Importance of Maintaining Healthy Levels of Testosterone for Men

Whether you are in your thirties, fifties, or seventies, understanding the importance of testosterone for men is something you need to know.

Some doctors will tell you that testosterone is one of the most influential hormones in the male body. This is true. Although necessary for sexual desire, performance, and sperm production, testosterone’s reach goes far beyond the familiar.

What does testosterone do for men that makes it essential to maintain in later years of life?

Check out the chart below for other reasons why you need testosterone:

Reasons Men Need Testosterone
Maintaining bone density	Supporting muscle mass	Red blood cell production
Fat distribution	Healthy cholesterol levels	Hair growth
Emotional stability	Brain functions	Metabolism
Drive	Productivity	Sleep

Far beyond libido, we see that the importance of testosterone for men extends to the entire body. Testosterone stimulates the production of red blood cells in bone marrow. The body cannot survive without blood.

What are the reasons for low testosterone in men?

While brain or testicular tumors can lead to Low T, aging is often seen as the number one cause. Testosterone production is at its highest during puberty. After that, testosterone levels off in the twenties before beginning to decline once most men reach thirty. The rate of decrease can range from 1% to 2% each year.

Other reasons for low testosterone levels include:

Alcohol abuse
Certain medication side effects
Type 2 diabetes
Genetic abnormalities
Infection
HIV
Testicular or brain injury
Thyroid conditions
Pituitary or hypothalamus problems

Is It Possible to Increase Male Testosterone Levels?

Finding ways to increase testosterone levels for men should be foremost in every male’s mind as they age. If you experience the higher 2% decline in testosterone production each year, then by age 40 you could be functioning with 20% less testosterone in your body. By age 50, you could have only 60% of the amount of testosterone you had when you were 30. That is a dramatic difference and can increase many health risks.

Increasing the production or amount of testosterone for older men is crucial to prevent heart disease, osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, dementia, and other concerns.

There are both natural steps you can take as well as therapeutic options to increase male testosterone levels. Your options are highlighted below:

Natural Ways to Increase Testosterone Levels in Men

Lose weight – excess fat increases testosterone conversion to estradiol, leading to Low T
Exercise more – work the large muscle groups to help stimulate testosterone release
Get proper sleep – you need a minimum of seven hours a night for adequate testosterone production
Reduce stress – elevated levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, inhibit testosterone production

Testosterone Replacement Therapy

One of the most common methods for how to increase testosterone for men is to turn to hormone replacement therapy. A variety of options are available to men for supplemental testosterone, including:

Testosterone cypionate injections
Testosterone enanthate injections
Transdermal testosterone skin patches
Transdermal testosterone gels
Testosterone nasal gel
Implantable testosterone pellets
Transbuccal testosterone tablets that adhere to the gums

The use of natural testosterone for men, when prescribed by a hormone specialist, can provide rapid benefits. Most men notice changes beginning in their bodies within a few weeks of starting testosterone therapy.

Best Types of Testosterone Therapy for Men

We highlighted the many types of testosterone therapy for men in the previous section. Each listed option will provide superior benefits. The differences are in risk factors, ease of use, and cost.

The most affordable option for testosterone replacement therapy is testosterone cypionate injections.

What makes this the best choice?

The 5 reasons that cypionate injections are the best testosterone for men are highlighted below:

Reduced risk of cross-contamination to anyone else
Infrequent need for treatment – most men administer testosterone cypionate once every 10 to 14 days
Lowest cost of all forms of testosterone therapy
Superior results
Easy at-home administration – no office visits necessary

The most common side effect of testosterone cypionate, as well as testosterone enanthate, is injection site irritation. Reactions are often mild and go away rapidly.

Testosterone enanthate is the next most recommended option following cypionate. The difference is that it requires more frequent injections and at a slightly higher cost.

Testosterone used in the transdermal method, meaning on the skin, increases the risk of contamination to others. Contact with the treated area should be avoided. Additionally, the cost of both patches and gels is significantly higher than the injections.

Implantable pellets require a surgical procedure. The cost is high, and risks include difficult removal in case of an adverse reaction, as well as the pellets naturally working their way out of the body. That can reduce the benefits and require additional procedures.

Finally, transbuccal tablets can alter food taste, irritate the gums, and there is a risk of swallowing that can impact the liver.

To learn more about testosterone for men, please contact HT Medical Center for a confidential consultation at no charge.