Could You Benefit From Testosterone Therapy?
You’re frustrated by certain changes in your body, such as muscle giving way to fat or a lack of energy, in and out of the bedroom. These may be symptoms of a testosterone deficiency, which can be remedied by testosterone therapy.
As sports medicine and men’s health experts, the team here at No Mercy Sports Medicine, led by Dr. Moisés Irizarry-Román, understands the widespread influence that testosterone has over your health. More importantly, we recognize the problems that can develop when levels of this hormone begin to dip, which is why we offer hormone replacement therapy.
Here’s a look at a few of the many benefits of testosterone replacement therapy.
The role of testosterone
Before we get into the benefits of testosterone replacement therapy, let’s first take a deeper dive into how this hormone influences your health.
Mainly produced by your testicles, testosterone is a sex hormone that’s responsible for most of your more male characteristics. Testosterone has a direct effect on your:
- Fat distribution
- Muscle mass and strength
- Libido
- Bone density
- Facial and body hair
- Red blood cell production
You enjoy the most testosterone up until about age 30 or 40, when its production begins to decline by about 1% a year. This is why testosterone deficiency (TD) is more prevalent in older men — about half of men over age 80 have TD. That said, TD can affect men of all ages to different degrees.
The many benefits of testosterone replacement therapy
Given its far-reaching impact on your overall health and wellness, testosterone replacement therapy for those who have TD offers many benefits, including:
More muscle and less fat
Because testosterone is responsible for your muscle mass and strength, when we replenish your levels, your body receives the signal to reverse its course of developing more fat than muscle. Of course, if you combine testosterone replacement therapy with strength training, you can really tackle the problem from all angles.
Better heart health
Testosterone influences your red blood cell production, which affects your heart health. If you have TD and turn to hormone replacement therapy, we may be able to improve your cardiovascular health.
One study divided 83,000 men into three groups: Group 1 had testosterone levels that returned to normal after treatment; group 2 was treated, but testosterone levels didn’t normalize; group 3 received no hormone replacement therapy.
The study found that the treated men were “56 percent less likely to die during the follow-up period, 24 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack, and 36 percent less likely to have a stroke.”
Better sexual function
There are many issues that can lead to sexual dysfunction in men, and TD is one of them. If we suspect that lower-than-normal testosterone levels are affecting your libido, we can restore your levels for better sexual health.
Stronger bones
Through testosterone replacement therapy, we can help ward off loss of bone density and osteoporosis.
Better mood
Whether your mood changes are directly due to declining testosterone levels or as a result of the changes in your body, hormone replacement therapy may be able to improve your mental health.
If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of testosterone replacement therapy, please contact our office in Miami, Florida, to learn more.