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Low Testosterone Impact on Fitness

Are you abiding by a strict regimen of exercise and a healthy diet, but not seeing any improvement in your build?  Are you having trouble losing fat mass and putting on muscle mass?   Are you not getting the benefits that you expected from your workouts, even if you are doing all that your trainer is telling you to do? 

You may have low Testosterone.

At least 13 million men suffer from the effects of low testosterone in the United Sates a year, and less than 5% are being treated! From the age of 35, men can lose between 1-2% of their testosterone a year which can result in increased fat mass, decreased muscle mass, decreased exercise tolerance, decreased bone mass, worsened erectile function, decreased sex drive, depressed mood, tiredness, lack of motivation, sleep disturbances, worsened spatial cognition, hot flashes, impairment of fertility, and deterioration of skin and hair.

There are 481,000 new cases of low testosterone in American men between the ages of 40 and 69 each year. By the age of 50, 30% of men are already below the normal range and by age 60, 60% of men suffer from low testosterone. I advocate replacing testosterone in such men after carefully evaluating each individual man, to help improve the quality of life by improving body composition and strength, exercise tolerance, increasing bone mineral density, improving sexual desire and erectile function, and improving energy levels and decreasing fatigue. Men can be treated with other oral medications as well to maintain fertility while allowing testosterone levels to increase. Men who are no longer interested in fertility can be treated with direct testosterone replacement by multiple modalities including topical gels, injections, and testosterone pellet insertion beneath the skin.

I have been speaking to trainers at gyms regarding this. They need to be aware that if a man is doing their workout regimen and the trainer is doing their job and not seeing improvement, it may be because the man’s body does not have the appropriate testosterone level to give the benefits expected with these workouts and no matter how hard they both work, they may not see the benefits! The fat in men’s bodies also converts the testosterone that the body makes into estrogen. This in turn decreases the overall available testosterone which makes it harder to get in shape and lose fat and you can see how this is a vicious cycle that feeds itself.

Get your Testosterone level checked!  If it is low, you may need Testosterone replacement therapy to help you break the cycle and allow your body to burn the fat and gain the muscle with the appropriate exercise regimen and diet.  This is recommended to be done by a physician who is an expert in the field who can appraise you of the risks, benefits, and options of Testosterone replacement therapy.

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