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| Testosterone Report |
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Enhances Sexual Drive,
Heightens Sexual Performance,
Increases Energy Levels,
Enhances Mood,
Promotes Bone and Muscle Growth
Requirements
| Why People Take It | Anti-Aging Considerations |
| Safety Considerations | References |
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Testosterone, the most important male hormone, is produced by the gonads
(testes in men, ovaries in women) and transported by the circulatory system throughout
the body. According to some sources, testosterone makes everyone ? men and women
? desire sexual activity. [1]
Testosterone
is the androgenic ("male producing"), anabolic ("tissue building"),
naturally occurring steroid that primarily drives male sexuality, as well as influencing
muscle and bone development. Testosterone production begins before birth, and influences
the fetal growth of male genitals as well as the development of the brain, muscle,
kidney, and liver. Throughout boyhood, testosterone production is low. At puberty,
testosterone levels increase dramatically, causing the genitals to mature, facial
and body hair to grow, the voice to deepen, and adult male musculature to develop.
Testosterone controls sperm production, sexual drive, and sexual performance throughout
a man's life. Testosterone levels diminish when men are in their mid-forties or fifties,
although some men continue to have relatively high levels into their eighties and
beyond.
Testosterone
(C19H28O2) is produced in men by the Leydig cells, which are very small structures
in the testes. Decreased production of testosterone can be caused by subnormal activity
of the gonads, resulting from problems in the testes, or in the hypothalamus or pituitary
glands that stimulate testosterone production. Located in the brain, the hypothalamus
produces gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which promotes the production of
luteinizing hormone (LH) by the pituitary gland. The pituitary, also located in the
brain, secretes several hormones including LH, which stimulates the production of
testosterone, and follicle stimulated hormone (FSH), which promotes sperm production.
In
women, prior to menopause, the ovaries produce about one-tenth the amount of testosterone
found in men's bodies. [1] Testosterone's role in women's health and sexuality is
not fully understood and merits further study.
R.D.A. Minimal Requirements. The U.S. Government does not have a Recommended
Dietary Allowance (RDA) for testosterone or its releasers. Testosterone levels can
be measured with a simple blood test, and monitoring of testosterone levels in the
blood is highly advisable before and during testosterone supplementation.
Unique
Needs. More than 100 testosterone derivatives have been synthesized, some of which
are used in human medicine and to enhance athletic training and competition.
| Information Source | Typically Occurring Testosterone [T] Ranges and Suggested Optimal Ranges | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grow Young with HGH [2] | Male Testosterone [T] Range in nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl) of blood serum | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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OPTIMAL |
ANTI-AGING RANGE | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resetting the Clock [3]: T in ng/dl |
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Signs
of Deficiency. Testosterone deficiency has the following signs and symptoms: decreased
libido, sexual dysfunction (impotence), infertility, small testes, and decreased
muscle mass and strength. [4, 5] Associated conditions include advanced age, obesity,
liver disease, alcoholism, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS, chronic renal
failure, diabetes, and chronic anemia. In the United States, an estimated five million
men have the medical condition of testosterone deficiency (hypogonadism), which is
approximately one in twenty adult males.Food
Sources. Proper nutrition is vital to healthy hormone production, including testosterone.
A study at Penn State shows that a drop in testosterone occurs in diets with too
much protein and too few carbohydrates, as well as high-carbohydrate low-fat diets.
[6]. Proper dietary intake levels of vitamin A, B6, vitamin C, boron, zinc, and branched-chain
amino acids are necessary for testosterone production. [5, 7, 8]. Testosterone levels
can be increased to some extent through exercise. [9]Forms.
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can be administered by means of several delivery
systems, including pills (more commonly found in Europe), lozenges that are taken
sublingually (so that they dissolve directly into the bloodstream), topical ointments
(creams and gels), transdermal time-release mechanism (skin patches placed on the
back, arms, thighs, or buttocks), scrotum patches, intramuscular injections, and
subdermal implants (for reversible male contraception). Testosterone is available
by prescription in the U.S.A. The various products are marketed under a variety of
brand names. Pills are considered by some to be the least effective. [9]
Enhanced Sexuality. When men are young, their testosterone levels are at
their peak. As men age, their testosterone levels naturally diminish, although some
degree of testosterone production continues throughout a man's lifetime. Studies
have shown that lower testosterone levels do not necessarily mean reduced sexual
drive or capacity. [10] Through testosterone replacement, older men can undertake
to restore the sexual vitality of their youth. However, human sexuality is complex
and involves multiple factors, including general health, emotional well being, psychological
factors, etc. Testosterone replacement may provide short-term increased sexual drive
and enhanced sexual performance (erections achieved more rapidly, greater rigidity,
prolonged performance, more frequent erections, etc.), but the longer-term effects
are not clearly known and the risk factors should be considered.
Mental
Acuity. Studies have shown that adequate testosterone levels are associated with
increased mental alertness, visual spatial comprehension, memory skills, and language
communication skills. According to one source, testosterone may play a protective
role in Alzheimer's disease [1].
Body
Building. Increased levels of testosterone promote increases in lean muscle mass.
According to research reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, elevated testosterone
levels caused increased muscle size and increased muscle strength in one test group,
even without exercise. The study also found significantly increased muscle mass and
strength in the group that received testosterone injections and also exercised. [11]
A related study at the University of Washington of men 60+ years in age showed weight
loss and increased muscle mass without exercising for the group receiving testosterone
injections. [1]
AIDS.
Men with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) commonly lose substantial amounts
of weight, particularly lean muscle mass, which contributes to weakness, fatigue,
and loss of physical endurance. Recent studies have linked reduced testosterone levels
and unwanted weight loss in men with AIDS. Research shows that up to 50% of men with
AIDS have subnormal levels of testosterone. [12]. Testosterone replacement reduces
unwanted weight loss and increases strength and stamina.
Recovery
from Serious Injury or Surgery. Physicians sometimes prescribe testosterone to accelerate
recovery from severe injury, illness, surgery, etc. [10] Testosterone has also been
shown to be linked to increased red blood cell production and is useful in treating
anemia. However, overproduction of red blood cells can increase the risk of stroke.
Osteoporosis.
Testosterone therapy has been shown in some cases to reduce bone loss and form new
bone. [1, 2]
Testicular
Cancer. Testicular cancer accounts for approximately one percent of all cancer in
men, and is the most common type of cancer malignancy among men between the ages
of 20 and 35. If not detected and treated in time, the progression of testicular
cancer may result in the surgical loss of one but rarely both testes. To compensate
for the gonadal loss, patients commonly take testosterone replacement therapy.
As men grow older, they often experience loss of reduced sexual drive and
performance, abdominal obesity, hair loss, memory loss, muscle strength and bone
density, etc. One of the major factors that influence the aging process is lowered
production of hormones. As men grow older, their testes have fewer functioning Leydig
cells, as well as reduced production of hormones in the hypothalamus and pituitary
glands, which also contributes to reduced production of testosterone.
Some
experts hail testosterone supplementation as a safe and effective way to substantially
reduce the effects of aging and enjoy enhanced quality of life [1, 3], while others
are more cautionary and advise that the risks may outweigh the benefits, particularly
for individuals with otherwise normal testosterone levels for their age group. [2,
7, 8, 10, 11, 13-15].
Testosterone supplementation may prove beneficial for men with low testosterone
levels; however, supplementation for men with normal levels for their age group may
involve risks that outweigh the anticipated benefits. Quoting from "The Anabolic
Action of Testosterone," an editorial in The New England Journal of Medicine
(July 4, 1996): "The concern that testosterone may be hazardous stems from the
belief that is partly responsible for the higher risk of coronary artery disease
in men than in women; that little, if any, prostate cancer develops in men without
active Leydig cells; and that androgens induce rage and anger." [11]
Adverse
reactions are identified by the pharmaceutical companies that produce testosterone
replacement products [skin patches, intramuscular injections, etc.] that "may
effect 1% or more" of patient populations.
Vitality
Research Institute is dedicated to empowering people through education, by developing,
documenting, and disseminating research findings on the timely subjects of anti-aging,
human life longevity, nutrition-based vitality enhancement,and the vitality health
sciences.The
information provided by Vitality Research Institute is intended to educate and enlighten
and is not intended nor should it be utilized as medical advice; each individual's
specific health situation is unique, and individuals should seek the advice of a
health care professional in matters related to his or her health and well-being.
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