Can testosterone supplements improve your sex drive?
What a controversial topic!
There are a whole lot advertisements promoting the use of testosterone supplements. Bu this too much of information makes me wonder if this is the real deal?
Medical researchers are conducting studies on this topic since there are medical concerns involved associated with its prolonged use.
Let us know first know about, what is testosterone?
Testosterone like estrogen is another sex hormone. Despite being present in both genders, testosterone is principally a male sex hormone whereas the estrogen is female sex hormone.
The levels of testosterone vary in body throughout the day. Usually, they are at their peak in the morning.
In your life span, the levels of testosterone start declining from 30 years of age at the rate of 1-2% every 10 years.
What are testosterone supplements?
Testosterone supplements are medically designed supplementary products for the purpose of boosting testosterone levels in the body.
Why a person needs testosterone supplements?
There can be various causes for a person to use testosterone supplements. They include:
- To increase libido or sex drive
- For improving sexual performance
- To increase energy levels in the body
- For building muscle mass or bone density
Although there are various reasons for using these supplements, but always remember that these supplements will work efficiently in these concerns only if the testosterone levels are originally low. If these complaint are due to some other pathology going on in the body then these supplements won’t be able to do much.
The approach of using testosterone supplements is only reasonable when your testosterone levels are low according to the medical criteria. Sadly, not many men are aware if their testosterone levels are truly low or are they just going with the flow of the market.
How would I know if I am low on testosterone?
To know this, we will first discuss the role of testosterone in human body. The hormone testosterone is responsible for maintaining the sex drive, muscle mass, bone density, hair growth and its distribution, testicle and penis growth in men and reproductive tissue in females.
The following could be signs of you having low levels of testosterone:
- One of the first thing you may notice is the disappearance of your morning wood. These morning erections are the sign of your testosterone health.
- Low sex drive- No matter how appealing your partner looks, you just don’t have the urge of making love with her.
- Lethargy – Feeling tired all day long, not interested in doing anything despite eating and resting well.
- Muscle loss and osteoporosis- you could see your muscle mass getting lower and decreasing bone density, that makes you more prone to the fractures.
- Hair loss – although there are other factors that play a major role in hair loss like genetics and stress, but low testosterone levels could also be the one responsible for the same.
- Difficulty sleeping
- Mood swings
Is it safe to use testosterone supplements?
Using testosterone supplements is safe when we talk about hypogonadism i.e. low levels of testosterone. But if the testosterone levels are normal, the person has a history of blood clots or cardiac conditions, prostatic cancer or its risk and some other medical conditions, it is not safe to take the supplements without your health practitioner’s advice.
What can be the side-effects of using testosterone supplements?
Unnecessary use or its use in contradictory conditions can cause potential side effects which include:
Ø Enlarged breasts
Ø Risk of prostate cancer
Ø Testicular shrink
Ø Acne flares
Ø Sleep apnea
Ø Cardiac conditions