Why Do You Need to Increase Testosterone to Lose Weight?
You can get out of a weight loss plateau or the state of homeostasis by giving your body a training incentive. While more exercise is one way to get out of homeostasis, it is usually not enough to really lose weight. If you want a better result, it is also important to stimulate the production of specific body-specific hormones. One of the hormones that plays an important role in this is Testosterone – yes, it is also for women!
What is testosterone and why is this hormone also important for women?
Testosterone is not only produced in the testicles, but also in the ovaries and adrenal glands. Although many people think that testosterone is only important for men, women do indeed need a healthy testosterone level in a different ratio than men.
Testosterone stimulates muscle building. In addition, testosterone for women promotes fat burning (because more muscle mass makes more fat breakdown possible) and thus also inhibits the formation of cosmetic cellulite. This hormone also gives decisiveness in stress situations, stimulates a healthy heart function, improves your energy and mood and increases your libido. Testosterone is therefore not only responsible for male body characteristics, you also need it to keep your body healthy and balanced. In addition, a healthy testosterone level in combination with a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of aging complaints such as osteoporosis, muscle weakness and loss of libido.
What are the causes of low testosterone?
As you get older, you produce less testosterone. But too low a testosterone level can also have a number of other causes, and these are often related to diet, lifestyle, medication use and / or diseases, such as: eating too little healthy saturated fats (testosterone is made from cholesterol), exercising too much and for too long , poor sleep, medication use and insulin resistance.
In addition, the hormone estrogen, the female sex hormone and the main counterpart of testosterone, can influence your testosterone levels. If the level of estrogen is too high, estrogen dominance occurs in the body, and this imbalance is caused by frequent exposure to estrogens from our environment such as contraception and other medicines containing xenoestrogens (chemical imitation estrogens), cosmetics, plastic products containing BPA, environmental pollution and foods containing phytoestrogens (natural estrogenic compounds) such as unfermented soy, caffeine, whole grains, legumes, nuts, peas, peanuts, chickpeas, lentils, germs, and alfalfa.
Stress can also lead to a too high estrogen content. In stress, more cortisol is produced, and this hormone stimulates the enzyme aromatase, which is mainly in fat cells and converts testosterone into estradiol. This process is also referred to as aromatization and the testosterone reduction that this can lead to breast formation and other female body characteristics in men.
As you can see, it is important that all hormones in your body are balanced, because an imbalance of one hormone can lead to an imbalance of other hormones. That’s why it’s so important that your testosterone is at a healthy level.
Symptoms of low testosterone level
Men and women who have a low testosterone level can see this by:
- loss of muscle mass
- unable to build muscle mass on your legs and arms
- excess fat, especially around the belly (‘love handles’) and thighs
- depressed feelings
- a pale face and dry eyes
- sagging skin
- bone loss
- lower libido
- vaginal dryness
- weight gain
- fertility issues
How can I ensure that my testosterone returns to a healthy level?
There are several ways to boost your testosterone.
- Prevent testosterone from being lost due to aromatization
- Reduce stress hormone production by more relaxation, by becoming mentally stronger or by other techniques
- Increase your testosterone through food and superfoods
- Stimulate your testosterone through the right training.
- Estrogen replacement drugs
- Testosterone boosting injections or pellets
- Over-the-counter dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplements
A healthy testosterone level is important for both men and women. While you can always start exercising and eating healthy to increase your testosterone levels, it is recommended that you consult your doctor before opting for any replacement therapy or other testosterone therapies.
