Testosterone 101

Testosterone 101

Testosterone (T) is a steroid hormone that is from a group called androgen. Men make testosterone in their testes. Women secrete testosterone from their ovaries. It is a big player in your health and your well being. For men, it is the main sex hormone. While known to be in men, many do not realize the women have it to. But, for your well being it needs to be there for many reasons. For example, (T) plays a large role in enhancing libido, immune function, in energy levels as well as in protection of osteoporosis.

What Can Testosterone Do?testosterone

Since it is found in both men and women, it plays a great deal of a role in the human health. It is available in a much lower dosage in women than in men, though. There are many things that it can do to your body. Here are some of them:

  • As an anabolic effect, (T) can help with the growth of muscle mass as well as increasing strength. For this, many individuals looking to enhance their body’s muscular structure take testosterone supplements.
  • It can also help in increasing the bone density and strength of them as well. Supplements of testosterone in aging women, for example, that have gone through menopause may help to provide more strength for weakening bones.
  • It can also help with the individual’s height growth and bone maturation.
  • For men, testosterone helps with the maturation of the sex organs including the penis and the scrotum in the fetus as well as during puberty later on in life.
  • In puberty, testosterone can be responsible for a male’s voice deepening and the growth of hair on the body especially on the face and on the chest.
  • In individuals that are transsexual, testosterone can be given to the opposite sex to help provide characteristics to these individuals of the opposite sex. They can take either enhancing testosterone (for female to male transgenders) or medications that lower testosterone output (for male to female transgenders.)

You can see the occurrences of testosterone increasing during puberty in a number of ways. Body odor is an indication of puberty and of testosterone increases. Also, pubic hair formation, axillary hair, growth spurts during this time, skin that is more oily than it was, acne and even upper lip and sideburn hair as well are all signs of increased levels of testosterone within the body.

There are also many reasons why you may need a T. treatment. The first testosterone was removed from a bull in 1935 and since then, there have been many ways in which it can be made pharmaceutically. Today, it can be purchased in several forms including testosterone cypionate and enanthate in an oil that is injected into the body, in methyltestosterone tablets that are used for oral use, and even skin patches.

But, why is it used? There are several conditions which can benefit from it. These include the uses of T to treat men that have little to no natural level of testosterone in their body. This will help with the relief of anxiety, depression and even tiredness. Other benefits may take longer to happen.

But, there are other conditions in which testosterone can be given. These include infertility, penile enlargement, height growth, osteoporosis, and erectile dysfunction. It can also help in reversing anemia, be used as appetite stimulation and be used to stimulate bone marrow growth as well. In some individuals, it is also a way to fight the signs of old age.

There are many conditions in which (T) treatments can help. But, there are others that can hurt the body as well. Anabolic steroids such as the use of (T) can increase the size of muscles and strength but have been misused to allow for a performance enhancing drug. And, because of this, the United States has make (T) a controlled substance. This stems from controversy, but can be more than that. Over use of this treatment by individuals looking to strengthen muscle can have serious implications as well.

Individuals that need or use (T) will need to work with a doctor over time to really realize the full potential of this treatment. Naturally occurring or not, it is necessary for individuals to use it wisely.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Travis_Lawrence/64434