Testosterone is the hormone that makes a man a man. That’s because testosterone is involved with every aspect of male physical and sexual health and well-being. It is essential for bone health, muscle growth, hair growth, sexual drive and performance, energy levels, and it even affects your mood.

Low testosterone in males is a problem that’s attracting increasing attention from healthcare, fitness, and nutritional researchers. Testosterone acts in both subtle and obvious ways in the body, so depending on the severity of the lack of testosterone, the symptoms can be hard to pin down. While reported cases of low testosterone in men are more common now than before, that doesn’t necessarily mean that more men have low testosterone than in the past. It could mean that medical science has increased the understanding and awareness of the problem, and that has led more men to be diagnosed with low testosterone.

The Two Main Causes of Low Testosterone in Men

There are many health and environmental conditions that can contribute to low testosterone in males, but doctors generally classify them as one of two different causes.

Andropause

Like its female equivalent (menopause), andropause is a drop in the production of testosterone that happens naturally as a man gets older. Because this drop in production of male hormones happens quite gradually over a very long period of time, its effects can be almost invisible to a person until the cumulative loss leads to substantial changes in the body’s ability to exercise, sleep, concentrate, or perform sexually.

According to Steroidsforsale.com the production of testosterone peaks and then begins to decline at around the age of 25 in most men. Of course the average person would never notice the difference between the amount of testosterone in the body between the age of 23 and 26, but the younger age would still be on the side of growth, and the latter age be on the down slope of testosterone production. The difference is barely noticeable for quite some time, and in the absence of other factors, can be almost imperceptible until a man reaches middle age.

Over Time, The Effects Are Easily Seen

The cumulative effects of a diminishment of free testosterone in the body in late middle age is well known and easily observed. Men see a profound change in their body composition, and they often notice that they have difficulty losing fat and building lean muscle mass. Energy levels drop, and that can make it even more difficult to stay active and keep the lean physique that a young man enjoys. Loss of testosterone affects cognitive functions, and men can notice an inability to concentrate on important tasks, and can also have trouble sleeping. A drop in testosterone is most keenly noticed when it affects a man’s ability to get and hold an erection, and to perform sexually. Even men that can perform sexually will notice a lessening of sexual desire with the passage of time.

Hypogonadism

Hypogonadism is defined as a lack of testosterone production in the testes. Technically, andropause is just a form of hypogonadism that has a readily apparent cause, but since hypogonadism can happen at any age, doctors consider the drop in testosterone due to aging separately.

Many different things can cause hypogonadism. It’s sometimes due to a physical injury. There are many diseases that can cause a drop in the function in the testes. That’s why doctors like to treat hypogonadism that isn’t due strictly to aging differently than andropause. Because a serious underlying issue might cause lack of testosterone, it’s important to diagnose it as quickly as possible, and cure it or manage it. Giving a man synthetic testosterone in order to fix the symptoms of low hormonal activity would do nothing to help the underlying cause.

Signs of Hypogonadism

No matter what is causing low testosterone production, the physical manifestations are the same:

• Low energy levels
• Demotivation and mood swings
• Depression
• Poor sleep patterns
• Loss of muscle mass
• Thinning of the skin
• General fatigue
• Sexual dysfunction
• Loss of sex drive
• Increase in body fat

While none of these symptoms will seem minor to a man suffering from low testosterone levels, chronically low levels can lead to even more severe effects. A lack of testosterone over a long period can lead to general frailty, anemia, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even dementia. That’s why it’s important for a man to be aware of changes in his body functions that might be due to a lack of testosterone, and to find out the underlying reason for it before it leads to very undesirable effects.