Testosterone 101

One important clinical effect of optimized Testosterone is around weight-loss. In recent bodies of clinical research, there’s solid evidence that Testosterone therapy (or natural increases in Testosterone production) supports lean body mass, reduces fat and promotes weight-loss. It’s an inverse relationship, meaning the more pounds you shed, your body will produce more Testosterone. Men with obesity and who are at risk for or have Type II Diabetes are shown to be Testosterone deficient. Testosterone supports weight-loss by increasing your metabolism (burn calories at rest) and insulin sensitivity.

Most notably, Testosterone has a strong impact on muscle mass and growth. If you Google search Testosterone, you’ll see the most prominent image depictions associated with muscular, strong men. It’s been long known that Testosterone has a positive impact on putting on more muscle. As you increase Testosterone levels, it aids in the production of muscle protein synthesis and growth. Connected to its impact on weight-loss, Testosterone promotes lean body mass and muscle production, however it’s important to note that it’s supplemented by lifestyle, strength-training + exercise and diet. We’ll be talking later about all of these health behaviors as a major contributor to bulking and weight-loss.

It’s widely known of the close association between Testosterone and libido: and it’s true, optimized Testosterone not only supports an increased desire for sex, but can improve mild erectile dysfunction (ED). The key here too is remembering it’s at optimal levels. Maintaining Testosterone in the ranges that are optimal will support consistent sex drive and rock-hard morning wood as you get older.

What kind of a man do you want to be out in the world? What’s your calling?

Optimizing your Testosterone levels has an effect on dominance and status; ever wondered why some men seem to naturally or efforteselly assert themselves? Yes, and let this be clear, this is not a claim to be an asshole, rather to illuminate non-aggressive dominance as an effect of optimized Testosterone.

Risky, eh? Yes, optimized Testosterone is positively associated with risk taking, study shows (and for both sexes, men and women). Consider, though, that risk-taking does not mean to be detrimental. It absolutely can be, but we believe that healthy risk taking is a component of a healthy and successful man. Risk taking can lead to reward and success, but with appropriate caveats.

Probably one of the lesser known benefits of Testosterone is its impact on the brain related to psychological and cognitive health. Low T production has been shown to have an impact on mood swings, irritability, depression, stress, and anxiety. Promoting Testosterone has a clinically significant influence on memory, cognitive performance, positivity + mood, energy, and combating depression, research shows. According to the study, “in hypogonadal men, there is a significant decrease in many cognitive functions, such as episodic memory, working memory, processing speed, visual spatial processing, and executive function, which are regulated by the androgen receptor-regulated regions of the brain.”

That brain fog you experience? Promoting Testosterone can support mitigating this alongside other cognitive functioning benefits. As the study reflects among others, increasing Testosterone levels has been shown to improve spatial + verbal memory in older men.

In connection to this too, men with optimal levels of Testosterone have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

We’ll talk more about dopamine fasting to support optimization later, but in relation to physiological and brain benefits, Testosterone has a positive effect on boosting dopamine production in the brain. We know that dopamine is the “feel-good” hormone that supports reward, pleasure, and motivation. Increasing the production of this neurotransmitter contributes to feelings of motivation, happiness and reward.

What’s also a huge benefit to optimizing Testosterone levels is it’s connection to inhibiting stress and anxiety levels. Cortisol - a hormone that plays a key part in the body’s stress response - and Testosterone also have an inverse relationship. As your body pumps cortisol in response to stress, it blocks the production of Testosterone. So in turn, as Testosterone increases, it inhibits the activity for cortisol to be produced in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), the main pathway in the stress response cycle.

Like how health behaviors support weight-loss and muscle production, isolating Testosterone production solely as enough for cognitive and psychological health is not the end all, be all solution. It’s important to recognize, though, that deficiency of Testosterone is definitely connected to stress, anxiety, depression and other emotional + mental health imbalances.

Though it’s been historically demonized for having a negative impact on cardiovascular health, this study from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism determines how low Testosterone is connected to a higher risk of death from heart disease and other cardiovascular complications. There’s further research that indicates how optimizing Testosterone improves overall metabolic profile. Connected to heart health, increased Testosterone is also correlated with supporting anti-inflammation in the body. We’ll chat more in-depth about also living an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, as this will directly support not just heart health and anti-inflammation but all other areas of healthy mind and body.