action of Testosterone
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 12:38 pm
This was an article in new scientist, I wrote the below as a summary for a friend, I think I got the main points in.
I am surprised they didnt do any testing on Eunuchs as there are lots around with low T and it may have been interesting. Of course many Eunuchs would not wish to take T or mess with levels.
I hope this has not already been posted or discussed, it was from july 2014 so near a year old study report.
There is a lot of adverts in the US about testosterone replacement therapy to treat erectile disfunction, tiredness , even getting fat. The traditional idea being low T is the main cause and more T is good. High T was thought (due to studies) to correlate to aggression and even competitive success in stock brokers ! There have been some studies based on giving T to women.
I believe the study would have been better and of course quite possible if they used eunuchs since male amnd female hormone systems are different. It was done by a guy called Van Honk .. really. It was found the T increased caution in people about trusting others. More T less trust. However it also boosted generosity so high T people tend to be generous to those they trust but bestow generosity only on those who show that they are trustable. As you can see its actions are quite a lot more complex compared to the simple ideas some hold. We think of T just making you aggressive and tough and horny but it is not the case.
T seems to make you pro-social and to help those who we trust and those who help us.
They did some studies on some amazon tribesmen who naturaly have a 1/3 lower T then most men. These men are just as horny and aggressive etc as other men worldwide. It seems that it does not matter HOW much T you have it is the INCREASE from base level that stimulates the body. The things that stimulate increased T production are exercise, and higher physical stress activity like hunting of competitive sport. These are activities also linked to increased social status (attractiveness for breeding)
Smoking, obesity, lack of exercise reduce the Base T level and the peaks attained. As men get older this is the main cause of the drop in their ability to boost T above baseline so they become tired and lower sex drive.
It seems that boosting T with supplements can unbalance the body. When this extra T encounters fat cells it turns into a form of oestrogen which in turn promote more fat deposits. In other words trying to fool the bodies balance with Extra T tends to back fire.
Extra T make the blood thicker and unless you are also fit and strong this stresses the heart and circulation and also can increase stroke risk. There is evidence to suggest he drop in base levels is to protect the older male from these dangers. High T is linked to prostate issues too so lower base levels as you get older are not a bad thing. Supplements may cause prostate cancer, heart attack and stroke.
Lower T with age may be a defence system for the body.
It was found losing 8 KG had an effect on boosting T levels naturally, it would seem that as you get older the best way to keep T levels optimum is to adopt a healthy active lifestyle and T supplements may not actually be the best solution.
I am surprised they didnt do any testing on Eunuchs as there are lots around with low T and it may have been interesting. Of course many Eunuchs would not wish to take T or mess with levels.
I hope this has not already been posted or discussed, it was from july 2014 so near a year old study report.
There is a lot of adverts in the US about testosterone replacement therapy to treat erectile disfunction, tiredness , even getting fat. The traditional idea being low T is the main cause and more T is good. High T was thought (due to studies) to correlate to aggression and even competitive success in stock brokers ! There have been some studies based on giving T to women.
I believe the study would have been better and of course quite possible if they used eunuchs since male amnd female hormone systems are different. It was done by a guy called Van Honk .. really. It was found the T increased caution in people about trusting others. More T less trust. However it also boosted generosity so high T people tend to be generous to those they trust but bestow generosity only on those who show that they are trustable. As you can see its actions are quite a lot more complex compared to the simple ideas some hold. We think of T just making you aggressive and tough and horny but it is not the case.
T seems to make you pro-social and to help those who we trust and those who help us.
They did some studies on some amazon tribesmen who naturaly have a 1/3 lower T then most men. These men are just as horny and aggressive etc as other men worldwide. It seems that it does not matter HOW much T you have it is the INCREASE from base level that stimulates the body. The things that stimulate increased T production are exercise, and higher physical stress activity like hunting of competitive sport. These are activities also linked to increased social status (attractiveness for breeding)
Smoking, obesity, lack of exercise reduce the Base T level and the peaks attained. As men get older this is the main cause of the drop in their ability to boost T above baseline so they become tired and lower sex drive.
It seems that boosting T with supplements can unbalance the body. When this extra T encounters fat cells it turns into a form of oestrogen which in turn promote more fat deposits. In other words trying to fool the bodies balance with Extra T tends to back fire.
Extra T make the blood thicker and unless you are also fit and strong this stresses the heart and circulation and also can increase stroke risk. There is evidence to suggest he drop in base levels is to protect the older male from these dangers. High T is linked to prostate issues too so lower base levels as you get older are not a bad thing. Supplements may cause prostate cancer, heart attack and stroke.
Lower T with age may be a defence system for the body.
It was found losing 8 KG had an effect on boosting T levels naturally, it would seem that as you get older the best way to keep T levels optimum is to adopt a healthy active lifestyle and T supplements may not actually be the best solution.