By Femi Ogunyemi

This article is for men only. But if you have a brother, uncle, friend, father or husband…..of any age, you may want to read as well.

Things like adolescence, puberty, menarche, and menopause are predetermined, natural and unavoidable.

Grown men undergo hormonal turmoil too.

When that super male hormone testosterone starts to take a tumble it produces symptoms that some men, and their spouses, can find bewildering.

Testosterone is produced in the testicles primarily for stimulating sperm production and sex drive, but it also builds muscles and strengthens bone mass.

Signs of low levels are very subtle:

These are low sex drive, difficulty in achieving erection, and low semen volume, loss of muscle and hair, fatigue and loss of energy, increase in body fat and decrease in bone mass, depression, irritability and a lack of focus

Unlike in women where the menopausal drop in estrogen hormone is sudden and drastic, men lose testosterone very slowly starting from their late twenties. By the late forties and beyond, the drop is significant. At this time, coupled with general degenerative changes, many present to us in the Chronic Pain Clinic. The symptoms listed above can accentuate complaints of, or emotive reactions to, pain. “Low T” can be confirmed by a simple blood test. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is often the first request or first line of treatment by the Doctor to increase energy levels, muscle mass and sex drive.

Caution…..

High testosterone levels have been linked to prostate cancer! If you have a family history you may want to stay away from HRT.

Studies have also shown other serious risks. Men over 65yrs. old and younger men with undiagnosed heart disease double their risk of a heart attack after 3 months of testosterone therapy.

Men on testosterone were also 30 per cent more likely to suffer from strokes, mini strokes and transient ischemic attacks. Breast enlargement, skin irritations, acne, oily skin and changes in hair pattern and growth, and testicular shrinkage may also occur.

When testosterone gel is applied to exposed areas and comes into contact with women, children, or even pets, they may develop side effects too.

Women can get acne, hair growth or harm an unborn baby. Enlarged, abnormal genitalia and aggressive behaviour may occur in children, and in pets.

Doctors are now pushing for guidelines to use HRT only when it’s medically needed, not as a pharmaceutical fountain of youth.

Aside from HRT, smart exercise and smart nutrition also boosts testosterone.

Smart exercise: Increased testosterone is associated with short, high intensity exercise (no more than 60 minutes)-not with long endurance work. So, to increase your testosterone levels, you want to work the largest muscles in the body to the highest tolerable levels of intensity.

Work several and large muscle groups especially waist downwards. Exercise to intensity and add a burst of intense cardiovascular exercise.

Smart nutrition:

The objective is to reduce estrogen (female) and thereby boost testosterone (male) hormones in the body.

Zinc-most concentrated in oysters, red meat (beef, pork, lamb), chicken, turkey and other fowl (especially wild game), beans, dairy products, onions, and garlic. Lower-fat protein – boneless/skinless breasts of chicken; red meats with the “loin” suffix; filet mignon; and seafood.

Smart (unprocessed) carbs-wild and brown rice, whole grain pastas and breads, sweet potatoes, corn or fruit.

Nuts, fish, and eggs: Limit saturated fats, but don’t cut out the fat completely. “Fats without feet”-from cold-water fish (salmon, king mackerel, sardines, anchovies), avocados, olive and canola oil, and certain nuts (almonds, pistachios and cashews)-are monounsaturated and heart-healthy, and they contain Omega 9 fatty acids that support the production of testosterone. And the cholesterol in egg yolks-yes, the fatty yolk-also contributes to testosterone levels.

Cruciferous vegetables-cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, bok choi, radishes, turnips, collard greens, and kale-provide indole-3-carbinol, a phytochemical that reduces estrogen. Again, estrogen tends to dampen available testosterone, so to boost testosterone, you need to fight estrogen.

Finally lose body fat and cut down alcohol. Diminishing testosterone happens to every man eventually, but there are non medicinal steps that can slow that decline and even reverse it.