Testosterone and Aging: Maintaining Vitality as You Get Older

By Alpana Tarkar on 12 August 2023

Testosterone and Aging: Maintaining Vitality as You Get Older

Wouldn’t we love to have the enthusiasm and energy that we had as kids throughout our lives? But nature has other plans. Our strength, vigor, and vitality tend to decline as we age. Age brings wisdom, but it also brings about changes in our bodies. These changes may not always be in favor of our health. One such change is a decline in testosterone levels in males. The testosterone hormone contributes to male growth and masculine characteristics and maintains strength, vitality, and libido in males. Thus, as you age, it is crucial to replenish this vital hormone with the aid of lifestyle changes and testosterone booster supplements. Let us understand how testosterone helps men maintain vitality as we age.

What is Testosterone?

Testosterone is the principal sex hormone in males. It is produced in the testicles of men. Present since birth, testosterone levels peak during adolescence and early adulthood and begin to decline by 1-2% each year post-thirties and 40s. It is this hormone that imparts male sexual characteristics such as facial hair, a deeper voice, and muscle strength to boys during puberty (the teen years). Testosterone is also needed to produce sperm in males. Although testosterone reduces with age, some men may experience a loss of testosterone in the early stages of life or have low testosterone levels called Hypogonadism.

Role of Testosterone in Males

Testosterone in males helps maintain:

Muscle mass and strength
Sperm production
Sex drive
Production of red blood cells
Facial and body hair
Fat distribution
Bone density
Mood & sleep regulation

Fact Check: Testosterone is also present in female bodies in smaller quantities as compared to males.

Ways to Increase Vitality Through Testosterone while Aging

Maintaining vitality while aging helps us stay fit, healthy, independent, and confident. Since testosterone plays a crucial role in imparting vitality and vigor, preventing the loss of testosterone further or helping our body increase testosterone levels may help older men retain it.

Improve Dietary Habits: High-protein, low-calorie, and fiber-rich diets have shown a positive correlation with levels of testosterone, sperm quality, and vitality in males. Healthy fats (oily fish, flaxseeds), high-quality proteins (organic chicken, whey protein), complex carbohydrates (oats, brown rice), ginger, ashwagandha, foods high in zinc (chickpeas, mushrooms), and foods high in magnesium (wheat bran, dark chocolate), among others, all appear to increase testosterone levels. These nutrients assist in controlling hormones, reducing body fat, and boosting testosterone levels. Male hypogonadism is further aggravated by increased inflammation brought on by junk that decreases testosterone levels. Eating out frequently, consumption of bread, high-fat dairy products and desserts, and other unhealthy foods high in sugar, sodium, and fats exacerbate inflammation and make your body create more insulin than usual, which eventually leads to diabetes. These diets have also been shown to reduce muscle mass and increase belly fat. Both excess fat and insulin have been associated with a decrease in testosterone levels.

Engage in Exercise: You may increase your testosterone by staying physically active and working out frequently. Multiple studies have shown that exercise can cause a sharp increase in serum testosterone concentrations. Testosterone levels tend to increase immediately after a bout of heavy resistance exercise and return to baseline after 30 minutes of the exercise. Although a post-workout testosterone increase is momentary, consistent exercise will not only improve your testosterone levels but also keep excess body fat, undesirable fat, and other metabolic illnesses under control.

Get Enough Sleep: Sleep is when your body produces the most testosterone. Testosterone hormone production is sleep-dependent and requires at least 3 hours of normal sleep. As a result, if you don't get enough sleep, your body won't have the time it needs to produce testosterone at its highest level. Disorders of sleep, including abnormalities of sleep quality and duration and sleep-disordered breathing, may lead to decreased levels of testosterone. To keep testosterone levels at normal levels, make sure you get enough sleep.

Reduce your Stress Levels: According to research, low testosterone levels can result from worrying about challenging and uncertain activities. Long-term stress can damage the mitochondria of Leydig cells, which results in decreased production of testosterone. Your stress levels can be significantly reduced by engaging in activities like meditation, yoga, and gratitude journaling.

Keep a tab on Alcohol: The Leydig cells in the testis, which are in charge of producing and secreting testosterone, are impacted by excessive alcohol use. Additionally, drinking alcohol lowers the levels of the hormones follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), both of which are necessary for the creation of testosterone. So it's crucial to keep your alcohol consumption in check if you want to keep your testosterone levels optimal.

Invest in Testosterone Boosters: Another powerful technique to raise your testosterone levels is by including testosterone booster supplements into your everyday regimen. Testosterone supplements that promise to naturally increase testosterone levels are widely available on store shelves. However, check for ones that contain natural extracts like shilajit, Testofen®, fenugreek seed extracts, and ginkgo biloba if you want to get the best testosterone booster for yourself. Elements like ginkgo biloba and saffron may also help improve mood and stimulate cortisol production. These components act together in a synergistic manner to increase testosterone production, performance, stamina, and even mood.

Wrapping Up

The key to aging gracefully is maintaining vitality as you get older. Adding testosterone boosters along with lifestyle modifications is the best way to maintain testo levels while aging. While there are plenty of options available on the market, if you’re looking for a convenient, easy-to-use testosterone supplement, you can go for oral thin strips. With the use of advanced molecular science, essential plant-based ingredients are converted into tiny molecules, aka nanoparticles, to form a thin strip. Each strip dissolves rapidly upon contact with your saliva, while its active ingredients are directly released into the bloodstream for instant action.