Low Testosterone and What You Can Do About It

Low testosterone can leave men feeling down and tired, but a healthy diet and exercise can do much to keep testosterone levels from dropping.Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

It’s possible you don’t have the energy, libido, or mood you used to. There can be several reasons, but one may have to do with dropping testosterone.

Testosterone is a hormone found in all humans. However, it plays a far more prominent role in men than women. It plays a role in sex drive, bone and muscle mass, fat storage, and red blood cell production. It may also affect a man’s mood.

Testosterone typically peaks in a man’s 20s or early 30s before it starts tapering off slowly over time. But everybody’s baseline testosterone level is different. Some men are born with a lot of testosterone, while others are born with less. “Normal” testosterone can be anywhere from 280 to 1,100 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL), which is a huge range.

So, somebody who has 1,100 ng/dL may feel it a lot more if levels get to 950 ng/dL than someone who starts with 500 ng/dL and sees it drop to 100 ng/dL. The difference may be more pronounced.

What might it feel like?

Low testosterone may create some of the following symptoms:

• Decreased sex drive
• Less energy
• Weight gain
• Depressed feelings
• Mood fluctuations
• Low self-esteem
• Less body hair
• Thinner bones
• Muscle loss

You’ll only learn if you have low testosterone through blood tests, and you’ll only understand the rate it’s dropping with several tests used to track changes over time.

What can you do about it? There are a few things that may halt testosterone loss or at least slow it.

Diet and exercise can both play a role in testosterone levels. Weight training is associated with higher testosterone, and so is eating a nutrient-rich diet that is low in processed food. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean proteins, legumes, etc., is the way to go.

Managing weight may also help.

Testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, is a procedure that can help, as well. It is still under study, but talk to your doctor if you believe low testosterone affects your quality of life.

Mat Lecompte is a health and wellness reporter for Bel Marra Health, which first published this article.