Are your testosterone levels the reason why you appear to be aging faster than your peers? Does Low T aid physical decline in old age?
A study done by Australian researchers indicates that physical decline could have a direct relationship with low sex hormone levels, especially low testosterone. Loss of muscle strength and tone is a known side effect of having low testosterone in the blood. When men reach the age of 40 their testosterone and hormone levels naturally start to decline. In some men this is a gradual decline and does not affect the man’s sex life or muscle strength noticeably. In other men, the decline can be more rapid and can cause unwanted side effects. Within 2 years of aging a man with fast declining muscle loss can find that his quality of life has declined over and above average.
Muscle weakness, caused by a decline in strength and tone, reduces the ability to perform everyday physical activities like maintaining a gentle exercise regime to simply brushing teeth in the morning. Muscle weakness is a widely experienced side effect of growing old, it’s a natural physical decline, however it would be good to understand why some age faster than others. The subject is poorly understood and it’s not clear whether low sex hormone levels are a result of physical decline or if physical decline is a result of low sex hormone levels. Obviously, in some cases the exacerbated physical decline could be down to stress or illness or a different third party aspect.
The study focused on men ages 70 and over and was led by Benjumin Hsu, a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney. The objective of the study was to “examine relationships between reproductive hormones, self-rated health, and quality of life in older men”. In total 1,316 men took part in the initial research and returned for the necessary 2 year follow up to complete the data and confirm the rate of physical disabilities to reduced hormone levels.
“This study suggests that low testosterone in older men could lead to a decline in muscle strength, which might explain their increased risk of functional disability,” Hsu said. According to the study low levels of Estrogen also played a role in the physical decline of participants but more research is needed to prove that having low testosterone and/or low estrogen levels is directly related to faster decline in old age.
Are you approaching old age? Are you physically declining faster than your peers? If you suffer from the following low testosterone symptoms you may have low testosterone and it could be the cause of your muscle weakness and more pronounced functional disabilities:
- Muscle weakness
- Loss of muscle tone
- Low energy levels
- Mood swings
- Anxiety (and/or depression)
- Low libido
- Sexual performance issues
If you feel you might have low testosterone then take this free online testosterone test to get a better idea of where you stand. Once you have the results, we suggest approaching the issue with your doctor. You should have blood work done to confirm diagnoses. When analyzing the blood work you should look out for the FAI, total testosterone and free testosterone counts. This article explains more about the different kinds of blood work and the difference between free testosterone and total testosterone.
After starting treatment you should follow up and be monitored regularly by your doctor.
