The Test Tosterone-Energy Connection

Harness the Energy Power of Testosterone

When it comes to anti aging clinics touting their high-end programs for reversing aging, increasing energy, upping libido, and generally turning back the clock to a time when you “get up and go” hadn’t “gone up and went”, human growth hormone (or HGH) gets the lion’s share of attention. But as far as I’m concerned, when it comes to hormone replacement for increased energy and overall well-being, testosterone is the king of the hill.

We all know testosterone as the hormonal engine that provides men with the sexual drive needed to guarantee the continuation of the human race. (It’s also critical of female libido, which is why so many` integrative docs who work with hormone replacement now give small amounts to postmenopausal women – it not only increases their libido but also does wonders for their energy. I’m just saying).

Sexual desire were the only thing that testosterone was responsible for, that would be plenty reason enough to care about it. But testosterone is responsible for far more than just giving your mojo a kick-start. Testosterone is the spark plug that gives men vitality, all the while helping to maintain muscle, skin, bones, sperm production and immune function. Let’s face it: Testosterone gives you energy.

Big time.

THE TEST TOSTERONE-ENERGY CONNECTION

Testosterone normally remains high until a man reaches his early thirties. At this point (or somewhat later, if you’re lucky), this libidinal lightbulb begins to gradually fade, and, over the next few decades, it will, sadly, continue to decrease.

By the age of seventy, a man typically has half the testosterone he did when he was thirty. Individual differences being what they are, many men lose it more quickly (and some retain pretty high levels well into their sixth decade and beyond – think Hugh Hefner of Sylvester Stallone). Invariably, energy will decline in lockstep with testosterone.

Loss of testosterone used to be accepted as inevitable, as a consequence of aging. But with advances in the science of aging, many thousand of men now enjoy youthful vitality and energy due in part to the increasingly popular (and increasingly sophisticated) therapy of hormone replacement.

“In my ten-year experience doing hormone replacement for both men and women, “I’ve found that the two hormones that significantly increase perceived energy are human growth hormone and testosterone”, says my friend David Leonardi, M.D., director of the popular Leonardi Executive Health Institute in Denver, a well-regarded antiaging clinic that routinely provides responsible hormone replacement therapy.

An obvious sign of low testosterone is a decrease in sex drive and other types of sexual difficulties, such as loss of morning erections, but there other signs, loss of energy being prime among them. Others include decreased muscle and bone mass, increased body fat, a decline in cognitive skills such as concentration and memory, and higher cholesterol levels. There is also a notable decline in overall well-being and vigor. Men with reduced testosterone levels are like the Old Gray Mare – they just” “ain’t what they used to be” in terms of stamina, exercise performance, libido, well-being, or energy.

But it’s not just men in Porsche 911s with “midlife crisis” written all over them who experience deficiencies and low energy. Because testosterone is made in the ovaries, women – especially after menopause – suffer from low testosterone levels and have a similar reduction in sex drive and energy. Women might notice symptoms such as droopy eyelids, sagging cheeks, thinning and dry hair, and mild depression. Many of these symptoms are often significantly improved when small amounts of testosterone are added to their hormone replacement regimen.