One of the most important hormones in men is testosterone. Unfortunately, as men age, this hormone greatly decreases in their bodies, leading to lack of energy and motivation, inability to lose weight and build muscle, hair loss, low libido, and many other problems that negatively affect a man physically, emotionally, and mentally. Thankfully, science has given us a solution to this age-related problem of low testosterone, often referred to as Low T, through TRT or Testosterone Replacement Therapy.
Most common reasons for a decrease in Testosterone in Men
Natural drop in Testosterone production after 30 years old
The average male loses 1% of his testosterone each year after 30, which means that even at the young age of 40 years old, your body has experienced at least a 10% reduction in testosterone, which is significant enough for you to feel that loss.
Increase in Estrogen in Males
Another cause of Low T is an increase in estrogen production, which directly affects a man’s weight and muscle gaining capabilities. This increase in estrogen can be caused by diet, aging, medications and more.
Medication
Lastly, medications play a noticeable role in a decrease of testosterone in the male body. Americans take more medications than any other country in the world. In fact, an astounding half of the average American adult population is on daily medication. A side effect of many of these medications is hormonal imbalance, and for men, a decrease in the natural production of testosterone. Therefore, if you are a 45-year-old male on daily medications, you most likely have 2 big factors working against you when it comes to loss of testosterone production – aging (15% testosterone loss at this age) and medication.
Most Common & Effective Forms of Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)
Testosterone Cypionate Injectable
Testosterone Cypionate is an injectable form of testosterone that is administered through self-injection with an insulin needle on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. This is a great way to start TRT because the dosing can be started low and titrated, or increased, as your body proves it can handle, and is benefitting, from the current dose. Basically, it is a great way for a man to work his way up to the proper dosage of testosterone to bring his levels back up slowly and consistently.
Testosterone Pellets
Testosterone Pellets are inserted in the back of the hip by a Medical Provider in a quick 10-15 minute in-office procedure. The positive of testosterone pellets is that this method only has to be administered every 3-4 months and there are no peaks and valleys experienced because of the constant release of the proper dose of testosterone into your system. Pellets also are often more cost effective than the weekly Testosterone self-administered injections. This is a great option for men that have started out with injectable Testosterone Cypionate and have found their proper, maximum dosage, but do not want to continue doing weekly injections themselves or are experiencing peaks and valleys with the injections.
Estrogen Blockers
Much of the time, estrogen blockers such as Arimidex, Aromasin, and Novaldex are prescribed as part of the patient’s testosterone replacement therapy. These can be taking during cycle or post-cycle and are in oral pill form. As mentioned before, an increase in estrogen often causes a decrease in testosterone for men, therefore blocking some of the estrogen production in men, helps to increase the production of testosterone more and to regulate the system back to what it was prior to suffering from Low T.
The Man You Used to Be
So, fellas, you know that one guy in your friend network who is the same age as you, but seems to have it all? The energy to take his wife on dates still (happy wife, happy life) and coach his kid’s soccer team, that same full head of hair he did in college, the body of a 30-year-old gym rat, and always seems to be in a good mood? Yeah, him, you know who I’m talking about. Chances are…he is doing Testosterone Replacement Therapy, and that could be you in a few short months after TRT. Don’t put off getting back to the man that you used to be… to you, to your wife, to your children. You all deserve to have that man back, and it is as simple as scheduling a consultation, choosing the right form of TRT for you, and getting started!
