When we think of testosterone, we tend to conjure up images of manly men sweating it out in a gym. Testosterone has long been associated with manliness, but its role in the human body goes much farther than facial hair and increased strength.
Testosterone is the key sex hormone for men, and it controls a number of important functions in the human body. These include:
Sexual development Testosterone enlarges and develops the penis and testis. Without testosterone during puberty, the penis and testis may fail to enlarge and develop.
Facial hair and other masculine traits As most people know, testosterone helps develop facial hair. It also helps with other masculine traits such as a more defined jaw line, stronger bones, and a deeper voice. Later in life, testosterone may be responsible for balding as well. In particular, low levels of testosterone from the natural aging process may cause hair loss.
Sperm production and sex drive Testosterone is also responsible for the production of sperm and maintaining a normal libido in men. It’s interesting to note that while testosterone is important for sperm production, high testosterone is typically associated with a low sperm count.
General health Although testosterone is a sex hormone and therefore mainly associated with reproduction, it’s also important for general health. Normal amounts of testosterone help in warding off some bone diseases including osteoporosis, and creating lean muscle mass. Testosterone’s ability to help with muscle mass has lead some athletes to use it to try and gain an edge over the competition. Just like with anything else however, excess testosterone can have its downsides such as breast development and heart conditions.
How its secreted
Testosterone is secreted from the testes, hence its name. Although this is where the bulk of testosterone is secreted, a small amount is also secreted from the adrenal glands. Testosterone is a precisely controlled hormone, with the pituitary glands constantly measuring how much testosterone is in the body and sending instructions out on when to produce more.
These instructions are sent through chemicals released into the body that either tell the testes and adrenal glands to produce more, or to produce less.
Declining Testosterone
Once men reach the age of 30, their testosterone levels start to decline. Signs of low testosterone include things like hair loss, breast development, and low libido. Declining testosterone happens at about the rate of a 1% reduction per year, but it’s difficult to judge when someone’s testosterone is low.
This is because the amount of testosterone in a person’s body can vary wildly depending on the time of day. They can even go up or down depending on the situation. Testosterone has even been linked to manic behavior in stock market traders, with testosterone spiking during risk taking behavior.
Testosterone is an important function of the male body. It’s responsible not just for reproduction, but also maintaining healthy bones and muscle. When testosterone is too low or too high, this can have a negative impact on the body over a surprisingly wide range of areas.
At Peak TRT and Wellness, our goal is to empower men to take control of their health and improve their vitality. Our medical professionals focus on the underlying causes of the decline in men’s health: lack of low testosterone treatments, hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, and allergies.
Book an appointment today for a men’s comprehensive health assessment and let’s get a baseline of health information for your vitals, bloodwork, hormone levels – including low testosterone.
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