiency, especially among men. In fact, as men age, testosterone levels drop very gradually, about 1% to 2% each year — unlike the relatively rapid drop in estrogen that causes menopause. The testes produces less testosterone, there are fewer signals from the pituitary telling the testes to make testosterone. Also, as men get older, their livers make more sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which binds to testosterone circulating in the bloodstream.

Testosterone was first used as a clinical drug as early as 1937, but with little understanding of its mechanisms. The hormone is now widely prescribed to men whose bodies naturally produce low levels. But the levels at which testosterone deficiency become medically relevant still aren’t well understood. Normal testosterone production varies widely in men, so it’s difficult to know what levels have medical significance. Testosterone has a significant impact on bone mineral density (BMD). As men age and testosterone levels drop, bone density decreases, raising the risk of weak bones and osteoporosis. Strong bones are essential for supporting muscles and internal organs, which can boost athletic performance.

By age 40, a women’s testosterone production is half as much as she produced at age 20. Hysterectomy with or without removal of the ovaries will cause a more significant decline in testosterone levels. Also, high levels of stress can divert the precursors for testosterone hormone production in women over to cortisol production and create a further reduction in testosterone. High stress levels can also contribute to symptoms earlier in the peri-menopause when a woman is in her late thirties or early forties. This means less energy, insomnia, brittle hair, less bone and muscle strength, foggy thinking, irritability, and a diminished sexual drive. While testosterone is an androgen, or male sex hormone, both men and women have, and need, testosterone.

This is a selective list of online resources to provide information, support, and searchable databases on testosterone health and testosterone disorders. Symptoms of so-called low T vary depending on the cause of the problem and the age when it happens. Keep reading to learn more about this important hormone and how it relates to your health.

Newborn boys have very high testosterone levels, because they need that testosterone in utero to develop as males. From the age of two years until the start of puberty, a boy’s testosterone level is naturally very low. That level spikes again during puberty, causing boys to develop underarm hair, go through growth spurts and develop sexually.