Today we talk about testosterone, which is the “male hormone” in the human body. It may be hard to believe, but the hormone is present in both men and women’s body, so everyone has it.
This article will cover the following key points: correlations between behavior and testosterone, the psychological effects on the human mind, the internal and external changes in both men and women, a series of myths and reality facts and of course, a series of conclusions.
This will not be a post designed to sell any supplements. My purpose is not to defend steroids or testosterone boosters, not to bash them. These are the facts. This is the truth.
Testosterone and Behavior
In terms of behavior, there are some who believe high testosterone levels can cause aggressiveness and irrationality. But the truth is that, like any other hormone found in the human body, it influences our brain activity. This particular hormone intensifies the brain activity and the adrenaline levels in our body, so we become more and more agitated and we lose track of our peaceful calm side.
Nothing to worry, though, these reactions come and go naturally, with just a few angry looks and muscle strains. Usually our self-control and social boundaries help a lot, keeping us out of trouble. Sometimes introducing a high level of testosterone into the body can have the same effect as alcohol by lowering inhibitions.
Psychological Effects
Due to the fact that testosterone becomes sort of an adrenaline and energy booster, it can cause sleep disorders and behavior changes. Apart from that, there are several interesting psychological facts.
For example, women who have low testosterone levels in their body also have low levels of sexual desires. From a psychological point of view, low libido means more frustrations and unfulfilled fantasies, which on a long-term basis, can damage our psychological reasoning.
Let’s take another example: men. Men with high testosterone levels feel more attractive, have more energy and are extremely self-confident. Testosterone also keeps their bodies in shape, reducing the capacity for storing body fat. We can say that testosterone does for men what make-up does for women: it builds up a high self-esteem.
Internal and External Changes
As many other hormones found in the human body, testosterone has both beneficial and disastrous effects on women and men.
First, let’s see what good and damage it does on women.
- Beneficial testosterone effects include the treatment of medical conditions like irregular periods, also known as menorrhagia and breast cancer. High level of testosterone can increase libido, reduce fatigue because, as earlier mentioned, it is an energy and adrenaline booster. It can also improve concentration, reduce irritability and cure depression. Women can increase their sense of well-being, as well.
- Side effects of high levels of testosterone in the female body include the development of polycystic ovarian syndrome, infertility and miscarriage, enlargement of the clitoris, all due to the facts that this hormone is present in the woman’s ovaries. It can also lead to hair loss and the development of masculine features such as growth of facial or body hair and voice alteration. Practically, women can become a bit too manly in some isolated cases.
Moving on to the side effects of testosterone in men.
- Starting with the positive effects – high levels of testosterone in men increase self-esteem, body image and look, erectile functions, libido and concentration. It has been demonstrated that testosterone levels and business earnings are connected in ways incredible to imagine. Who would have thought that when the testosterone level in a man’s body is high, he actually has a better job performance, closes better deals and earns more cash? Believe it as it is a given fact. Age and body fat are also linked to this hormone. Along with age and weight gaining, the testosterone levels drop significantly and this leads to the well known “male menopause” or in medical terms, to “andropause”.
- Side effects for men include breast growth (gynocomastia) and testicle shrinking when testosterone products are used improperly. Typically a man will develop gyno when he stops using testosterone products, but does not take an anti-estrogen or testosterone stimulating product at the same time. The increased estrogen is what causes breast growth. Testicular shrinkage can happen when a man is using testosterone supplements, but this is only true when using a high dose of testosterone over a long period of time. When the testicles don’t need to produce testosterone, they don’t.
Testosterone can also be the cause of acne, mood swings, and can increase aggression in individuals who are aggressive by nature.
A current trend shows that many young adults, both men and women take testosterone boosters in order to achieve a great look and beautifully shaped body lines. But it is better to do this under medical supervision, just to prevent these side effects and cause inconveniences.
Myths and Realities
It is not that people believe testosterone has magical powers, but the fact that many are extremely misinformed and do not separate truths from lies. This is the reason why there are many myths and made-up stories that people believe are true, while the real facts are lost along the way.
Let’s start with the three most common myths:
- testosterone levels can be accurately measured
- testosterone is the fountain of youth
- testosterone causes prostate cancer
Wrong on all 3 counts!
Testosterone levels in the male blood stream cannot be measured with accuracy. This is why various tests are to be taken before doctors can conclude that the male patient has low levels of testosterone. Is this hormone the fountain of youth? Most certainly not. In theory, anything could be done, even restoring an aging man’s sex drive, muscle power and vigor. But in reality, this is a bit harder than we realize, because other hormones and internal changes affect an aging body.
Recent research has demonstrated that testosterone is not the cause of prostate cancer and that this cancer is extremely common and slow-growing even in men who have normal “male hormone” levels or who did not take any type of testosterone boosters.
Reality check: hormone secrets are stored in a man’s hands and women who are in love have more testosterone in their body compared to men. Yes, these facts are real. Let me explain them.
If you wonder how hands can reveal testosterone level secrets, everything relates to the pre-natal state. If the fetus is exposed to high levels of testosterone before birth, his right pointer finger will be shorter in comparison to the ring finger of the same hand.
So what about women who are in love? There are proven facts from research done in the past years which state that women who are in love do have high levels of testosterone in the first months of relationship. However, the level drops if the women turn single or become involved in long-term relationships.
The funny part is that men are in an opposite situation. When men fall in love, their testosterone levels drop, but they turn back to normal if the man becomes involved in a serious long-term relationship or if he becomes single.
Conclusions
After reading this article, you can conclude the following:
- Testosterone levels are not the same in men and women, but both of them have the hormone in their blood stream.
- High levels of testosterone can have both beneficial and disastrous effects on the human body.
- Testosterone influences us in terms of psychological and physical behavior.
- Both men and women suffer internal and external changes after taking testosterone boosters.
- There are a series of myths and real facts out there that you must certainly become aware of.
- Testosterone boosters can be used in medical therapies and treatment, but don’t forget to consult a doctor.
- Always stay informed and search for real pieces of information for a better life.
- Because of the testosterone levels, women and men are different in relationships and expressing their love.
Tags: aging, build muscle, libido, muscle gains, muscles, steroids, Supplements, test, testosterone
Now what would be the a few of the best ways of actually increasing testosterone?