Testosterone and Energy Levels

As men age, the connection between testosterone and energy levels become more important because testosterone levels in the body begin to decrease with age. In fact, testosterone production actually peaks in the period being adolescence and early adulthood. After this period, testosterone levels in the body begin to decrease at a rate of about 1% per year after the age of 30. With the decrease in testosterone production in the male body, a variety of changes can occur in the body from decreases in bone density to decreases in red blood cell production. However, the one symptom of the decline in testosterone levels in the body that is often most noticeable for men is a decrease in energy level (Mayo Clinic). However, the connection between testosterone and energy levels can be about much more than just having the energy to take part in sports or other physical activities. Instead, the decrease in energy levels that are experienced can impact everything from sleep patterns to sex drive.

Causes of Variations of Testosterone Levels

It is important to understand that testosterone levels can very between men and even from moment to moment based on various characteristics and conditions. Testosterone is a hormone that is produced in the testes of men (Mayo Clinic). Several factors that can impact the specific level of testosterone that is produced in a man is genetics, and in turn influence the relationship between testosterone and energy levels that are experienced. Genetics is one factor that influences the actual levels of testosterone that is produced in the body. In addition, diet is another factor. Even more, alcohol consumption can impact testosterone production, along with a low level of zinc in the body. A low carbohydrate diet is yet another factor that can impact testosterone levels in the body (Muehlenbein 363).

Testosterone and energy levels can also be negatively impacted based on the amount of stress that is experienced by the body. Men who are constantly exposed to stressful situations on the job or in the hobbies in which they participate are more likely to experience low testosterone and energy levels because of reactions within the body that inhibit receptors in the testes and result in a reduction in testosterone production. However, the period following an infection or illness can also cause low testosterone and energy levels because of the impact on the testes that results in a reduction in testosterone production (Muehlenbein 363).

What is important to understand is that the relationship between testosterone and energy levels is not entirely an issue of age or growing older. Instead, variations in testosterone levels between men and even within the same person over time can be due to many individual factors. Testosterone and energy levels can be negatively impacted because of illness and infection. In addition, increases in stress levels can also negatively impact testosterone levels in the body, which in turn, can negatively impact energy levels.

Impact of Testosterone and Energy Levels

The larger impact of testosterone and energy levels on the body can be about more than simply not wanting to take part in physical activities. Instead, the impact of testosterone and energy levels can be related to larger issues of sleep, changes in emotion, and changes in sexual function. For example, decreases in testosterone levels in men can cause a decrease in sexual desire. A decrease in testosterone can also result in fewer spontaneous erections and even infertility (Petit and Adamec 218). What is demonstrated in this information is that the relationship between testosterone and energy levels is indeed something that should be taken seriously. It is not something that should be viewed as simply a sign of old age that has to be tolerated. In fact, the causes of reductions in testosterone production in the body may have less to do about aging and more to do about natural variations and prolonged effects from stress or illness.

Another impact related to testosterone and energy levels is changes in sleep patterns. Low testosterone can cause insomnia. For other men, however, low levels of testosterone can change sleep patterns causing men to have the desire or need to sleep at times when they may have previously been awake and engaged in various types of activities (Mayo Clinic). The importance in this information is that it shows that testosterone and energy levels is not just about being tired. Instead, changes in normal routines can be disrupted because of changes in processes within the body. These disruptions can then have their own negative impacts. The end result is that these disruptions can sometimes be traced back to the level of testosterone production that occurs within the body.

Finally, the impact of testosterone and energy levels can be a general change in emotions. Men who experience changes in energy levels, changes in sexual desire, and changes in sleep can have a change in their self-confidence and their mood. Men who may have previously feel highly self-confident can become sad or even depressed. In addition, the change in testosterone and energy levels can cause men to have difficulty concentrating, as well as problems with memory (Mayo Clinic). The general feeling of fatigue that some men can experience in relation to reduced levels of testosterone production in the body is something that should be taken seriously. The idea of simply feeling lazy can really be more of an issue of feeling sad or depressed and thus have many more negative emotional issues of people (DeLuca 195).

Summary

Testosterone and Energy Levels is an issue that is likely to impact many men, particularly with age as testosterone production in the body decreases. For men past the age of 30, testosterone production decreases by 1% per year. The result in the decrease in testosterone production can be a loss of energy, a decrease in sexual desire and function, and even feelings of depression. For these reasons, the relationship between testosterone and energy levels is something that should indeed be viewed as a serious issue. Men who are experiencing declines in energy levels, declines in sexual function, and even sadness or depression may have these changes in emotions and feelings because of the level of testosterone production that is occurring in the body. Testosterone and energy levels can be related to increases in age, and for most men, is due to aging. However, testosterone and energy levels can be related to other issues in the body. For some men, lower levels of testosterone production in the body is not about anything that they are doing to themselves, but instead is a genetic issue. However, even for these men, reduced testosterone production can still have the same negative impacts as for men who testosterone production has begun to decline because of age.