If your testosterone levels are low, you may notice changes in your sex drive, erections, mood, sleep, energy levels and muscle strength. You may need testosterone replacement therapy to increase your testosterone levels. Living a healthy lifestyle can also help.
Low testosterone levels in males can lead to erectile dysfunction. They can also affect sleep, mood, the size of the testicles, and more. In both males and females, low testosterone can lead to lower bone mass and reduced sex drive.
Fatigue is a common effect of low testosterone. You might feel like you just don't have the energy that you're used to. Or you might be incredibly tired. But many other things can sap your energy, too, including normal aging and depression.
Symptoms of low testosterone in a man—especially low energy levels, moodiness, and reduced sex drive—are usually first noticed by a spouse or significant other. Men tend to shrug symptoms off until they start to affect their work and home life.
Zinc, found in oysters, beef, spinach, and nuts, is directly associated with testosterone. A study found that zinc supplements resulted in a testosterone increase in elite athletes — and the same could be done for your partner (athletic or otherwise). Just have him ask his doctor!
Take some time each week to talk about your feelings, frustrations, and appreciations. Although the symptoms of low testosterone can take cracks at a relationship, communication is the glue that will help a relationship while an individual goes through treatment.
The short answer is there isn't a proven link between orgasms and testosterone levels, so we don't know how it affects you in the short term. However, you can take comfort in knowing that masturbating will not negatively affect your testosterone levels—or other aspects of your life—long-term.
Treating normal aging with testosterone therapy is not advisable. If you don't have a medical condition that's contributing to your decline in testosterone levels, your doctor might suggest natural ways to boost testosterone, such as losing weight and increasing muscle mass through resistance exercise.
A man's ability to produce testosterone starts to decline at about 40 years of age, and levels continue to drop 1 – 3% a year thereafter. It is important to note that just because the levels are dropping after 40 doesn't necessarily mean that all men are candidates for therapy.
How to test testosterone levels at home? You can order an at-home testosterone test online. The testosterone test kit is a finger prick test and the test kit contains a finger prick device. It is best to do the finger prick test when your body is warm, for example after a warm bath or shower.
Low Testosterone can Occur Because of Aging or an Underlying Condition. While getting older is generally the main cause of low testosterone in many men, low T levels can also be a symptom of other underlying conditions or comorbidities. According to the Asian Journal of Andrology, these conditions may include: Obesity.
Excess weight, hair-loss treatments, and a sedentary lifestyle are among the factors that can lower testosterone levels. If you're concerned about low testosterone levels, take a look at your everyday habits and way of life. They could be contributing to a drop.
Exercise can increase your testosterone. The best types of exercise to increase your testosterone levels are weightlifting and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Lifting heavy weights is the best exercise to increase testosterone levels. Building muscle mass triggers the body to produce testosterone.
Testosterone levels affect the skin much like estrogen. The higher your testosterone, the firmer and tighter your skin appears. In men, low testosterone (low-T) is associated with wrinkles, muscle loss, thinning hair, and weight gain.
According to some research, retaining sperm can boost testosterone levels by up to 45 percent in just a week. However, it returned to normal within a few days. Higher testosterone levels are associated with increased energy.
This is because after the rush of orgasm, dopamine levels drop below baseline, similar to what happens during withdrawal from drugs of abuse. Low dopamine levels are associated with depression, low energy, lack of ambition, social anxiety, among others (Dailly et al., 2004).
Other research found that the quality of a relationship, including satisfaction, commitment, and investment, lowered testosterone for both men and women, and that couples were more satisfied when one person had lower testosterone.
One study even found that men suffering from low testosterone were more likely to experience symptoms of depression. Mood swings and mental changes can cause confusion and difficulty communicating with your partner, which can make any relationship suffer.