Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone. It is an anabolic steroid from the androgen group found in numerous species. In humans, males secrete it from their testicles and females from their ovaries, though men secrete around 10 times as much as women. Its anabolic effects make it of interest to those looking to fight the process of aging or to gain exceptional muscle mass. Nonetheless, testosterone supplementation is illegal except when used as treatment for a legitimate medical condition.
Significance
Testosterone is key in all stages of male development, beginning in the womb with the growth of the sex organs. It's also probably responsible for the masculinization of the brain in early infancy, causing it to grow as much as 13 percent larger than women's. In puberty it also brings on the growth of the Adam's apple and penis, the increased growth of body hair, and a frequently drastic increase in bone and muscle mass.
Benefits
In adulthood, in both men and women, high testosterone levels are correlated with increased mental and physical energy, higher libido, and the maintenance of muscle trophism. Since testosterone also improves protein synthesis, resulting in greater muscular growth in response to exercise, this last point means that those with higher levels of testosterone will find it easier to make muscle size and strength gains, and to hold on to those gains once they've been made.
History
The first indication of testosterone's importance for protein synthesis came in 1938 with Papanicolaou and Falk's groundbreaking study. Since testosterone was first synthesized in 1935, the world has witnessed a golden age of bodybuilding and athleticism, which is, of course, no coincidence. Increasingly, athletes have used it to boost performance and muscle growth, though it's considered a form of doping and is illegal.
Considerations
Performance-boosting testosterone supplementation is legal only for certain medical conditions, particularly hypogonadism, otherwise known as testosterone deficiency, as well as infertility, osteoporosis, and anemia. Many elderly people placed on this treatment, which can be administered via transdermal patches, have managed to achieve muscle and fitness gains that were previously beyond them, even though the dosage is nowhere near that regularly abused in sports settings. Alternatively, high protein diets and anabolic training have both been shown to provide moderate increases in testosterone.
Warning
Restrictions on testosterone are in place for a reason. Excessive amounts of testosterone, while they might aid in growing muscle, can also result in extremely undesirable androgenic effects. Superficially, in women this might result in the growth of facial and body hair; in men, the endocrine system's attempts to balance itself out might result in excessive levels of oestrogen, which can cause the growth of breasts (gynecomastia) and deposits of fat on the hips. It can also cause sexual dysfunction, and carries the risk of long-term adverse health effects, including cancer and heart disease.
References
- Gender differences in the human cerebral cortex: more neurons in males; more processes in females, The Journal of Child Neurology, 14(2):98-107/ T. Rabinowicz, D.E. Dean, J.M. Petetot, G.M. de Courten-Myers/ 1999
- General Muscular Hypertrophy Induced by Androgenic Hormone, Science 87: 238-39/ George N. Papanicolaou and Emil A. Falk/ 1938
- Testosterone Dreams: Rejuvenation, Aphrodism, Doping/ John Hoberman/ 2005
