Testosterone and Weight Loss
What is testosterone?
To understand the connection between testosterone and weight loss, you need to understand what testosterone exactly is. In the end, it all comes down to what functions the hormone has in your body. Testosterone is your body’s main male sex hormone, produced by your testicles (or ovaries when you’re a woman). The most important role of testosterone is to promote male qualities, such as:- Facial and body hair
- Deep voice
- Strong bones
- Increased muscle mass
- Male fertility and healthy sperm
Testosterone and weight loss
It’s clear that testosterone has many important functions in your body, but how is it connected to your weight and fat? The answer: in multiple ways! Let’s discuss them one by one.1 – Testosterone and body fat
If you suffer from low testosterone levels (also known as testosterone deficiency, low T, or – in some cases – hypogonadism) your body won’t experience all those benefits that we listed in the previous section. One of these benefits, muscle mass, is directly linked to your weight. You see, your muscles burn way more calories than your fat does. This is because muscle is metabolically active tissue. The more you have, the more calories you’ll burn at rest. So if you lack muscle, you’ll burn less calories and you’ll be much more likely to eat more calories than your body can burn. All those excess calories need to go somewhere, so your body stores them as fat. And Ta-dah! You just gained weight... Furthermore, several scientific studies – such as this one and this one – suggest that testosterone suppresses fat gain by decreasing adipocyte leptin production (leptin being essential in the control and regulation of body weight). So not only will higher T levels increase muscle mass, which will boost weight loss; but it will simultaneously suppress your fat gain as well! In other words, testosterone is attacking your excess fat in different ways! But that’s not all… Let’s move on to the next point on the list of how testosterone and weight loss are linked.2 - Obesity and low testosterone
The previous section explained how testosterone influences weight, but it works the other way round as well. Here’s how. Studies, such as this one, suggest that overweight men have much lower testosterone levels than non-obese men. In many obese men this even results in them suffering from hypogonadism (extremely low testosterone levels). Currently there is no conclusive scientific evidence on WHY this is the case. Nevertheless, the link between obesity and low testosterone is well-documented and it seems to come down to two main reasons. Firstly, fat cells have high levels of a certain enzyme called aromatase. Aromatase has many functions, but one of its primary ones is to convert testosterone into estrogen (the female sex hormone). For men, having some estrogen is normal, in fact necessary for a healthy hormonal balance. But not too much… So as you gain weight and the number of fat cells in your body increases, your body will convert more testosterone into estrogen. Conclusion: more fat = higher estrogen and lower testosterone. Secondly, these high levels of aromatase and estrogen reduce the production of a different hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GRH). In turn, this can cause a further reduction in testosterone production. Suggested read: How to lower estrogen in men Combined these bodily processes might be the reason why obesity and testosterone are linked. But still, the connection between testosterone and weight loss doesn’t end there.3 - Weight loss to boost testosterone
Ok, so you’ve seen how high testosterone attacks your excess fat, and you’ve seen how your excess fat, in turn, can also lower your testosterone. Now this all leads to point number 3; if you lower your fat – i.e. if you lose weight – you can effectively boost your testosterone. That’s right: lose weight to boost testosterone! Many men who suffer from low testosterone and obesity automatically think of radical steps like hormone replacement therapy or testosterone injections. However, these procedures can be dangerous and cause side effects. Always consult a medical professional when considering these treatments. Suggested read 1: Hormone replacement therapy for men Suggested read 2: Testosterone injections for men Instead of resorting to such methods there are different, safer ways to boost your testosterone (we’ll name a few further down below). Losing weight is one of those ways. As we explained, obesity affects your testosterone in a negative way, so it makes sense that it works the other way round as well. When you lose weight you lose fat cells, which are the cause for your lower T levels. So it’s a vicious cycle that can work both ways. The more weight you lose, the more testosterone you gain! Want to really maximize your testosterone as you lose weight? Then there are actually specific testosterone boosting exercises you can try!Learn more about exercise and testosterone >>
Testosterone booster for weight loss
By now, we know how testosterone and weight loss are linked and how losing weight can effectively boost your testosterone. Time to apply your new knowledge and start boosting your body, the right way! But do you start with losing weight, or do you start with increasing your T levels...? The answer: both! How? By taking a testosterone booster, like TestoGen, combined with a suitable exercise routine. TestoGen supplement consists of 100% natural ingredients that all work together to naturally increase your testosterone levels. Combine this testosterone booster with a suitable workout routine and you can quickly and safely transform your body!Other natural ways to increase testosterone
We’ve seen a lot of ways to boost testosterone, but there’s still more to come. In this section we’ll show you even more options so you know how to naturally increase your testosterone levels. As mentioned before, if you suffer from a large testosterone deficiency, you have spoken to a medical professional, and there appears to be no other way to get your levels up, then you can consider something like Hormone Replacement Therapy. However, for most people this is a last resort as it does come with its dangers and risks, as found in multiple pieces of research. Luckily, there are enough natural ways to improve low testosterone levels. We’ll list them below.- Get enough sleep
- Get enough Vitamin D
- Get enough headspace