Testosterone and the Connection of It to Sexuality
Why
Most men consider improving their testosterone levels for body building, but there is a hidden connection between your testosterone level and how good is your sex life, and that hidden connection is exactly what I will reveal to you in this article.
We are going to see exactly what this hidden connection is, how it effects your sexuality and I’ll even share with you a simple tip that will sky rocket your testosterone without doing anything, simply by dropping on bad habit out of your life.
Testosterone is a hormone usually found in abundance in men compared to women. The production of this hormone increases in men during teenage years and starts diminishing after 30 years of age. The level of this hormone in men starts declining gradually at the rate of nearly 1% per year after the age of 30 years. Natural aging is one of the main reasons of decrease in the level of this hormone in men.
Main functions of testosterone
Testosterone helps in maintaining a number of functions of man’s body like:
Production of sperm
Regulating sex drive
Improving muscle strength and mass
Distribution of fat
Maintaining bone density
Production of red blood cells
So any change in the level of this hormone in one’s body can result into various emotional and physical changes as it influences a number of its functions. These changes may include:
Changes in sexual function
It has been proved through various researches that the declining level of testosterone is one of the biggest worries for males as it can affect on their sexual desire as well as performance. A number of symptoms on their sexual functions are experienced by men as they start aging due to reduced hormonal level, like:
Reduction in sexual desire
Lesser number of spontaneous erections especially during sleep
Infertility
Erectile dysfunction
Though insufficient testosterone can be one of the reasons of erectile dysfunction but even if it is due to this deficiency even then it can be treated with replacement therapy as low level of testosterone is not the only reason behind it. A decrease in the level of this hormone can decrease the libido, lower the sperm count and affects spontaneous erection in some cases as it is most responsible for high libidos and sex drives in men. But any of these side effects of lower level of this hormone does not occur all of a sudden. It is a gradual process which can be controlled if detected in time.
Difficulty achieving erection
A man achieves erection as his sexual drive is stimulated by this hormone. Though the erection is not caused only due to this hormone still it helps in stimulating brain’s receptors to produce the molecule of nitric oxide that causes erection. The reduction in testosterone level can make it difficult to achieve erection spontaneously.
Low volume of semen
The production of semen that helps in mobility of sperms is also greatly dependent on testosterone level. A man produces more semen if his testosterone level is higher. The volume of ejaculated semen will be lesser if his hormones are low.
Lack of energy and fatigue
Men with low hormonal level usually feel low energy level and extreme fatigue all the time. If you are tired or finding it hard to do exercises to keep up your energy level then this is the symptom of low testosterone which also affects your sexual desire.
Research on the connection of testosterone with male sexuality
A team of researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital has investigated the effect of estradiol and testosterone levels on 400 healthy men from the age group of 20 to 50 years under the guidance of Dr. Joel Finkelstein. They first of all gave injections of a drug to the participants to control their hormonal levels by suppressing their normal production of estradiols and testosterone. Then they were divided randomly into five groups to which different amounts of topical gel of this hormone from 0-10 grams was given daily for 4 months. They also blocked the conversion of testosterone into estradiols by giving a drug to half of the participants.
All the participants were observed after every 4 weeks by taking their blood to measure their hormonal levels and the status of their health, physical and sexual functions was assessed on the basis of a questionnaire. At the beginning and the end of this research program the muscles and body weight were also measured of all the participants. The result if this study funded by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases or NIDDK and National Institute on Aging or NIA was published in New England Journal of Medicine on 12th September, 2013.
The researchers have observed that the effects of different doses of this hormone were widely different. The influence of estradiol and testosterone also differed largely. According to the scientists reduced doses of this hormone gel showed reduction in muscle size, lean mass and the strength of leg press whereas decline in estradiol has increased body fat. Moreover both estradiol and testosterone were also found related to their erectile function and libido.
The researchers found that the participants showed muscle strength and lean mass mainly due to their testosterone level. Some of them accumulated body fat due to higher level of estrogen in their body. Those who were given estrogen suppressing drug saw great fall in their level of this hormone which caused decline in sexual desire.
Treatment
If you are experiencing low level of testosterone due to any reason then its side effects can be reduced by increasing the level of this hormone with the help of various treatment options available these days. These options may include:
Testosterone therapy: Providing this hormone based supplements to people with low testosterone can be one of the main treatments of this problem. People can take these supplements in various forms like applying patches or gel on the skin, through injection into the muscles, inserting pellets under the skin of buttocks and/or applying patches inside the mouth. But this therapy should not be used by those who are experiencing the prostate cancer or at higher risk to attain this health problem.
Physical exercises and losing weight: The declining level of testosterone in your body can be slowed down by losing weight through exercises and living an active lifestyle.
Medication for erectile dysfunction: If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction due to low hormone then you can treat this symptom with the help of medications especially designed to treat erectile dysfunction.
Improving sleep: Disturbed sleep is one of the side effects of low level of testosterone. If you are suffering from this problem then you can improve your sleep with the help of sleeping aid medications.
Thus it can be proved that there is great connectivity between testosterone and male sexuality.
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David Finer is the founder of VibratingLove.com, and he also blogs about male sexuality because he wants to help men from all over the world take their sexuality to the next level and become multi-orgasmic.
