The human body is incredibly resilient and durable.
Even if you fall off a motorcycle and break a few bones, you can mostly go back to your old self after spending some time to recover and getting the appropriate procedures done. Illnesses may also cause you to feel weaker, but after taking some medication, you will feel better eventually.
The human body can be damaged by outside forces in so many ways, but it can also recover from all kinds of harm in similarly numerous manners. Staying in shape also allows you to ward off those threats to your health more effectively.
Unfortunately, the enemy doesn’t always come from the outside.
Men in particular may gradually experience a change in themselves brought about by a shift in their hormonal balance. To be more specific, your testosterone level dropping can have a truly adverse impact on your quality of life.
What Is Testosterone and Why Is It Important?
You probably heard about testosterone at some point during your biology classes and remember it as something related to the male body.
It’s worth diving a bit into what testosterone is now to refresh your memory.
Testosterone is best known as the male sex hormone, although it is worth pointing out here that women also produce it. The difference is that men tend to have and produce higher levels of testosterone.
Per LiveScience, the testosterone that flows through men’s bodies originates from two different areas. The hormone mainly comes from the male’s testes, but it also comes from the adrenal glands.
There are two glands in the body that are responsible for ensuring that the testosterone production process goes as expected within the male body. The pituitary gland is the one in charge of telling the testes how much testosterone to produce, while the hypothalamus is responsible for communicating with the pituitary.
As you can probably guess, the testosterone production process is quite delicate. If any one part of it is not working properly, the entire process could be derailed.
Growing up, testosterone causes many of the changes within the male’s body. Everything from your muscles and bones growing to your voice deepening can be traced back to your testosterone.
Some of the effects of testosterone go away as you grow older, but there are some benefits that remain. For instance, testosterone still contributes to strengthening your muscles even if you have long since passed puberty. The aforementioned hormone also helps maintain your libido and it can also play a role in how fat is distributed throughout your body.
To put it simply, testosterone matters not just for helping male bodies develop properly. The hormone is also an important component in maintaining a healthy male body, which is why it is a real cause of concern when you start producing less of it.
Important Things to Know about Changing Testosterone Levels
One of the most interesting things about testosterone is that the amount of it you have in your body can fluctuate quite frequently. Even within the same day, the amount of testosterone coursing through your body can change noticeably.
Hormone.org notes that your testosterone level can change just as quickly as the hour hand moves from one number to another. For most men, their testosterone level will peak in the morning and it should be at its lowest point right around the time for sleeping.
The fluctuations do become more pronounced over longer periods of time.
Your testosterone level when you’re just hitting your 20s is likely going to differ from how much testosterone you have in your 30s.
The Reasons Why Your Testosterone Level May Drop
Aside from the natural fluctuations, the amount of testosterone you have in your body may also change for numerous other reasons.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two main reasons for why the amount of testosterone in your body decreases. These are primary hypogonadism and secondary hypogonadism.
They are regarded as such because they refer to the primary and secondary producers of testosterone. Whereas primary hypogonadism is related to the testicles, secondary hypogonadism can be traced back to problems involving the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland.
What Are the Causes of Primary Hypogonadism?
Among the more common causes of primary hypogonadism is an injury to your testicles. Men know all about how vulnerable testicles can be and if they ever get seriously injured, the rate at which testosterone is produced can be significantly affected. One testicle being seriously injured may not be enough to significantly impact testosterone production however.
Primary hypogonadism may also be directly caused by your testicles not being properly descended. Hopefully, undescended testicles are spotted early on by parents because they can be corrected pretty easily in babies.
You may also suffer from primary hypogonadism as a result of having too much iron in your bloodstream or because of the infection known as mumps orchitis. The condition that goes by the name Klinefelter syndrome can also be detrimental to the proper production of testosterone.
If you are undergoing radiation or chemotherapy, you may also notice your testosterone level drop. The drop in testosterone may go away as you stop the treatment, but that does not happen all the time.
What Are the Causes of Secondary Hypogonadism?
The potential causes of secondary hypogonadism are more varied.
Kallman syndrome and issues with your pituitary gland could be the root causes of secondary hypogonadism, but they are not the only ones. Numerous other illnesses that can affect your reproductive system may also be the reason why you are currently experiencing secondary hypogonadism.
The drugs you take in order to combat those illnesses may also cause secondary hypogonadism.
Your weight can also affect your testosterone level. Specifically, if you have been obese for an extended period of time, your glands may struggle to produce the amount of testosterone you usually need.
Lastly, going back to something mentioned earlier, the process of aging will also directly impact the amount of testosterone you have in your body.
The Effects of Having Low Testosterone
After reading about all the potential causes of primary and secondary hypogonadism, you’ve likely come to the conclusion that the aforementioned condition is not something you’ll be able to avoid easily throughout your life.
So, how much can having insufficient levels of testosterone in your body affect your quality of life? As it turns out, not having enough testosterone can cause a wide range of problems.
At first glance, some of these symptoms may not seem too bad.
Losing hair could cause you to become more self-conscious about your appearance, but there are still ways to make the bald look work for you. According to the Cleveland Clinic, if men don’t have enough testosterone in their body, they may also become more prone to developing breasts – a condition known as gynecomastia.
Your testosterone level dropping earlier than expected can also get in the way of how you go through daily life. Fatigue and increased irritability are known to be symptoms of hypogonadism and they can make it more difficult for you to work.
Becoming more irritable is not the only notable thing that may change in you mentally if your testosterone level remains consistently low. You could also end up having more trouble simply concentrating on tasks you need to do. On top of that, your memory may not be as reliable as it used to be.
If your testosterone plummets all of a sudden, expect to run into difficulties if you’re looking to start a family. Low testosterone has been found to reduce libido and even the semen volume could be altered in a way that does not help with reproduction. Sustaining an erection could also prove to be more difficult with low testosterone.
There are even more serious symptoms of having low testosterone.
Men who have lower levels of testosterone may be diagnosed with osteoporosis. Though the aforementioned condition is typically linked to women, it can also affect men especially if their testosterone level is not where it used to be. Osteoporosis is difficult to deal with because it’s a condition that can make you more prone to breaking bones.
It’s not just your bones that become more susceptible to long-term damage if the amount of testosterone in your body becomes very low.
The muscles in your body are also likely to be affected by a decrease in testosterone. Healthline points out that low testosterone does more to muscle mass than it does to strength. That means that your muscles may still remain about as strong as they used to be, but developing and toning them further could be a greater challenge.
What You Can Do about Low Testosterone
Low testosterone may not seem like a big deal at first, but as that condition lingers, it can have a tangible impact on your life. What’s even more troubling is that both your professional and personal life can be affected in such damaging ways by a hormone in your body simply not being as prevalent as it once was.
Now that you know all about the things that can happen if you have low testosterone, you can understand why it’s not just something that you can afford to avoid addressing.
Exercising more, improving your diet, and getting plenty of rest are all things you can do to help increase your testosterone levels. Doing all of those things will bump up your testosterone level to some degree, but they may not be enough on their own.
This is where testosterone boosters can come in and provide some assistance.
What Are Testosterone Boosters?
The name already gives it away, but just to get on the same page, the term refers to a supplement an individual can take for the purposes of increasing his testosterone. There are all kinds of supplements available on the market today, so it shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise that there are ones you can take for testosterone as well.
Testosterone boosters are loaded with different kinds of herbs and extracts. Because these are intended to help your body with the production of testosterone, they can’t be made out of artificial ingredients that could present all kinds of side effects.
When it comes to any product that is labeled as a supplement, some people have a tendency to become skeptical. Is that something you need to be concerned with too if you are indeed considering taking testosterone boosters?
Notably, hormonal therapy expert Dr. Sohere Roked talked about seeing people who have observed positive changes happening to their body and general well-being after using testosterone boosters, in an interview with Men’s Health UK.
Still, the supplement on its own is not good enough to suddenly reverse the effects of low testosterone. Instead of just taking the supplement, you also have to make lifestyle changes that will enable you to get the most out of what you’re consuming. This means that you have to exercise regularly, eat healthier, and rest properly along with taking the supplement.
What Are the Ingredients That Make Testosterone Boosters Effective?
Testosterone boosters can be made out of different ingredients, but there are four in particular that you will want to keep in mind whenever you’re shopping.
D-Aspartic Acid
D-aspartic acid is a form of the aspartic amino acid and the reason why you’ll often find it included in testosterone boosters is because of how it impacts the central brain region, per Examine.com. While working on the central region of your brain, D-aspartic acid can induce the release of different hormones.
D-aspartic acid can also accumulate in your testicles, and that is a good thing. If this acid ends up there, it can address what’s known as a rate-limiting step that can adversely affect testosterone synthesis. With that rate-limiting step addressed, the amount of testosterone in your body may bump up a little.
Fenugreek
Next up is the herb known as fenugreek. If you’re familiar with Indian cuisine, then chances are that you’ve heard of and possibly even tasted fenugreek before because it’s sometimes used in curries.
Fenugreek is not just an ingredient that enhances dishes though.
Per WebMD, early research conducted on fenugreek indicates that ingesting drops of its seed oil can help with upping sperm count in men who previously presented low sperm counts.
As you can imagine, the effects of fenugreek are welcome in any male body-boosting supplement.
Tribulus Terrestris
Tribulus terrestris is yet another plant that you will want to find in the testosterone supplement you’re taking.
According to Examine.com, the studies that sought to investigate how tribulus terrestris can improve athletic performance have yet to yield the kind of concrete results you would like to see, but that’s not really the reason why this plant is valued.
Tribulus terrestris is useful for improving your libido and it can even help improve erectile function. Testosterone supplements with tribulus terrestris will be able to help men who want to work on starting families.
Vitamin D
One more ingredient you need to look for while shopping for a testosterone booster is vitamin D.
Remember that one of the effects of having low testosterone is that your bone density may decrease and you, in turn, could become more susceptible to broken bones. The presence of vitamin D in the supplement addresses that potential issue.
As noted by the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D improves calcium absorption and it can also help with sustaining calcium and phosphate levels. The vitamin D present in the testosterone booster you’re taking could be a key reason why you continue to have strong and healthy bones even as you age.
Should You Be Worried about Side Effects When Taking Testosterone Boosters?
Side effects are often associated with different kinds of supplements, so it’s difficult to avoid thinking about them when discussing testosterone boosters.
In order to protect yourself from any side effects, the best thing you can do is to stick to purchasing testosterone boosters from reputable companies. By doing so, you can rest assured knowing that the supplements you’re ingesting are made with only the finest natural ingredients.
2020 – Best Testosterone Booster Reviews
Now that testosterone and testosterone boosters have been discussed in great detail, it’s time to focus on specific products. Included below are five different products that can offer a wide range of benefits to men who need a bit of a boost.
Testogen
Beginning with Testogen, this is a testosterone booster that does not shy away from making use of different ingredients in order to provide people with the best results. For those reasons, it receives the distinction of being the best testosterone booster of 2020.
It focuses a lot on pumping up your testosterone levels with the aid of boron and nettle leaf extracts. Even though those ingredients are not usually found in supplements, you can rest assured that they will provide the testosterone-boosting effects that you’re looking for.
There’s one other ingredient that deserves to be pointed out because of how it works to improve the overall effectiveness of this product. That ingredient in question is bioperine.
Bioperine is good for improving your mood and your memory, but that’s not all that it does. The aforementioned ingredient also helps to improve nutrient absorption. What that means is that you can more effectively absorb the other goodies included in Testogen thanks to bioperine.
Speaking of those other goodies, you can expect to find D-aspartic acid, fenugreek, vitamin D, and numerous other helpful ingredients in this supplement.
You will be hard-pressed to find a more versatile and helpful testosterone booster on the market. Make it a point to include Testogen on your shopping list.
Pros:
- Boron and nettle leaf extracts included help with increasing testosterone levels
- Bioperine is intended to help with nutrient absorption
- Essential ingredients such as D-aspartic acid, fenugreek, and vitamin D found in this supplement
- The most helpful testosterone booster on the market today
Cons:
- You’ll have to pay more for this supplement
Testo Max
Testo Max is one testosterone supplement that prides itself on being able to help men bulk up.
This particular product is formulated in such a way to promote improved muscle development.
Testo Max separates itself from many competitors by banking on D-aspartic acid. Just as a reminder, D-aspartic acid plays a role in effectively increasing the amount of testosterone in your body while simultaneously working to promote the release of other beneficial hormones.
Because D-aspartic acid works to increase the testosterone in increments, you don’t have to worry about the amount of that hormone inside your body suddenly spiking. As your testosterone levels are gradually rising, you can also up the intensity of your workout routines to keep up.
You can also count on Testo Max to help with strengthening your body because it still contains vitamin D and magnesium. Still, the focus of this supplement at the end of the day is on getting as much D-aspartic acid into your body as it can.
Make sure to reserve some time when you are first integrating this supplement into your daily routine. The good news is that you only have to take it 20 minutes before eating breakfast, though you will have to ingest four tablets at once.
Pros:
- Features plenty of D-aspartic acid
- Magnesium and vitamin D contained within help with bulking up
- Daily dosage can be taken all at once
Cons:
- Available solely from the official website
Test RX
Testosterone boosters are not limited to older gentlemen who may be looking to extend their primes just a bit longer. If you’re looking to get in better shape and want to get more out of the work you put in, it’s worth looking into using Test RX.
You’re getting vitamin D3 in this supplement and that is what you need for strengthening your frame. Of course, you can’t just focus on improving the health of your bones if you’re serious about bulking up.
Strengthening your muscles is key as well. Test RX is great for that because it contains magnesium aspartate.
Magnesium aspartate is great for improving the oxygen intake of your muscles. By getting more of that magnesium aspartate into your body, recovering from intense workouts is easier, even if you are older.
Along with the magnesium aspartate and the vitamin D3, you’re getting the other essentials such as fenugreek and D-aspartic acid from this supplement.
If you’ve been feeling more fatigued than usual recently, you can benefit from the presence of vitamin B6 in this product.
Compared to the other supplements, this one is tougher to find in stock and supplies may run out before you can secure a replacement.
Pros:
- Contains ingredients that help with recovery
- Does great work on your muscles and bones
- Helps regulate red blood cell production
Cons:
- Can be difficult to obtain
Testo Fuel
Testosterone boosters should do more than just help you grow your muscles and strengthen your body. As beneficial as they can be to your body, they should also contribute to improving your mood and mental capabilities.
Clearly, the makers of Testo Fuel were focused on also providing the mental benefits of testosterone boosters in creating that specific product.
You’re still getting the usual suspects in terms of ingredients from this supplement such as the D-aspartic acid, fenugreek, and even vitamin D. What is worth paying more attention to though is that this supplement contains some other interesting ingredients.
For example, you can find oyster extract in this supplement. You may be wondering what oyster extract is doing in this supplement, but keep in mind that oysters work well as aphrodisiacs.
On top of that, you’ll also find ginseng in this testosterone booster. Ginseng itself can help you get in the mood, but beyond that, it is also useful for improving your cognitive abilities.
The recommended serving size for Testo Fuel is four capsules per day.
Pros:
- Makes use of ingredients such as oyster extract and ginseng
- Improves your mood and mental capabilities
- You’ll get a good helping of D-aspartic acid from this supplement
Cons:
- Not the most affordable testosterone booster
Nugenix
The folks behind Nugenix have been in the business of putting out quality testosterone supplements for quite some time now, and it’s easy to understand why.
Nugenix is particularly notable for how it can increase your libido and your fertility. The fenugreek and tribulus terrestris contained within this supplement are the ingredients that will prove most helpful in that department. In addition to those two, the makers of Nugenix have also included zinc to further help with your libido.
Aside from that, you can also count on Nugenix to aid with your red blood cell production.
There’s a decent chance that the recent bouts of excessive fatigue you’ve been experiencing are related to the slowing down of red blood cell production, which itself is another byproduct of low testosterone.
The vitamin B-6 and B-12 included in this supplement will specifically address that potential issue with the red blood cell count.
It can be somewhat tricky to take this supplement regularly. That’s mainly because you need to take three tablets per day and you should do so on an empty stomach each time. Plan ahead for that.
The pricing on Nugenix is a tad high, but you’re getting great value.
Pros:
- Addresses issues with your libido and fertility
- Good for your red blood cell count thanks to the presence of vitamin B-6 and B-12
- Terrific reputation
Cons:
- Price is a bit high
Conclusion
Low testosterone is a problem many men will encounter at some point in life. No matter how harsh the effects of low testosterone can be though, it is important to remember that you do not have to just live with them. By using testosterone boosters, you can improve your overall health and enjoy being active more often.
As much as possible, prioritize Testogen when shopping for supplements as it offers the most impressive collection of benefits. You can counteract the symptoms of low testosterone with the aid of that aforementioned product more effectively.
