We’ve all heard of it, but how often have we seriously considered, “What is testosterone?”
It might sound a little strange, but understanding this hormone is very important – whether you’re a bodybuilder or not.
Let me put this to you, and stick with me here!
Do you have a sweet ride sitting out on the driveway? If so, that vehicle of yours needs oil, in all its forms, to run properly. It provides the power (in the form of gasoline), lubricates the moving parts, acts as a coolant and keeps the engine clean.
What’s more, you regularly check those oil levels, right? It’s essential.
I know you agree with me.
Well, testosterone is the exactly the same.
It’s the fuel behind our male bodies. Testosterone’s functions range from creating mood, building muscle and strengthening bones, through to powering your sex drive.
It could be considered the most important element in male (and to a small extent, female) health.
But unlike the oil, testosterone levels are not always kept in check. And that can cause issues.
Listen.
Guys who understand testosterone and ensure that it’s kept topped up have an amazing quality of life. They are energized, confident, healthy, virile and can pile on muscle like beasts!
Here’s the deal.
In this What Is Testosterone article, I will explore the faces and functions of this phenomenal hormone. I will explain what it is, the uses of testosterone and how taking control of this hormone will enhance your life!
Let’s get down to it!
What Is Testosterone?
First, the quick answer!
Testosterone is the main male sexual hormone (androgen), produced in the testicles.
But as you will see, there’s much more behind the testosterone meaning than that.
Here’s the science.
Testosterone, in guys, is created mainly in the testicles (in the leydig cells) but also in the adrenal glands.
In females (yeah, they need it too) it’s formed in the ovaries. Actually, it’s not just found in guys and girls. Any vertebrate animal also has testosterone in their veins.1
And, if you really are a total science nerd, its chemical formula is C19H28O2! 2
This all-important hormone has been with you all your life. Literally. Even as a fetus, testosterone has been there, powering your development.3
And, hopefully, it should remain with you until the day you die. But it’s not always that simple. Through genetics, age, disease or substance abuse, those testosterone levels (T-levels) can fall.
This can be an issue.
Let me show you the role it plays. Then you can understand why keeping it in check is essential.
How Does Testosterone Work?
I mentioned earlier in this What Is Testosterone article that testosterone is a vital aspect of male health.
That’s not an exaggeration.
Here are the roles of testosterone:
1. Libido and Sexual Function
This one’s kind of obvious. Naturally a male sex hormone is responsible for, well, sex!
For starters, remember during your teens when you suddenly started to be interested in women and that member between your legs suddenly appeared a lot bigger?
That was when your testosterone was at its highest and it made your sexual organs grow – and made you want to use it!
And that’s still true now.
Testosterone powers your sexual drive. Without it, or with low levels, you would rather watch the TV.4
There’s more.
That towering pillar of love gets its strength and erectile quality from testosterone. By boosting nitric oxide levels, your arteries dilate and your pecker fills with erection forming blood.
Without it, it’s a useless, floppy waste of space.5
One more thing, testosterone is not just behind sex drive in men. Women with low T-levels also have reduced libido.6
2. Muscle Building Ability
The science behind muscle building is not complicated.
Get on the bench and knock out some reps. In doing so, the muscles become damaged. These muscle fibers then repair and the muscle returns large and stronger.
Simple, isn’t it?
Well, when looking at what is testosterone, we have to appreciate its awesome power in building muscle.
It’s highly anabolic.
Protein synthesis is the process by which muscles rebuild. Testosterone is the fuel behind this process. The more testosterone in the body, the faster and stronger those muscles become. 7
3. Body Fat Regulation
Testosterone regulates and influences fat storage within the male body.
A low T-level count often results in large amounts of fat around the abdomen. What’s more, testosterone can increase the rate of lipolysis (fat breakdown).
With healthy testosterone levels, fats are metabolized easily and removed from the body.
4. Mood and Confidence
Testosterone boosts serotonin levels.8
This hormone is responsible for you feeling energized, confident and gives an all round feeling of well-being.
But there is a worrying part.
If testosterone levels are low, studies have shown that this can lead not only to lack of confidence, but also depression. Furthermore, depression lowers T-levels! 9
5. Increases Stamina and Recovery
In both men and women, when looking at what is testosterone, stamina and recovery are both affected.
Testosterone enhances red blood cell production. The more of these cells, the higher amount of oxygen can reach the muscles.
Which means:
Muscles do not tire and they rebuild faster.10
6. Strengthens Bones
If you have wondered what is testosterone’s role in bones, here’s the deal.
This testosterone hormone strengthens skeletal mass and increases its density. As we age, T-levels fall and our bones become weaker. That’s why, sadly, many older people break or fracture bones when they fall.11
In women, lack of testosterone can lead to osteoporosis.12
So, in summary:
As you can see, when we ask what is testosterone good for, we see it is essential for our daily healthy function, both for men and women.
Obviously, scientists understand its powerful abilities and decided to put it to use!
What is testosterone used for apart from our day to day functions? In this next section I will explain.
What Is Testosterone Used For?
Outside of the body, this hormone has been synthesized for a couple of main uses. So what is testosterone used for?
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)
Testosterone levels decline with age, that’s a fact.
As illustrated in this chart, from the moment you hit your twenties, that testosterone is dropping. Since we have already seen in this What Is Testosterone article how important this hormone is, low T-levels will have a significant effect.
For example: drop in libido, inability to build muscle, fat gain and weaker bones.
There is a solution.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) is considered a treatment for severely low testosterone levels (hypogonadism).
This medication, delivered under prescription from a certified doctor, can alleviate any issues that low testosterone can cause.
Here’s how.
Guys suffering from hypogonadism have regular (usually fortnightly) testosterone injections delivered directly into the muscles. It is an invasive hit of testosterone which has the effect of raising T-levels again.
But, as I will explain soon in this What is Testosterone article, this can have serious side effects.
Bodybuilding
You have heard of anabolic steroids, yeah?
Well, testosterone is the first anabolic steroid! And originally it was just created by the body.
As we saw earlier in this What is Testosterone article, many of the powers of this hormone on the body are essential for the bodybuilder:
- Builds muscles
- Drops fat
- Increases strength
- Raises stamina
- Improves recovery times
It is no surprise that bodybuilders saw this as an opportunity to become totally ripped. And it works.
As with TRT, testosterone for bodybuilding is delivered in the same way. Muscles are directly injected with the hormone in order to make massive physique and performance gains.
However, these testosterone injections are synthetic and made in a lab. What’s more, they were then adapted and mutated to form the basis of virtually every anabolic steroid on the market.
And they are illegal.
Let me be clear. I do not approve of, nor recommend, the use of steroids. I have managed to get ripped without their use. And I suggest you do the same.
Guys taking these testosterone injections have to either search dodgy online sites or know a shifty dealer to get hold of them. They are usually only available on prescription
But, I would be lying if I said they did not work.
For all their benefits, steroids do have a major downside. And this applies to TRT too.
Injecting testosterone inhibits the ability of the testicles to produce it naturally.
Your T-levels are fine whilst using the injections on a frequent basis, but once you stop, your testosterone drops dramatically.
And it will never recover.
Once you start, either for bodybuilding use or for TRT, your body is basically addicted for life.
That’s why I don’t like steroids.
Testosterone Levels in Men and Women
In examining What is Testosterone, we need to understand how these levels differ between genders.
I mentioned earlier that this hormone is essential for women as well as men, but to a slightly lesser extent.
Let me hit you with some numbers!
What is testosterone level in men for healthy function?
Normal healthy T-levels for a thirty year old guy are around 600 ng/dl (nanogram/deciliter). Sure, there are some genetic and environmental factors which make this differ from man to man, but generally it’s around this figure.
But what is testosterone in females level? For a similar aged woman, healthy testosterone levels are about 50 ng/dl.
It’s a lot lower than the men!
But that makes sense. They don’t need it to make sperm, have a deep voice or grow a beard!
However, this means that just small testosterone increases in females have a dramatic effect. And this is important.
Let me explain.
Because women naturally have lower T-levels, this means, in general, that they find it more difficult to put on muscle, as opposed to us lucky guys!
But, just slight increases in testosterone levels in a woman can help them make massive muscle and health gains – without sporting a moustache!
How to Naturally Increase Testosterone With Testosterone Boosters
Ok guys, after reading this What is Testosterone article, hopefully you have picked up on three things:
- Healthy T-levels are essential for our health
- Keeping testosterone levels high will improve our training and results
- Testosterone injections come with nasty side effects – for life
There’s the issue.
Getting our testosterone levels raised will have an incredible effect on our health, mood, confidence and muscle building ability.
But we do not want the side effects of the steroid injections.
Well, finally there is some good news.
Testosterone boosters are the perfect way to send those T-levels skyrocketing, whilst remaining out of prison and side effect free! They are like testosterone food!
What is testosterone booster? Let me explain.
Testosterone boosters have been designed to raise the body’s production of this all-important hormone.
Let me be clear.
This involves no injections! There are no needles plunging into your muscles and delivering synthetic steroids.
Instead, these T-boosters use ingredients which have been scientifically proven to naturally raise testosterone production. Fact.
They are basically kick-starting your testicles and giving them some exercise!
In doing so, T-levels raise and muscle gains become quickly apparent.
There’s more.
As a natural supplement, they are side effect free. Unlike T-injections, your balls will not stop producing testosterone, they will produce more!
I have looked at, and used, many of the testosterone boosters available…. and by far the #1 ranked product on the market at the moment is…..
#1 Test Booster: Testogen
This supplement has some of the most powerful legal T-boosting ingredients available. The guys behind Testogen have worked hard to ensure that not only are they scientifically proven, they are all 100% safe.
Here’s the deal.
Through phenomenal and proven ingredients such as D-aspartic acid and zinc, Testogen will raise those T-levels through the roof.
Which means:
Your libido will increase, mood will improve, muscle gains come faster and you will have the stamina to power through more reps than you ever thought possible.
There’s more.
Testogen are so confident in their T-booster, they offer a 60-day money back guarantee!
Learn more: visit Testogen official website / see why it’s ranked #1 test booster on the market
What Is Testosterone Conclusion
In my opinion, testosterone is important in addressing male health in general. But for the serious bodybuilder, it is phenomenal.
It’s like this.
Testosterone powers everything! Sex, mood, confidence, energy, muscle building, strength, stamina, and skeletal tissue! It’s a real all-rounder.
So to answer the question, what is testosterone? The answer is – essential!
To remain on top form, you need to ensure your T-levels are high. Especially if you are looking at getting totally ripped.
So do yourself a favor. Don’t get steroid injections and screw up your balls for life.
Look at using a serious and powerful natural testosterone booster like Testogen for real safe gains.
Your balls will thank you. Trust me.
References
- https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04460.xd/testosterone
- https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/testosterone
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2778233/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16670164
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16686726
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22552705
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2917954
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25497691
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19625884
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4022090/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10995046
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5036835/