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11/20/08
The body’s natural levels of testosterone in the blood remain relatively constant throughout the adult life. Free testosterone levels, however, tend to decrease fairly rapidly around age 50. This is why so many men at that age are now looking into medications like Viagra and Cialis for erectile dysfunction, and why hormone replacement therapy has become so popular with men at that age. The ability to replenish free testosterone levels in the blood equate to a more vibrant lifestyle – feeling younger, looking younger, and living life with the same testosterone levels of a man 20 or 30 years younger. Those who lack this ability to produce free testosterone suffer from decreased sex drive, bone density loss, feelings of sluggishness and frustration, and increased insulin resistance.
Now there might be another reason why some men over the age of 50 should seriously consider human growth hormone or testosterone supplementation. Studies have shown an increased risk of Type II diabetes in men over 50 with low free testosterone levels. People with Type II diabetes are at risk for a slew of other illnesses and maladies, including heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputation, cancer, kidney failure, and obesity.
It is imperative that men avoid preventable type II diabetes as they age into their 50s and 60s, if they wish to remain healthy. How can men do this? They must keep their free testosterone levels up. For lifetime steroid users, the use of hormone replacement therapy at that age should be an easy decision to make. They’ve used steroids for most of their lives, so their endocrine system has shut down all natural testosterone production. Therefore, hormone therapy is a normal and expected course of action. For non-steroid users, staying active is a good start. Eating healthy, lifting weights, completing cardio, and generally maintaining a healthy lifestyle are great ways to maintain free testosterone levels. However, it should be remembered that even with all the prevention methods in the world, the levels are still going to drop automatically as the functionality of your endocrine system decreases with age. It’s an inevitable part of life, and a desired one. After all, the prostate begins growing at age 40, and too much free testosterone could adhere to prostate receptors and cause cancer.
Battling testosterone decline as we age is a tricky process for naturals, as well as steroid users. The key is to become educated on the usefulness and decide when hormone replacement therapy is most appropriate.
