Testosterone: Why it’s So Much More Than Sex and Six Packs Everyone has heard of testosterone, and most of us have a pretty good idea of what it does. Testosterone is ‘The’ male hormone and is responsible for the majority of secondary sexual characteristics that differentiate men from women.
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estosterone gives men deeper voices, stimulates beard growth, and increases muscle mass and sexual desire, as well as all the other classic physical traits we associate with being male. However, it is this widespread understanding of the outward effects of testosterone on the human body that has, in part, led to it losing credibility and relevance in modern medicine. In addition to its effects on our external physiology, testosterone is also responsible for a range of unseen metabolic, biochemical and neurological changes. Testosterone affects blood pressure, lipid profiles, insulin sensitivity, bone density, cognition, mood and a range of other aspects of health and wellbeing. Therefore, while testosterone is of course a major contributor to muscle growth and sexual function, its true purpose, and consequently our understanding of its role in overall health, has been over distorted and misrepresented by the health and fitness industry, and is now, perhaps, underappreciated by the medical profession.
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Many men will lead long and happy lives without ever knowing they had suboptimal testosterone levels.
I have lost count of the number of adverts for over-the-counter supplements that claim to ‘boost’ testosterone, and diets that will allegedly increase its production; as if by simply eating more raisins (this is genuinely one food that has claims to increase testosterone production), our hormone levels will reach Hulk-like proportions. The biggest problem with the fitness industry is that it plays on the insecurities and desperation that many men experience in wanting to get fitter, stronger, or look better. We all start to feel less energetic as we get older, and it would be great if our poor diets, hectic lifestyles, lack of free 28
