Weight Loss & Low Testosterone

If your testosterone level is too low, it might be making you fat. Testosterone is a sex hormone that is predominantly a male hormone, but women also need it. Research at the Department of Endocrinoligy, University of Los Andes linked weight gain and increased BMI, or Body Mass Index, to low testosterone levels. Tests can be done to determine the possibility of a connection to a weight problem and testosterone deficiency.

Testosterone

Testosterone is a type of male reproductive hormone called an androgen. It is produced mainly in the testes but also in small amounts in the adrenal glands and in the ovaries, according to Barron's Medical Guide.

Significance

Testosterone affects many parts of the body, including weight and fat distribution. Extra upper body fat, such as "pot belly" is associated with low levels of testosterone. In addition, low testosterone levels affect how cholesterol metabolizes. Testosterone deficiency also affects sex drive, the blood, bones and body hair.

Link to Weight

As you age, hormone levels decrease. When testosterone levels go down, muscle mass decreases and body fat increases. An overweight person can increase testosterone level by losing weight. A 2003 study by the Department of Internal Medicine, Helsinki University showed that men who lost weight significantly increased testosterone levels.

Weight and Female Testosterone

Women have three main sex hormones -- estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, which plays a significant role in many physiological functions in the female body. Hormone replacement therapy, especially estrogen replacement, is associated with weight gain in women. However, the "International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism" notes that research shows that when women are given small amounts of testosterone, body fat and weight decrease and muscle mass increases.

Considerations

If testosterone levels are a concern, your health care practitioner can check hormone levels with a blood test and determine if testosterone replacement therapy would be helpful. "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" reports that testosterone deficiency is easier to diagnose in men than in women.