About Steroids

*Diet
Sugar and processed foods can all negatively impact #testosterone levels. Limiting sugar and focusing on an #organic whole foods diet, which limits our exposure to pesticides, has a positive impact on testosterone levels. Benefits are also seen when limiting alcohol consumption. Alcohol stimulates an enzyme called aromatase, which converts testosterone into #estrogen Aromatase is found in fat tissue, so losing weight can positively affect testosterone levels.

*Exercise
Low testosterone increases weight gain and being #overweight reduces testosterone. One answer, then, is to lose weight. Weight loss requires both a #healthy diet and exercise program. In addition to aiding in weight loss, exercise helps build muscle, and muscle promotes testosterone. Try weight lifting 2-3 times per week. Studies also show that doing cardio exercise after lifting weights helps to distribute testosterone throughout the body.

*Sleep
Sleeping 7-8 hours a night has numerous health benefits. When it comes to testosterone it turns out sleep promotes testosterone. Ways to improve sleep and quality of sleep include: no screen time 1 hour before bed, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, avoid eating/drinking 3 hours before bedtime, and sleep in a dark, cool room.
*Stress management
Chronic #stress opposes testosterone, and when testosterone is at an optimal level can oppose chronic stress. #Cortisol is one hormone that is preferentially made at times of stress. It is made at the expense of testosterone; so finding effective ways of managing stress is crucial. Try new techniques for managing stress like diaphragmatic breathing, #acupuncture massage, or herbal supplements. 

Low levels of testosterone can also contribute to increased triglycerides.

Why does testosterone have this affect? Testosterone typically inhibits adipocyte development (adipocytes = fat cells). Testosterone promotes lipolysis (breakdown of fats for energy).

Obesity/overweight individuals are associated with increased inflammatory cytokine (cell) production, as well as the aromatization (conversion) of testosterone into estradiol (E2). Your testosterone is used to create your estrogens! Yes! Your estrogen!
If this pathway is working too fast, it means that testosterone is being OVERconverted into estrogens, making levels of testosterone lower than they should be.
This can happen in both women AND men.
This can decrease pituitary production of gonadotropins (FSH & LH hormones that help you ovulate ladies and help with your sperm production guys). This decrease in gonadotropins leads to decreased production of testosterone.
Testosterone deficiency leads to increased fat, which can lead to leptin resistance & insulin resistance. Increased fat on the body means increased fat in the cells.
Since the body has less testosterone to help with the breakdown of fat cells, it will begin to produce MORE fat. It does this by bringing triglycerides into the cell to try to use for future energy. In turn, the fat cells become enlarged, hypoxic, produce inflammatory cytokines & this entire cycle continues on and on and on making symptoms much worse.
This increase in fat leads to an increase in leptin. Increased levels of leptin decrease Testosterone production & this vicious cycle gets worse and worse.
The patient with this may start to notice:
*Decreased sex drive
*Decreased muscle mass
*Fatigue
*Weight gain (especially in midsection)
*Brain fog
*Irregular periods
*Anovulation
*Infertility (men and women)
*insulin resistance
*Diabetes

*Hyperlipidemia

Symptoms of low testosterone in men;
*Low sex drive-low libido
*Erectile dysfunction *Increased body fat
*Loss of body mass
* Possible gynecomastia( larger breasts in men) *Hot flashes
*Increased fatigue
*Insomnia
*emotional changes leading to depression
Do any of these look or sound familiar?
So in functional medicine we look at the underlining root cause and one of the main reasons men get low testosterone leading to these symptoms is stress, where the body produces too much cortisol, this can cause other hormones to then also drop including DHEA and progesterone. So stress intern effects not just 1 hormone but all hormones causing a hormonal imbalance.
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*Saying this it is easy to bring testosterone back up. We just need to support the body correcting nutrient and mineral imbalances such as zinc, b vitamins, magnesium and possible DHEA
Also looking at lifestyle factors alone such as reducing stress, parasympathetic activities, meditation.
We can also test to find out his cortisol levels and help lower cortisol with supplementation if needed ????

Your Testosterone levels will change your life.

Men have approximately ⅓ the levels today that our grandfathers did. Depending on the study cited professionals estimate total testosterone to be just shy of 400 ng/dl for men even in their 30’s. Complications with this hormone are not isolated to elderly men or only men with pre-existing medical conditions.⁣
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Testosterone is commonly depicted or described as being macho or associated with a muscular physique, but there is more to testosterone than meets the eye. It’s needed for mental health and cardiovascular health.⁣
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As the primary androgen and a cornerstone of health and performance it is incredibly important to understand the multifaceted role and implications of testosterone. In the medical field, Testosterone has become one of the most widely prescribed medications in the USA, increasing five-fold according to 2011 data. This increase has resulted in the dramatic growth of the testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) sector of the pharmaceutical industry from US$18 million in the 1980s to US$1.6 billion in 2011 [Handelsman, 2013].⁣
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This means more and more men testing with inferior levels and more and more men on testosterone replacement.⁣
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Whether you are a coach, athlete, or simply an active male or female wanting to learn more about testosterone chances are you will come across this issue during your lifetime.⁣
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Coaches - you will likely experience all levels of testosterone amongst your male clients - high and low, along with clients who have already been prescribed hormone replacement by their doctors.⁣
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16.04.2020