A hormone with versatile effects
Testosterone exerts complex effects on your body that extend beyond regulating fertility and bone mass. It also plays a role in fat distribution and how much muscle mass you’re able to build and maintain. Low levels negatively impact you in various ways, some of which influence your weight.
Testosterone and muscle mass
A lack of testosterone makes it difficult for men and women to build and maintain muscle mass. The amount of muscle you have plays a role in regulating your weight. Muscle requires more energy to maintain and therefore requires more calories. It helps keep the energy balance between how much you eat and how much you burn for fuel. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn.
When your testosterone levels fall below normal, your muscle mass declines, causing your metabolism to slow down. This domino effect paves the way for weight gain and stubborn fat that doesn’t seem to budge despite your best efforts at eating right and working out.
Testosterone and fat storage
Fat cells, once thought of as dormant storage spots, are now known to act like other organs, secreting chemicals, sending signals, and influencing other parts of your body. For instance, fat cells produce an enzyme called aromatase that converts testosterone to estrogen, and an imbalance in your testosterone and estrogen levels increases body fat.
A vicious cycle
Not only does low testosterone increase weight gain, making it harder to lose weight, and increasing your belly fat, but it also sets off a vicious cycle. Low testosterone increases body fat. That excess fat impairs your body’s ability to produce and effectively utilize testosterone, further lowering your already lower-than-normal levels. Once you’re on this vicious hamster wheel, it’s difficult to break without correcting the testosterone deficiency.
How testosterone therapy helps
Combined with moderate exercise, testosterone therapy produces significant weight loss in men and women with lower-than-normal levels. Correcting the amount of testosterone in your body helps you maintain lean mass as you shed body fat. As your levels normalize, your metabolism will increase so that you burn more calories, and your fat distribution will improve.
For Women:
If you suspect you’re suffering from low testosterone or want to learn more about the benefits of Testosterone Therapy, contact us today, (614) 334-4944