The Beginner's Guide to Testosterone | Everything You Need to Know About It

Everybody talks about it, but few really understand it. And no wonder - after all, the issue of testosterone, as well as other hormones that affect dozens and hundreds of processes in our body, is extremely complex. That's why we decided to dedicate our article today to complete beginners, to whom we will explain what testosterone is, where it is formed, what it does and whether we all have it in the same way. In short, we'll tell you everything you need to know.

Article content:

• What is testosterone anyway?
• Where testosterone is made
• What does it actually do in the body?
• What does testosterone do?
• How do I know if I'm low in testosterone
• Is there any point in supplementing?
• What can I take away from today's article?

What is testosterone?

Testosterone is one of the hormones that are naturally produced in our body. Higher levels are naturally found in men, but a certain level of this hormone is also important for women. Testosterone is extremely essential for the proper development of secondary sex characteristics (rough voice, body hair and muscle growth) and sperm production.

Testosterone is one of the very important hormones that are naturally produced in both male and female bodies.

Where is testosterone made?

Testosterone is a completely natural substance for our body. In men, it is formed primarily in the Leydig cells of the testes (about ⅔ of the total production) and minority in the cells of the adrenal glands. In women, only the adrenal glands are responsible for producing the necessary amount of testosterone. Unfortunately, its natural production decreases over time. Since it is most essential during adolescence, the body has high levels of testosterone until about age 25. After that, testosterone levels can decline, with expert sites indicating that testosterone levels drop by about 1% per year. However, as we will explain in the next part of the article, this is highly individual and is determined by a number of factors.

What does it actually do in the body?

Testosterone is responsible for a number of different processes in the body, many of which we have already mentioned in previous sections of the article. During adolescence, it is responsible for the development of male secondary sex characteristics, stimulates sperm production and even protects against the development of osteoporosis. But scientific studies find a variety of other interesting effects of proper levels of this hormone:

It is important for proper body composition

Testosterone plays a huge role in how we actually look. This is evidenced by the findings of scientific studies that found that when men with naturally low testosterone levels were injected with this hormone, they experienced a reduction in fat and, in turn, an increase in muscle mass and strength.

Testosterone is often associated with athletic physiques.

It affects sex-drive and performance

Testosterone is a male sex hormone, and therefore its positive effect on sexual health, sex drive and, consequently, sexual performance is probably not surprising . These effects have, of course, been confirmed by research conducted on people undergoing replacement therapy.

It may be related to cardiovascular health

Some studies have also shown that men whose testosterone levels returned to normal were less prone to certain heart diseases such as heart attack or stroke. However, it is important to add that the results of previous scientific studies on this topic are quite mixed and so objective conclusions will probably have to wait.

Does everyone have the same testosterone?

Unfortunately, we don't all have the same amount of testosterone, and this is true among both men and women. Part of it is genetically determined, of course, and part of it is due to hectic lifestyles, which of course often include excessive stress, excess weight, poor nutrition and lack of exercise. But in addition to this, it also decreases with age. After the age of 25 to 30, its level starts to drop and it does so more or less until the end of life. According to expert sources conducted on the American population, every second man over 80 years of age has a low testosterone level, while among young people it is roughly only 1% of the population.

Obese people often have lower testosterone levels.

How do I know if I have low testosterone?

Testosterone deficiency is not that extremely uncommon in today's population, on the contrary, according to some sources, this problem is much more common than in the past. In practice, testosterone deficiency can manifest itself in low sex-drive, hair loss, bone loss, possible loss of muscle mass, fat gain and many other negative effects. Studies have also pointed out that men with lower testosterone levels are more prone to depression as well as lack of focus. Thus, it can be said that low levels of this hormone negatively affect almost all aspects of life.

Is there any point in supplementing it?

Testosterone, of course, can be supplemented artificially, the World Health Organization has even included it in the list of the most important drugs in the basic health system. If you look on the internet as a layman, you will usually find two options

Injectable testosterone (called replacement therapy)

Simply put,replacement therapy means that you supplement your missing testosterone, which you lose, for example, as you get older, with injectable testosterone. Its sale is, of course, tied to a doctor's prescription, and we won't mention the black market purchasing options at all in this article - but logically we condemn it and wouldn't recommend it to any of you. In case you are really low on testosterone, it is a good idea to undergo the appropriate tests and then visit your doctor and discuss this option with him. If your doctor deems it appropriate, you will of course be given a prescription and can legally take testosterone. Where to get testosterone, you ask? Unfortunately, we can't advise you on that as we don't agree with that version of the solution.

Injectable testosterone is very often abused by athletes. However, due to the potential negatives, we do not recommend it to anyone.

Testosterone boosting supplements

In addition to injectable testosterone, there is a less effective, but perfectly legal and completely safe option, and that is legal testosterone boosting supplements (sometimes referred to as testosterone boosters). These consist mostly of natural extracts and various substances that help to optimize testosterone, not boost it. In practice, this means that as young athletes who have plenty of testosterone, you probably can't appreciate them. But as older exercisers who would like to optimize their declining testosterone, you can actually benefit from them. You can find a whole range of such supplements in our store's category called Vitality Support.

What to take away from today's article?

The main thing you should take away from today's article is that testosterone is an extremely important hormone that has a number of positives for our bodies. It is important for both the development of secondary sex characteristics and sperm production, but also for proper body composition, healthy bones, sex-drive and perhaps even cardiovascular health. Unfortunately, not everyone has it in the same way, and as we age, the amount of it in the body naturally decreases. So the solution may be either to use supplements (if the deficiency is only mild or if you want to take a supplement as a preventative measure) or to see a doctor and then undergo replacement therapy if you suffer from a severe and limiting deficiency.