Low Testosterone – 9 Signs You Might Be Suffering From It
As men get older, their natural levels begin to fall. This leads to a host of low T symptoms which include changes in libido, fatigue, development of body fat, and more. Because bodybuilders suppress their bodies’ natural ability to produce naturally, these symptoms can become much more pronounced. Here is some information about the top signs of low testosterone.
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1# Irritability
Irritability occurs in both men and women alike when levels are too low (yes, women also need it to thrive). Your Brain is filled with receptors, and when too many of these receptors are empty, it leaves you feeling grouchy and irritable. In fact, many athletes and bodybuilders claim that this is the very first of the low testosterone symptoms to appear.
2# Chronic Fatigue
For many men, one of the very first low level symptoms is chronic Fatigue. Some men chalk it up to aging, and still others will blame a stress-ridden, busy lifestyle without ever putting two and two together.
Of all the low T symptoms in men, this is the most frequently overlooked, but also the most common. Naturally it plays a vital part in your body’s production of energy, and without it, you may feel tired all the time – no matter how much Rest you get or how little you do during the day.
If you’re experiencing chronic Fatigue, or unexplained fatigue that persists long-term despite your best efforts to regain energy, you might have low levels.
3 # Muscle Weakness
Another of the most unnerving low level symptoms is muscle weakness, and for most men, it gradually gets worse over time. You may find that lifting heavy objects or simply carrying groceries into your house is becoming more physically exhausting, or you may find that you can no longer lift things you once could.
Naturally muscle development and preservation go hand-in-hand, so when your levels are on the decline, your strength declines, too. If you notice that you are not quite as strong as you once were, even if your diet and exercise routine hasn’t changed, low T could be to blame.
4# Hair Loss
Naturally it is also responsible for the growth of body hair in men, and it is why men naturally have more and thicker hair than their female counterparts. When hormone levels drop, hair loss is one of the most noticeable low symptoms.
At first, this may present as a slow thinning of chest, arm, and/or leg hair, but over time, the thinning progresses and men may notice far less hair on all parts of their bodies. It can affect male pattern baldness, as well, but this is typically worse in men who are genetically predisposed, meaning that their fathers or grandfathers had it.
5# Lack of Sex Drive and Performance Issues
For the same reasons that low levels can leave you feeling grumpy, it can also affect your sex drive. You may not think about sex as often as you once did, and even when you do, you may find that your performance is not what it once was.
Of all of the low symptoms, issues in the bedroom are the most embarrassing. Too little of the hormone results in occasional impotence and inability to maintain an erection.
6# Increases in Body Fat
Body fat is a bodybuilder’s worst nightmare. These athletes spend countless weeks on cutting cycles to shave off just 1% of body fat and get that lean, vascular look that is so important on the stage.
Unfortunately, natural levels start to fall, your body no longer metabolizes the food you consume in the same way. Rather than converting carbs to energy, your body will instead convert them to storage (fat deposits) for later use. This is one of the low level symptoms that can truly wreak havoc on a bodybuilder’s way of life.
7# Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is not the first of the low level symptoms to appear, but if it does, it is a clear indicator of a significant hormone imbalance. Often, “gyno” is the result of the aromatization of anabolic steroids.
However, even if you do not use anabolic steroids, you can experience gynecomastia. When there is not enough hormone, the natural estrogen in your body tends to take over. Not only does this lead to mood swings and sometimes Depression, but it can also cause you to develop female breast tissue.
Fortunately, supplementing with exogenous and using an aromatase inhibitor can reverse and prevent gynecomastia in most men.
8# Testicular Atrophy
Finally, testicular atrophy is perhaps the mother of all low testosterone symptoms. When you introduce steroids into your body over a long period of time (21 days according to research) your body stops making on its own.
Think of testes like muscles. If you do not continue to use your muscles, they will waste away. The same can be said for your testes; if they no longer need to produce naturally, they begin to atrophy. Testicular atrophy takes a long time to develop as one of the symptoms of low T, so if you’re experiencing it, there’s a chance you’ve been deficient for quite some time.
9# Low Level Therapy Treatment Options
The good news is that there are several different forms that can help relieve the symptoms of low T.
You will need to visit your doctor and have some bloodwork to determine your levels, then figure out which dose schedule is right for you. The different forms used for hormone replacement include the following.
| Type of Testosterone | Benefits |
|---|---|
Your doctor will likely give you each of these options, so it’s up to you to do your research and decide which best suits your lifestyle. If you choose injections, find out whether you can administer your own injections at home or if you will need to visit a clinic or office to get them, too.
The good news is that you can prevent all of these low testosterone symptoms. Men who have low T for medical reasons should see their physicians, and those who use anabolic steroids or exogenous should plan for post-cycle therapy to jumpstart their bodies into producing adequate amounts after the cycle.
Anyone still thinking of doing an anabolic cycle should remember that it’s always a good idea to run boosters as a base.
