Renew Vitality is a healthcare and wellness center devoted to getting men with low testosterone back on track to improved health. Our New York location is one of ten locations spread out across the US that offer hormone replacement regimens and individualized lifestyle plans tailored to each patient’s nutrition and exercise needs.
Does Testosterone Affect Aging?
For men, testosterone and aging go hand in hand. As men age, their testosterone levels drop gradually, typically as much as 1-2% each year after age 30. Over time, this gradual decline in bioavailable T levels can catch up with men, leading to unpleasant side effects such as fatigue, sexual problems, muscle weakness, weight gain, and dysphoria.
WEIGHT GAIN
A lot of men assume that weight gain is just a natural part of getting older; however, fat gain, particularly in the abdomen, is oftentimes a sign of dwindling T levels. Stomach fat, in turn, increases the amount of estrogen that a man’s body produces.
Men naturally produce very low levels of estrogen, but stomach fat can create a surge in female hormones, which, if left untreated, can lower gonadal production of T and even convert T into bioavailable estrogen.
On the other hand, studies have shown that, after testosterone replacement therapy, men who have naturally low T tend to lose more weight than with diet and exercise alone. Not only that, the weight lost through TRT is almost exclusively fat. People with higher muscle mass burn more calories even when at rest; consequently, TRT triggers the body’s natural proclivity for burning body fat for energy.
SEXUAL PROBLEMS
Dr. Walter E. Brackelmanns, psychologist and co-founder of the American Association of Couples and Sex Therapists, explains that “Low T can strike at the heart of a man’s sex drive, and with the loss of that sex drive comes declined interest in any form of sexual activity, including self-stimulation.” Studies have shown men undergoing hormone replacement therapy experience increased libido and regained potency in cases of mild erectile dysfunction.
DECREASED ENERGY AND MOOD
As testosterone’s bioavailability lowers, men often report feelings of depression and fatigue. Research has shown that men with depression are more likely to have lower T-serum levels than non-depressed men of the same age. As such, depression and low T can result in a vicious cycle where low T leads to depression, which then brings down T levels even further.
When a man has less bioavailable testosterone, pre-existing depression can worsen – but research is still out on the reasons behind this phenomenon. It’s suspected that, because testosterone has a large impact on brain chemistry, changes in T levels can alter the brain’s production and reuptake of serotonin. Consequently, many men report a boost in mood and energy with testosterone replacement therapy, coupled with a healthy lifestyle.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy: How It Works
Testosterone replacement therapy can be administered in a number of different ways, but the most common methods are in the form of patches, topical gels, implants, and injections. Topical gels are generally applied on the upper body or abdomen, but there are intranasal formulas as well. Transdermal patches are applied once a day and slowly introduce testosterone into the bloodstream via the pores in your skin. Mouth patches work similarly to the transdermal patches except these are applied to the gums rather than the skin.
Alternatively, men can choose to go the implantation route, where small pellets of testosterone are administered into the soft tissue and gradually absorb over time, or the injection route where the testosterone is given intramuscularly.
Combined with a healthy lifestyle, TRT can naturally boost the body’s production of T by promoting loss of belly fat, which is associated with higher levels of estrogen in men.
In the event that these symptoms are proven to be caused by Low T, our team of healthcare professionals will review the patient’s blood sample to find the correct dosage for their TRT, and discuss which option of administration is right for them.
Changing Your Lifestyle To Boost Testosterone
Diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors such as smoking impact the body’s natural production of testosterone. Diabetes, obesity, and depression have all been linked to hypogonadism or decreased testosterone production as well. Luckily, there are ways to help address these shortfalls.
Simple changes to your everyday lifestyle, such as following the right diet, quitting smoking, and engaging in regular exercise can go a long way towards jumpstarting the body’s natural testosterone production. Besides boosting your T levels, leading a healthier lifestyle can help you feel more energized and promote weight loss.
Here at Renew Vitality NYC, we can help you reach optimal wellness by coupling a hormone replacement regimen with individualized diet and lifestyle plans for a full-spectrum approach to naturally boost T levels over time. Taking into account your hormonal, physical, and nutrition needs, we can create a comprehensive lifestyle plan to help you reclaim your vigor.
Starting Your Wellness Journey at Renew Vitality NYC
If you think low testosterone may be contributing to your premature signs of aging, then we encourage you to contact our team of expert care professionals to get you started on your journey to wellness. Our wellness team works hard to make the consultation as easy and as comfortable for patients as possible.
The visit usually takes 30-45 minutes and involves a physical evaluation consisting of measurements of your height, weight, blood pressure, and heart rate. It’s best if you can submit a blood sample 48 hours before your consultation, this will ensure we have current readings of your T-serum levels. After we’ve gotten to the root cause of your symptoms we can begin to create a personalized wellness plan tailored to your nutrition, exercise, and hormonal needs.
Do you feel like testosterone therapy may be right for you? Contact our NYC office today for a consultation and exam to see if testosterone replacement therapy is the best course of action for you. Our wellness professionals are ready to help get you on your way to a healthier and happier future.