Low Testosterone in Men – 10 Symptoms You Need To Know About

Written by James C., M.S.(C), PT

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Low testosterone in men can be common and as we age the chance of this increases so it’s important to be aware and recognize the signs.

Are your energy levels low and you’re finding it increasingly difficult to maintain the perfect physique?

Has it got you thinking you’re getting past your prime?

We all feel this at some point.

To maintain the body of a Greek god is hard and add to that the pressures of daily life; finding the energy to work hard and play hard is difficult.

The confidence we had a few years ago seems to be disappearing along with the physique.

Our energy levels are flagging and our sex drive has driven off!

You get what I mean, right?

thinking man

But, is this down to age or is it because our testosterone levels are dropping?

Stick right here as we look at:

  • Low testosterone causes
  • Symptoms of low testosterone
  • Low testosterone treatment options
  • Low testosterone medication and supplements

So, don’t write yourself off as an old wreck yet!

Knowledge is power and as the saying goes, keep reading!

Keep in mind, that if you think you have low test, you can always boost it with supplements.

Causes of Low Testosterone

exhausted man

Testosterone is about all things ‘man’.

It’s the thing that makes us guys strong, puts hairs on our chest, deepens our voice and drives our sexual desire.

All of which are affected if our testosterone levels drop.

But, what makes them drop?

Age

Our T-levels are at their all-time high during adolescent and early adult years which keeps us racing around as horny as hell.

But, after the age of 30 most men will see a gradual decline of around 1% per year. Even by your early twenties T-levels take a significant drop.

low testosterone

Here are some numbers for you to give you an idea of what I’m talking about:

  • Adolescent and early adult years 1200 ng/dl
  • 20 years around 1000 ng/dl
  • 30 years around 700 ng/dl

Scary, right?

But, that’s not all.

Health Issues

While ageing can cause low testosterone in men, it’s not the only cause.

It could also be due to health problems such as:

  • Obesity 1
  • Infection 2
  • Type 2 diabetes 3
  • Chronic liver or kidney disease
  • Injured testicles
  • Hormone disorders
  • Testicular cancer
  • The treatment of HIV/AIDS 4

It’s not only these health problems that cause low testosterone in men.

Lifestyle

It’s also our lifestyle choices; if these choices are bad ones, they can often lead to low testosterone levels as well as cause the health conditions we already mentioned.

What lifestyle choices are we talking about?

Here we go:

  • Diet – eating processed meats and following an unhealthy diet. 5
  • Alcohol – us bros all like a beer or two but we need to make sure it’s not excessive. 6
  • Stress – this modern world brings us a whole heap of it and it’s a hard one to avoid. Stress releases cortisol and these elevated levels in our body are not going to help our T-levels. 7

Anything else going to affect those T-levels?

Genetics

Yes you guessed it – genetics play a big role in testosterone levels.

We can adapt our lifestyle to help low T-levels in men but we can’t do anything about our genetics; except thank our parents!

Some guys are born with buckets full of the stuff while others get a thimble full.

It’s just the luck of the draw with that one.

But, how do we know if our testosterone is low?

Symptoms of Low Testosterone in Men

low testosterone

We found out what causes low testosterone in men but, what symptoms to do we need to keep an eye out for?

The reality of it is:

Quite often symptoms you experience will not immediately make you think about low testosterone levels.

In fact many guys don’t even consider that low testosterone in men can cause such symptoms.

In fact, some of them you will attribute to the fact that you’re getting older or feeling too much pressure at work or in your daily life.

Some symptoms are very subtle and some will see you racing to your doctor!

Sometimes you just know; there’s no need for a testosterone level test to tell you.

Here’s what you need to be looking for:

Decreased Sex Drive

If you once had the drive of a Ferrari but now all that’s left is the poor effort of a decades-old Yugo this could be a sign you need to get those testosterone levels sorted.

One of the first signs of low testosterone in men is decreased sexual desire.

Erectile Dysfunction

If getting your old chap to stand to attention is proving a problem and you’re not waking up to that ‘morning wood’, you’ve got problems and you need to boost those T-levels.

Reduction in Semen

Noticed a difference in your man juice? Did you used to have great explosions and now it’s just spitting a few drops?

Testosterone levels in men are responsible for the volume so if yours has decreased then it’s time to go check it out. 8

Fatigue

Have you lost your enthusiasm? Find day to day tasks hard work? Rather hit your bed than the gym?

We all feel this at some time or other but if it’s happening all the time then that just ain’t right!

Loss of Muscle Mass

Testosterone helps to build muscle but if you’re noticing the size of yours is decreasing, this is indicating a problem.

Keep an eye particularly on the upper arms and shoulders, as that’s where you’ll notice it first.

Decreased Bone Mass

This is a hard one to spot but, if you find after a gym session your bones ache more or you get a fracture easily, these could be signs.

Mood Changes

If you’re feeling low in mood and life in general, this can lead to depression.

It may not just be your work or your life causing it. You could have low testosterone levels.

It’s a vicious circle!

Depression also causes low testosterone levels in men so the cycle keeps going round.

Increase in Body Fat

If you’re following a good diet and exercise regime but yet, you’re still seeing those extra pounds on your belly this can be a sign of low testosterone.

Most guys will put it down to the fact they are getting a bit older but generally that just isn’t the case.

You may even be noticing your developing ‘man boobs’ (gynecomastia). As your testosterone levels drop the estrogen takes over and breast tissue may start to develop. 9

Unless you’ve changed your regime by not exercising and stuffing your face with junk food, you need to check it out.

Hair Loss

Many men start to bald naturally as they age, particularly if there is an inherited tendency for balding.

If none of the other older males in your family have suffered baldness then it could be due to low testosterone, either way check it out and see!

Difficulty Developing Muscle Mass

If you’re killing those workouts at the gym and following a good diet regime but still not seeing those muscles grow, then you have got a problem!

Testosterone builds muscle so if your levels are low this is probably going to be the reason why. 10

There you have it!

The most common symptoms of low testosterone in men.

Just because you’re in your twenties doesn’t mean you’re not included.

Low testosterone levels in men can happen at any stage of our life!

These are all common causes of low testosterone in males over 50 but for these guys and older guys age is the greatest factor.

So, what can we do about it?

How to Treat Low Testosterone

treat low testosterone

Let’s take a look at how to treat low testosterone and what different treatments are available.

You have probably heard about TRT (testosterone replacement therapy).

That’s one kind of treatment that could be used.

Here’s the deal.

This treatment is prescribed by a doctor and involves testosterone being administered into your body by injection, a testosterone patch, implant or possibly a cream or gel.

These treatments come with risks and can cause some nasty side effects such as:

  • Fluid retention
  • Oily skin and acne
  • Breast enlargement
  • Infertility
  • Heart problems including heart attack, blood clots and strokes
  • Mood changes

There are just a few effects it can have.

But, what other alternatives are there?

There are many low testosterone supplements available on the market.

These are made using a combination of vitamins and minerals which work in the body to naturally increase testosterone levels.

As they are made using all-natural ingredients, they are much safer than TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) as they don’t come with all the harsh and nasty side effects.

You can check out our article on the best natural testosterone boosters for more info.

Natural Ways to Increase Testosterone

As we get older, we often think there’s not much we can do about it.

We also have the same kind of thinking when it comes to low testosterone in men.

But, there are many ways we can help ourselves to combat the signs of ageing.

There’s also a lot we can do to increase low testosterone levels in men too.

The bottom line:

By focusing on keeping our testosterone levels up we’ll be slowing down and maybe even reversing those dreaded signs of ageing.

Meaning:

We can keep enjoying the lifestyle and energy we had in our twenties.

Who wouldn’t want that?

Here are some natural ways to help boost that all-important testosterone and beat the symptoms of low testosterone in men causes:

Diet

Make sure your diet consists of healthy nutritious foods and is well balanced. Take a gradual approach to weight loss rather than crash diets or low-calorie diets.

That way you’ll be able to maintain your results rather than gain it back after a few months.

Exercise

HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is what you need to be doing when you hit the gym.

It’s a great way to help lose that weight, and it saves you time as you can do these sessions in around 20 minutes.

No excuses!

Plus, it will also prevent your testosterone levels from dropping; long cardio sessions can cause a rise in cortisol which works against testosterone levels.

Sleep

You need to be getting at least eight hours of quality sleep at night.

Any less and you’re risking testosterone production.

Do some relaxing exercises and ban those electronics from the bedroom so you don’t get disturbed or distracted from sleep by buzzing and beeping phones and tablets.

Stay Away from Sugar

Studies reveal that sugar can decrease your testosterone levels so you need to seriously stay away from it. 11

Keep a close check on those food labels and make sure you’re not getting too much sugar.

All those tiny amounts in each thing you have soon adds up!

So, what’s it going to be?

Sugar in your coffee or that sweet physique of a Greek god?

It’s your choice.

There are some natural alternatives to help you boost those testosterone levels.

Together we can beat low testosterone in men!

References

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25982085
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5733882/
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21646372
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5096002/
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4180710/
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4180710/
  7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3880087/
  8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22613707
  9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2770912/
  10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2917954
  11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22804876

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