Low testosterone in men often gives vague complaints: ongoing fatigue, lower sex drive, sluggish recovery after training, more belly fat and a short fuse. No single symptom is proof. Only together with a blood value does the picture become clear. Below you will read which complaints fit and which values to measure.
The tricky part? Almost all of these complaints also fit sleep loss or stress.
What are the symptoms of low testosterone?
The most reported complaints are fatigue, lower libido, erection problems, loss of strength, more fat storage around the belly, irritability and a low or flat mood. In athletes it often stands out that recovery worsens and progress stalls while the training has not changed.
Still, caution is warranted. In research, many men with these complaints had a normal testosterone, and the other way round (Wu et al., 2010).
That makes symptoms a starting point, not an endpoint. They tell you it is worth measuring.
What can cause low testosterone?
A low level can come from age, excess weight, poor sleep, chronic stress, certain medications or a problem in the testes or pituitary. Often several things play a role at once.
A few common causes:
- Lifestyle: too little sleep, a lot of alcohol and a high body-fat percentage lower your level.
- Stress: long-term high cortisol often goes together with lower testosterone.
- Medical: problems in the testes or in the signalling from the pituitary. Here LH helps tell the difference.
Which dials you can turn yourself is covered in increasing testosterone naturally.
Which blood values go with it?
To support a low testosterone you measure not one but several values. Your total testosterone is your starting point, your free testosterone shows the active fraction, and LH helps place the cause. Draw in the morning, because that is when your level peaks.
How to read these numbers is in understanding your testosterone values. The practical side of the draw itself is in how to test testosterone.
You can have these values measured together with the General Hormones panel. My advice: do not go on feel, let the numbers support the conversation with your GP.
References
- Wu FCW, Tajar A, Beynon JM, et al. Identification of late-onset hypogonadism in middle-aged and elderly men. New England Journal of Medicine. 2010;363(2):123-135. PMID: 20554979.
- Bhasin S, Brito JP, Cunningham GR, et al. Testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2018;103(5):1715-1744. PMID: 29562364.
- Travison TG, Araujo AB, O'Donnell AB, et al. A population-level decline in serum testosterone levels in American men. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2007;92(1):196-202. PMID: 17062768.
Disclaimer
Every blood test result includes a professional assessment by a BIG-registered doctor. This article gives general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. A blood test is a tool to enter the conversation with your GP better informed, not a diagnosis in itself. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.
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