Does Low Testosterone Affect Muscle Growth And Weight Gain
Does low testosterone cause weight gain and affect muscle growth? Its undeniable that this hormone is crucial for men. It may be the most significant characteristic that can distinguish between men and women. Although it can be found both in men and women, but men have much more testosterone than women. Therefore, men are likely to have bigger muscles than women.
It is perfectly normal to have the gradually declining testosterone as we get older, particularly after the age of 40. During puberty and before the age of 40, this hormone reaches the highest levels . Then after the age of 40, it will gradually declines for about 1 to 1.5 % / year .
However there are also some conditions that can make the decline get worse. These include obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, lack of workouts, poor diet, etc.
Does low testosterone level affect muscle growth?
Testosterone has a significant contribution to regulate the mass and strength of muscles . As mentioned before, the amount of this hormone is much higher in men than in women. Thats why men are relatively easier to build and have stronger /bigger muscles than women.
In case of muscle growth the body with low testosterone doesnt respond workouts as well as when it has normal level of this hormone! In fact, men before 30-40 are relatively easier to build their muscles if compared to men after the age of 40.
Does lack of exercise affect testosterone levels?
Does low testosterone cause weight gain?
A Hormone With Versatile Effects
Testosterone exerts complex effects on your body that extend beyond regulating fertility and bone mass. It also plays a role in fat distribution and how much muscle mass youre able to build and maintain. Low levels negatively impact you in various ways, some of which influence your weight.
Testosterone levels decline naturally as you age. However, at Mens T Clinic® we see men who have lower-than-normal testosterone levels even for their age. If youre in this situation, you may be an ideal candidate for hormone replacement therapy.
Can Boosting Your Testosterone Help You Lose Fat
Some men believe that testosterone may assist in fat loss.
This hormone is responsible for some of the typical male characteristics. It also promotes muscle growth in both genders.
Most men are full of testosterone. However, a few suffer from a deficiency, a problem that seems to predispose them to excessive fat gain.
This article discusses the potential role of this hormone in weight loss and obesity.
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G Loss Of Muscle Mass
Much as it does in men, testosterone affects muscle mass production in women.
Women with low testosterone often experience a loss of muscle mass and muscle tone, no longer seeing the results they expect when they lift weights.
Data collected by the North American Menopause Society;in a study on 71 postmenopausal women who had undergone a hysterectomy supports this conclusion.
The women received supplementary testosterone over a 12-week period, and gains in lean mass, chest-press power, and loaded stair-climber power were observed.
If youre seeing a physical decline and loss of muscle mass, talk with your doctor and have your testosterone levels checked. Like weight gain, loss of muscle mass may be reversible, too.
Talk to a TRT expert and get back to feeling the way you’re supposed to.Now serving patients in all Texas cities.
Common Symptoms Of Low Testosterone
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Tired Of Low Testosterone: Record Check Reveals Cause Of Weight Gain And Fatigue
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A 25-year-old man presented to my office for an initial evaluation of hypogonadism, fatigue and weight gain.
He reported a history of oral anabolic steroid prohormone use for 6 months at about age 22 years, after which he felt fatigued and listless. He saw a urologist approximately 1 year before seeing me and was diagnosed with secondary male hypogonadism. He started on clomiphene 25 mg daily at that time, initially taking half of a 50-mg tablet and then switched to 25-mg capsules, which he was taking initially every other day and now takes daily.
The patient has noticed a weight gain of 35 lb during the past 6 months, as well as fatigue, and he has recently embarked on a strict diet.
Ronald Tamler
The patient shaves once a day, entered puberty at about age 11 years, and reports no changes in body hair or gynecomastia and erectile dysfunction. Libido is fair, and he is not trying for children at the moment . He has no history of fractures. He snores, but review of systems is otherwise negative.
Besides anabolic steroid use, medical history consists of acne and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The patient is adopted and cannot provide family history. He reports no use of nicotine, alcohol or recreational drugs. He works as a derivatives trader.
There is no moon face or dorsocervical fat pad, and skin does not appear to be thin.
Case discussion
Symptoms Of Low Testosterone In Women
Low testosterone in women is much more common than most people realize. Generally, when people think of testosterone they associate it with men. But for women, waning levels can be equally distressing. Testosterone is one of the three sex hormones along with Estrogen and Progesterone. Both men and womens bodies contain all three but the ratios are drastically different. Women produce testosterone in their ovaries, adrenal glands, and fat cells. In both men and women, testosterone gradually starts to decrease beginning in twenties. When a person reaches age 50, testosterone levels are about half what they were at age 25.
There are also other factors that can contribute to low testosterone in women such as having a hysterectomy, especially if the ovaries are removed. . Adrenal gland fatigue and pituitary dysfunction can also contribute to low T.
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How Deficiency May Lead To Weight Gain
Testosterone suppresses fat gain, and at the same time, promotes muscle growth.; As a result, most men who have a deficiency in testosterone tend to gain more weight than their peers.
Muscles naturally burn more calories than fat tissues, so a lack of muscles would put you in a position of eating more than required. And when this happens, your body tends to store the excess calories as fat.
Some researchers believe that having a low muscle mass is the primary factor for testosterone deficiency leading to weight gain in men. Men with low testosterone have a higher percentage of weight gain than men with a high level of testosterone.
The testosterone weight connection also goes vice versa. Weight loss on its own without any treatment can be associated with an increase in testosterone levels. Weight loss can be seen as a bonus for men with low testosterone who are into testosterone therapy replacement.
Low testosterone causes weight gain, especially in the mid-section. But you may wonder why that happens? The exact biochemical mechanism behind this change remains a mystery.
A The Causes Of Female Low Testosterone Are Not Well Understood
The source of low testosterone in women is not well understood because there are so many possible causes, and its symptoms look so much like the symptoms of other hormone imbalances, including low estrogen.
Its logical to blame other hormones initially, like estrogen or progesterone, because the symptoms that come with being deficient in any of these hormones look quite similar.
In fact, its not often the case that just one hormone has become unbalanced, but that several of them exist in an overall state of imbalance.
Symptoms indicating hormone fluctuation at the onset of the menopausal cycle also appear similar. In particular, low libido or low sex drive has traditionally been attributed to low estrogen caused by the beginnings of menopause.
As weve mentioned earlier, low testosterone in women is often simply written off as the less attractive aspects of growing old weight gain, difficulty losing weight, and hair loss are more frequent with age.
Hormone production changes as we age, resulting in some physical changes, but imbalance is not something that simply has to be accepted.
Most of these underlying causes are related to ovarian function, and medical providers sometimes misdiagnose women as having high testosterone, when, in fact, it is low. It will likely require blood testing to identify the source of the problem and determine the proper corrective treatment.
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Treatment For Low Testosterone In Women
If you’ve been reading this post so far and you’re interested in learning more about supplementing with testosterone then read on…
I don’t recommend that women just take extra testosterone for the sake of it.;
Instead, they should be evaluated based on their symptoms and on lab results.
So it becomes really important to understand what “normal” testosterone levels are because most Doctors aren’t familiar with ordering and managing hormone levels.;
It’s also important to realize that when supplementing with Testosterone as a woman we are talking about doses MUCH smaller than what a male would get.;
How to check your Testosterone Levels
Like thyroid function, there is a difference between “normal” and “optimal” levels of testosterone.;
First off:
To accurately test testosterone levels you need to check for BOTH Total and Free testosterone levels in the serum.;
Below I’ve included some tests results from a patient of mine with sub-optimal testosterone levels:
You can see from this example her personal total testosterone was 23 with a reference range that spans 14 to 76.;
Her value of 23 technically put her in the “normal” range but certainly not the optimal range.;
Likewise, you can see her free testosterone at 0.27 with a reference range of 0.10 to 0.85 – again putting her in the low range of normal.;
This is a perfect example of a patient who might benefit dramatically from Testosterone replacement and supplementation.;
Testosterone and Autoimmune disease
Natural Treatments For Low Testosterone
If you suspect you might have a low testosterone level, its a good idea to seek medical advice from a healthcare provider who can order tests to get a full picture of whats going on. You might have low testosterone, or it could be another health condition that can be treated and resolved.That said, there are some vitamins and supplements that some research indicates may boost testosterone levels.
While these studies are promising, many other studies have failed to find associations between taking supplements and testosterone levels. If you are actually diagnosed with low testosterone, you should not rely on supplements for treatment. Instead, talk to your healthcare provider about TRT.
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Testosterone Plays A Role In Metabolism
Testosterone plays akey role in your metabolism, which is the process that turns your carbs, fats, and proteins into energy and fuel.
This is likely because testosterone interacts with insulin and glucose. High levels of testosterone can eat up extra glucose. Otherwise, that glucose would be stored as fat cells in the body.
Higher levels of testosterone eat up more of your free-floating sugar to prevent weight gain.
In fact,one study found that men undergoing testosterone treatment showed a significant increase in basal metabolic rate, which is associated with a decrease in lean body mass.
In opposition, fat cells actually metabolize testosterone at a fast rate. The more fat you carry around, the faster you burn through your free testosterone.
So low testosterone causes weight gain and then that extra fat actually minimizes your free testosterone even more.
How Testosterone Can Cause Weight Gain Or Weight Loss In Women
While you may likely consider testosterone to be a mans hormone, testosterone is actually present in both males and females in different levels. If you think that you will have facial hair, a deep and booming voice, be big or bulky, or broad-shouldered and manly, there are a few things you need to know about the benefits of adequate levels of testosterone in women.
Testosterone is a naturally-occurring steroid hormone made in the ovaries, adrenal glands and peripheral tissues. Women produce about one-tenth of the amount of testosterone that men do and it is important for healthy bone and muscle mass. Testosterone strengthens our bodies, enhances our memory, motivation and focus. It creates an essential sense of well-being that makes us feel wonderful and alive regardless of our age. It keeps skin and nails beautiful, regulates sex drive and the menstrual cycle.
These days, immune health is on just about everyones mind. Testosterone optimizes white blood cells and the immune system. Sounds like a great hormone, right? Before you go racing to the pharmacy, remember that the body craves homeostasis or balance. Testosterone does not trigger weight gain, but instead is an accessory to it. Here is what happens when the female body has too little or too much testosterone.
;Eat a lower carb diet to reverse insulin resistance. Add in high-intensity interval training or weight training building muscle mass sensitizes tissues to insulin levels.
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Testosterone And Fat Storage
Fat cells, once thought of as dormant storage spots, are now known to act like other organs, secreting chemicals, sending signals, and influencing other parts of your body. For instance, fat cells produce an enzyme called aromatase that converts testosterone to estrogen, and an imbalance in your testosterone and estrogen levels increases body fat.
It also influences where you store fat. Low testosterone increases stomach fat, and too much abdominal fat is not only aesthetically displeasing, it also raises your risk for heart disease.
Clinical Challenges In Management Of Obesity
Clinicians face complex challenges in their fight to treat and manage obesity. These include a lack of well tolerated and effective pharmaco-therapeutic agents and patients monitoring to safeguard against serious adverse side-effects. Further, FDA-approved pharmaco-therapeutic agents offer only modest benefits in some but not all patients. A more difficult challenge is patients adherence and compliance and the perceived moderate effects and the undesirable adverse side-effects that contribute to the limited utility of the available drugs . A number of centrally acting drugs intended to regulate appetite were employed, however, agents, such as fenfluramine, dexfenfluramine, sibutramine, venlafaxine, rimonabant, phentermine diethylpropion; phendimetrazine and benzphentamine, were withdrawn from the market because of adverse side-effects or lack of efficacy in treatment of obesity .
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What Is The Relationship Between Weight Gain And Low Testosterone
A number of studies have proven that weight and testosterone are intimately linked.
Research has shown that low testosterone can cause weight gain. Thus, improving testosterone levels can help with weight loss.A 2013 study found that men taking testosterone supplements saw weight loss as a side effect. Over five years, they each lost an average of 36 pounds and 3.5 inches off the waist. Similar results were iterated ina 2016 study as well.The reverse is also true. Obesity or holding extra weight can actually reduce testosterone levels.One study found that 75% of men who qualified as obese also had hypogonadism, which is when the body produces lower amounts of testosterone.
Losing weight, then, actually shows anincrease in testosterone levelseven withouttestosterone replacement therapy. ;
So where does this link between weight gain and testosterone come from?
Below are the five primary ways testosterone impacts your weight.
Testosterone Impacts Energy And Stamina
Low energy is a symptom of low testosterone. Fatigue and sluggishness are common indicators of ahormonal imbalance.
Energy is an important part of losing weight. Men with low testosterone often find they dont have the energy or motivation to workout. When they do exercise, their stamina is so low that the workout isnt as productive or effective as it could be.
Plus, low energy tends to lead to a more stagnant lifestyle. This means fewer calories burned throughout the dayoften accompanied by an increase in the consumption of calories.
This creates a discouraging effect for men looking to lose weight. They cant bring themselves to the gym no matter how much they want to lose the weight.
Stagnation causes a quick uptick in poundage.
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The Link Between High Testosterone And Insulin Resistance
Theres a bi-directional relationship between high testosterone and insulin resistance.
In one direction, insulin resistance or high insulin can stimulate ovarian cells to make more testosterone. That happens with PCOS and menopause.
In the other direction, testosterone can cause or worsen insulin resistance. That happens with PCOS, menopause, and androgenic progestins.
There are two parts to the solution: 1) reverse insulin resistance and 2) lower androgens, which, in turn, can improve insulin resistance.