Unsurprisingly, testosterone levels are much higher in men than in women. This article discusses the potential role of this hormone in weight loss and obesity. The fact that this therapy has been used over the past 7 decades to treat hypogonadism (testosterone deficiency) and is proven to be well tolerated and effective should be an added tool to the armament for the war on obesity. A large number of studies have shown that testosterone therapy does not increase the risk of MI, stroke or death . Although this myth has been debunked 108,109, the fear of physicians from litigation has presented a huge challenge to testosterone therapy in men with testosterone deficiency 110,111. These findings support a role for testosterone therapy in management of obesity. For men, low testosterone is often linked with aging, but it can also be caused by chronic stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, certain medications, or underlying medical conditions. So if you’ve been dieting and working out but you’re still gaining weight or seeing very little progress, your metabolism—and possibly your testosterone—might be part of the problem. When it's slow, you burn fewer calories, and your body is more likely to store the food you eat as fat. This is why people with low testosterone often notice that they’re gaining weight even if their habits haven’t changed much. And muscle, as you might know, burns more calories than fat—even when you’re at rest. Stress increases the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. Sufficient fats and carbs are also necessary for the normal production of testosterone. Clinical research shows that taking enough protein through food can help you burn fat and stimulate the production of testosterone. That is why you should eat a balanced diet so your body can get all the nutrients it needs to produce hormones. If you have subnormal plasma testosterone, you may be looking for ways to increase testosterone. The waist circumference of the first group decreased by around 13 cm, while the waist circumference of the control group increased by an average of 7 cm. These hormones are thought to have important effects on What's more, testosterone plays other important roles in health and disease that may surprise you. A 2019 study involving 2,295 teenage boys and men found that impaired sleep could be linked to lower levels of testosterone. Research often highlights the dangers of long-term stress, which can elevate levels of the hormone cortisol. Interestingly, testosterone also plays an important role in female health and sexual well-being. If you’re struggling with unexplained weight gain, fatigue, or muscle loss, it might be worth checking your testosterone levels. When testosterone levels are low, your body starts losing that valuable muscle and may replace it with fat—especially around the belly area. Studies show long-term testosterone therapy can improve body composition and cause sustained weight loss. There is some evidence that replacement therapy can lead to weight loss in obese patients with testosterone deficiency (20, 21, 22, 23). We believe that testosterone therapy in obese men with testosterone deficiency is a unique and effective therapeutic approach to management of obesity. The implication of testosterone therapy in management of obesity in men with testosterone deficiency is of paramount clinical significance, as it produces sustained weight loss without recidivism. Long-term testosterone therapy in men with testosterone deficiency produces significant and sustained weight loss, marked reduction in waist circumference and BMI and improvement in body composition. The researchers only included men in the study, because they didn’t expect weight loss drugs to raise testosterone levels in women. Popular weight loss medications like Ozempic can help reverse low testosterone levels in men with obesity or Type 2 diabetes, according to new research. Testosterone therapy may make sense for women who have low testosterone levels and symptoms that might be due to testosterone deficiency. For starters, a healthy sex life is important in regulating your sex hormone and testosterone levels. In a 2021 study, zinc supplementation increased testosterone levels and improved sexual function in postmenopausal women with low blood levels of zinc.
