Perhaps the most heard about hormone in the bodybuilding and fitness industry is testosterone or testos for short. Why is the level of testosterone to someone wants to gain muscle mass and even to enhance a man's sexuality?
Well, testosterone is male hormone that is very much revered as the ultimate boost to muscle building and even to have a hrader erection. At the anti-aging front, this hormone is even being billed as the fountain of youth, seemingly able to slow down or even at times, claimed to be able to reverse the aging process! At the same time, it is also being accused of the male species' shortcomings such as, aggression, violence and sexual promiscuity ( because it improves the libido and making the male sexual muscle stiffer and lasting longer).
What exactly is this powerful hormone testosterone that is so highly praised by some and demonized by others?
Well, testosterone is the principle male hormone and belongs to a group of steroid chemicals called androgens. This hormone is mainly produced in the testicals but can also be produced by enzymatically converting other androgens secreted from the adrenal gland.
This powerful hormone plays very important functions in everything from growth and maintenance of the male sexual organs during puberty to even male pattern baldness. It also plays an important role in bone growth, sexual behavior, male fertility, protein synthesis of the muscles, giving male sexual characteristics such as facial hair and body hair and a deeper voice.
It is a fact that intensive weight training can and do raise the level of testos in the body significantly and this is good news indeed if you are trying to add on muscle mass because the more testosterone you have, the easier for you to gain bigger muscles. This is the main reason why older people and women find it more difficult to build muscles because of lower level of testos.
Testosterone works by binding the receptors inside your muscle cells. These receptors then transport the testos hormones molecule to the nucleus which is where your DNA is situated. Your DNA contains the blue-prints for every protein found in your body. This androgen receptor, once bound to testosterone will act as a messenger that tells your DNA which proteins to make from the blue - prints.
This process accentuates the production of contractile proteins which are used to make your muscle contract more forcefully, as well as structural proteins that are used to make the cell larger to accommodate the new contractile proteins. Simply put, testosterone is the boss who gives orders to your muscles to grow!
As we age, our body's own production of testos decline accordingly and in the aging population, this hormone is a fountain of youth and vitality. This is because there is a reduction in the circulating levels of testosterone as we grow older and this reduction has been associated with a decrease in muscle mass, strength and contributing to male erectile dysfunction. This condition is medically known as andropause.
Andropause patients can undergo testosterone replacement therapy to correct the problem and many older patients express a sense of psychological well-being and vitality that they have not experienced since they were much younger.
However, this somewhat magical hormone is not free from negative effects. One undesirable effect of testosterone the cause of alopecia which is male pattern baldness. But the good news is that DHT, an androgen in your testos which causes male pattern baldness can be treated effectively with a medication called Propecia.
DHT may also be a serious risk for some types of cancers such as the prostate cancer and that is why, treatment of prostate cancer which usually involves a complete elimination of circulating testosterone.
Although this helps to reduce the growth rate of tumors, removing a man's testosterone leaves him feeling emotionally unstable. There is also a complete loss of sex drive and sexual function. Because of non existing testos, the patient also loses muscle mass and even begins to take on feminine characteristics.
In conclusion, the testosterone hormone is a very important hormone for feeling and actually being younger. This hormone plays a very important role in a men's health and well-being and at the same time is a fantastic muscle building hormone as it increases the strength of both muscles and bones.
A healthy lifestyle including good eating habits and regular exercise will ensure that you are getting all the benefits testosterone can offer. If you are over 25, you may wish to increase your production of hormone naturally by supplementing with Testosterone Boosting Supplements!
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