When you hear the word testosterone, the vision of "manly men" may come to your mind since testosterone is known as the male hormone. What you may not know is that testosterone is also present in trace amounts in the female body. According to the book The Natural Hormone Makeover, testosterone builds bones, muscle, stamina and confidence in both men and women.
Testosterone
Testosterone is an androgen, a hormone that is secreted by your adrenal glands located at the top of your kidneys. Androgens are the sex hormones needed to provide males with masculine qualities, e.g., excess hair growth and a deeper voice. Females require lower levels of testosterone in order to keep bones and muscles strong. During hormone fluctuations in puberty, pregnancy and menopause, as estrogen levels change, testosterone may fall, leaving you more susceptible to muscle and bone loss.
Low Testosterone
Women only make 5 percent the testosterone a man makes, according to A Woman's Guide to Natural Hormones. Fifty percent of it is lost during menopause, bringing about several symptoms mistakenly blamed on estrogen deficiency. Low testosterone levels cause symptoms such as low energy, fatigue, reduced sex drive, weight loss, depression and skin changes. If you suspect you may have low testosterone levels, talk to your doctor about hormone testing. Regulating your testosterone levels may require the use of supplements provided by prescription or injections given at your doctor's office.
Nutrition
Although your doctor can prescribe synthetic testosterone treatments, eating a nutritious diet can boost your fight to regulate your testosterone as well. According to the Menopause Symptoms Health Center, healthy eating is extremely important for testosterone production in the first place. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide supporting nutrients and amino acids required by your adrenal glands, while consuming flax seed, avocados and salmon provide you with essential fatty acids to boost testosterone production.
Exercise
Regular physical activity, especially resistance and endurance exercise, also kicks your adrenal glands into shape and helps increase testosterone production. According to Bodybuilding.com, testosterone levels are significantly higher during and after exercise such as weight lifting or squats. As you exercise your brain signals your adrenal glands to increase testosterone and other hormone production, thus maintaining natural levels.
Menopause
Many times in your life, your hormones fluctuate. However, the most significant event that will affect testosterone levels is menopause. During menopause, your ovaries no longer produce eggs, your uterus no longer sheds its lining each month and your natural hormone production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone decline, according to The Natural Hormone Makeover. This causes side effects such as decreased libido, loss of lean muscle mass and the higher risk of osteoporosis.
Considerations
Although some testosterone is needed in the female body, too much testosterone will bring about some side effects, including excess hair growth, and in some cases, hair loss. This is why it's important to consult your physician for hormone testing before embarking on a plan to increase testosterone by yourself.
According to Life Extension Magazine, several recent studies have shown that testosterone might guard against the development of breast cancer, but further studies need to be conducted to be sure of this statements. Lower testosterone levels are thought to be responsible for the increase of post menopausal women's risk for developing cardiovascular disease. The reasoning behind these findings is that post menopausal women often undergo hormone therapy with estrogens but are not given testosterone, even though testosterone levels decline during menopause as well.
References
- Life Extension Magazine: Why Aging Women Need Testosterone
- BodyBuilding.com: How Can One Increase Their Testosterone Levels?
- 34 Menopause Symptoms Health Center: Testosterone: Effects
- The Natural Hormone Makeover: 10 Steps to Rejuvenate your Health; Susan Rako ; 1999
- A Woman's Guide to Natural Hormones; Christine Conrad; 2005
