Low Testosterone, Every Man Should Know
Most people know that the hormone testosterone is essential to the normal development of the male in utero. It is necessary to sperm production, sex drive, build muscles and bone mass. Testosterone influences red blood cell production, male pattern fat distribution and bone density. Low testosterone can have a negative effect on all of mentioned procedures. Low testosterone is happened when hormone levels fall below 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). In males, the testicles produce most of the testosterone in the body. Levels are most often checked to evaluate signs of low testosterone.
The chemical building blocks for testosterone and all androgens are steroids. Androgens, and specifically testosterone has many important physiological actions in the adult. There are age-related decreases in androgen production in men. For women the age-related changes in hormone production are abrupt, often referred to as climacteric or menopause. For men changes in gonadal function are slow, but progressive with aging. Men don’t experience andropause. Men do experience late onset hypogonadism (LOH) or androgen decline in the aging male (ADAM). For many men these changes cause significant symptoms and distress.
Recent research has also shown that this hormone has health benefits that go beyond sex and sexual characteristics like facial hair and male pattern baldness.
The Baltimore longitudinal aging study found that ADAM or LOH affected 9% of men surveyed in the age groups of 50 to 59 years, 34% of men aged 60 to 69 years and 68% of men aged 70 to 79 years. If levels of testosterone are too low, your mood muscular strength, and bones can be badly affected.Testosterone is the most important male hormone, these chemicals known as androgens are made in males in the testicles (gonads)and adrenal glands.
Although testosterone does not cause erection, it stimulates brain sensors to make nitric oxid which helps trigger an erection. Low testosterone is also linked to many conditions that cause erectile dysfunction. Testosterone plays a role in the production of semen, the fluid that aids in the motility of sperm. The more testosterone a man has, the more semen he produces. Men with low testosterone will notice a decrease in the volume of their sperm during ejaculation.