What is Testosterone?

Testosterone is a hormone produced in the human body, that is most commonly associated with male physical and sexual development. However, this is an important hormone in women as well. Similar to most sex hormones, testosterone production often decreases with age. Production of testosterone begins at puberty but slowly starts to decrease after reaching peak levels around the age of 40.

Testosterone in Men and Women

Testosterone is the best-known sex hormone in the group called androgens and is present in both men and women. Androgens are a group of hormones that play a role in male traits and reproductive activity. Androgens don’t just impact our sexual health; they also play a role in our metabolism, our insulin sensitivity, and possibly our body composition.

Testosterone is often thought of as the male hormone, primarily because it is the hormone responsible for male physical and sexual development. However, women also require testosterone to maintain a healthy mood, sex drive, and muscle density. Women and men require differing amounts of testosterone. Women produce an average of 0.25 milligrams of testosterone daily, while men produce 4 to 7 milligrams of testosterone daily, which is ten to forty times the amount that women produce! Men produce testosterone in the testes and adrenal glands, while women produce testosterone in their ovaries and adrenal glands.

How Does Low Testosterone Affect Men?

Men experience a variety of symptoms if they experience a significant decrease in testosterone. The American Urology Association defines low testosterone as less than 300 nanograms (ng) of the hormone per deciliter (dl) of blood. Signs of low testosterone are often subtle. Here are the twenty most common signs and symptoms.
 

• Low sex drive (libido)
• Difficulty with erections
• Low semen volume
• Hair loss
• Fatigue
• Loss of muscle mass
• Increased body fat
• Decreased bone mass
• Mood changes
• Affected memory
• Smaller testicle size
• Sexual dysfunction
• Low blood counts
• Hot flashes
• Effects on cholesterol metabolism
• Can lead to feelings of depression and sadness
• Irritability
• Poor focus
• Difficulty finding words
• Difficulty sleeping

How Does Low Testosterone Affect Women?

Similar to men, women experience a decrease in testosterone as they age. The most common cause of low testosterone in a woman is when a woman reaches menopause. During menopause, the ovaries produce fewer hormones including testosterone. Low testosterone in a woman is sometimes the reason for one or more of these twenty common signs and symptoms.
 

• Sluggishness
• Muscle weakness
• Fatigue
• Sleep disturbances
• Low sex drive (Libido)
• Decreased sexual satisfaction
• Weight gain
• Fertility issues
• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Vaginal dryness
• Loss of bone density
• Depression or anxiety
• Dry skin
• Thinning skin
• Painful intercourse
• Poor tolerance for exercise
• Poor memory
• Loss of motivation
• Difficulty building or maintaining muscle
• Hair thinning