It's good to know from the start: We haven't come with advice like, "This is how you boost testosterone, doing this will send your testosterone levels into the stratosphere." On the contrary, what we have to say might be based on a warning like, "Don't mess with this without knowing, you'll break it."
If we've gathered as Fight Club members, then let's begin.
Rule 1: You can talk about testosterone.
Rule 2: You must talk about testosterone.
Because this is not a taboo. Especially talking about the level of this hormone is not taboo at all. Gentlemen, the testosterone hormone, contrary to popular belief, is not just about dominant masculinity, a bigger penis, more muscle, or a thicker beard. Yes, it plays an important and distinct role in physical development, but it also says a lot about your health and even gives clues about cognitive abilities. So, let's talk a little about testosterone now.
How is Testosterone Secreted?
Testosterone is the best-known hormone among androgens, a group of hormones. This group of hormones, including testosterone, is found in both women and men. Of course, it is clear that it is much more abundant in men proportionally. Testosterone plays a role in the hair structure, muscle density, and voice pitch in the body, especially in male reproductive organs such as the testicles and prostate.
90% of testosterone production in the body occurs in the testicles. The remaining 10% is responsible for the adrenal glands. The initial command for testosterone secretion comes from the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus tells the pituitary gland the amount of testosterone needed for the body, and the pituitary gland relays this message to the testicles, saying, "Don't blame the messenger." Thus, the testicles begin to work and produce testosterone. This process works smoothly until the age of 30, after which production begins to decline.
What Does Testosterone Do?
- Let's go through these quickly and list them:
- Development of the penis and testicles
- Sperm production
- Sexual drive (Libido)
- Erection and orgasm
- Deepening of the voice
- Appearance of hair in areas like the face, groin, and chest
- Muscle density and muscle strength
- Bone development and bone strength
Now, let's look at the symptoms of low and high levels of this hormone. We say "let's look at the symptoms" because these symptoms can be associated with quite important health problems.
What Happens if Testosterone Levels Are Low?
- Small testicles
- Reduced sperm count and infertility
- Low libido
- Hair loss on the body, hair thinning
- Weakness in bones
- Breast enlargement
- Irritability and loss of concentration
- Depression
Should this imply, "I urgently need testosterone supplementation!"? No. In this regard, a specialist should be consulted first. Because the issue at hand here may not just be about supplementation. Moreover, the reason WHY supplementation is needed might be unknown. Perhaps your testosterone level is low because you are unknowingly battling another health problem that suppresses testosterone secretion. Maybe there are entirely psychological reasons for this. Ah, let's even talk about a research related to this:
In an aquarium, there are female and male fish. However, among the male fish, one or two are much more colorful, have higher testosterone levels, and are the ones that fertilize all the females. This environment is changed by removing the more colorful and fertilizing male fish from the aquarium. In a sense, the balances change, the cards are reshuffled. Guess what happens? Among the other fish, there are those whose colors brighten and whose testosterone levels increase. In other words, their testosterone levels naturally increase because the fish gain status.
Of course, this is just one study. There are other studies that have addressed the relationship between status and testosterone. What we are trying to say here is just that an approach like; "If testosterone levels are low, they must be increased! I'll take the supplement!" should not be adopted. One should not mess with hormones without consulting an expert.
Besides, it should not always be assumed that low testosterone levels indicate something bad. Considering some possibilities, it can even be said to be good. For example, prostate cancer. Testosterone can stimulate the growth of the prostate gland and prostate cancer. Therefore, men receiving testosterone replacement should be carefully monitored. Of course, let's not conclude from this that testosterone causes prostate cancer either.
Now let's look at the other side of the coin for a bit;
What Happens if Testosterone Levels Are High?
We are sure some of the symptoms will seem very interesting to you. Let's list them again:
- Low sperm count, shrinking testicles, and impotence (Voila!)
- Difficulty urinating
- Prostate enlargement
- Heart muscle damage, risk of heart attack, liver diseases
- Edema in the legs and feet
- High blood pressure and cholesterol
- Insomnia
- Mood swings, irritability
Besides these, you might think that high testosterone levels, which have some other effects, cause aggression. On that matter, a study conducted by J. Ehrenkranz, E. Bliss, M. H. Sheard in 1974 enlightens us.
They conducted a study on 36 inmates in prison. 12 of these inmates consistently exhibited aggressive behavior; 12 were socially dominant but did not display aggressive behavior, and the other 12 were neither dominant nor aggressive.
In terms of testosterone levels, a certain degree of high testosterone level was found in the dominant ones, but no difference in testosterone levels was observed between aggressive and non-aggressive inmates. Furthermore, there are other studies where this result was obtained. When examining the issue in common personality scales, no correlation was found between high testosterone levels and aggression.
So, should this be motivating information to increase testosterone levels? We think it shouldn't. In fact, if anyone is getting too excited, let's mention another study: A study measuring the effect of testosterone on cognitive reflection was conducted by Gidon Nave and Amos Nadler. 243 men participated in the study. Before these participants were asked questions from the Cognitive Reflection Test, half applied testosterone gel, and the rest applied placebo gel.
After the hormonal effects became clearly apparent, 3 questions from the Cognitive Reflection Test were asked. The group using testosterone gel scored 20% less at the end of the study. In other words, they answered what first came to mind without evaluating. Of course, this does not mean that men become dumber as testosterone levels rise. However, it indicates that it may have an effect on our ability to evaluate what first comes to mind and resist fallacy.
So, what were we trying to say with all this? You know, you even feel it, being a man can have serious advantages, especially in societies like ours. Characteristic or personality traits in men can overshadow human nature and the natural formation and development belonging to the male gender. Well, looking at its function, many qualities attributed to being a "real man" come from testosterone. That's why it is thought that its level should be high. Wrong! It should be at a balanced level that does not affect your health and that your body needs.
In short; do not unconsciously mess with your hormones. Consult a dermatologist for hair loss; talk to a psychologist about self-confidence issues, and make an appointment with a urologist if your testicles seem abnormal to you. Too much testosterone does not make us "real men," but acting consciously can make us healthy and responsible people.
By the way, the answer to the question we asked on Instagram is 47. ;)