Testosterone is a hormone that serves many purposes. The hormone is the primary male sex hormone, which means that it is responsible for encouraging hair growth and sexual development. In addition, testosterone is integral in the development of muscles. Athletes use testosterone and testosterone-boosting supplements because they have a number of positive effects on physique and performance. Despite the benefits, however, you should consult your doctor before using testosterone or any other supplements.
Aerobic Endurance
While testosterone is usually associated with muscles, research shows that the hormone can actually improve your aerobic endurance. This may have to do with the fact that your heart is made of muscle--cardiac muscle. Regardless of the mechanism, research from the June 2009 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" found that supplementation of testosterone for 16 weeks significantly improved aerobic endurance.
Decreased Abdominal Fat
Testosterone's hormonal affects influence not only muscle mass, but fat mass as well. Human hormones influence body fat distribution and accumulation, and it appears that testosterone is involved in the development or inhibition of abdominal fat. According to a study from the "Journal of Endocrinological Investigation," decreases in testosterone result in an increase in abdominal fat development in men.
Increased Muscle Strength
One of the main reasons that many athletes use testosterone or testosterone-enhancing supplements is because of the purported benefits for muscle strength. Though testosterone does influence muscular development, that doesn't necessarily mean an accompanying increase in strength. However, a November 2008 study from the "Journal of the American Geriatrics Society" found that testosterone supplementation did improve muscular strength.
Lean Mass Gain
Many supplements can increase muscle mass, but they may also trigger gains of fat as well. However, testosterone appears to have an advantage in this case, because the muscle gains resulting from the hormone are lean--meaning little to no fat gain accompanies the muscle. This tendency was demonstrated in a study from the March 2010 issue of the "American Journal of Physical Anthropology." The study found that circulating testosterone triggered allocation of calories to lean mass development.
References
- "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism"; Testosterone and growth hormone improve body composition and muscle performance in older men; FR Sattler et al; June 2009
- "Journal of Endocrinological Investigation"; Testosterone, body composition and aging; A Vermeulen, S Goemaere and JM Kaufman; May 2009
- "Journal of the American Geriatrics Society"; Changes in muscle mass, muscle strength, and power but not physical function are related to testosterone dose in healthy older men; TW Storer et al; November 2008
- "Journal of Physical Anthropology"; Testosterone, physical activity, and somatic outcomes among Filipino males; LT Gettler, SS Agustin and CW Kuzawa; March 2010
