Men with Elevated Testosterone Levels Stay Healthy As They Age

Latest study on men’s health has brought to light the fact that higher levels of testosterone hormone help in keeping men healthy for long. When testosterone hormones in the body are high, there is a reduction in loss of lean muscle mass, which happens with age. In men who lose weight as they age, the loss of lean muscle mass has been found to be higher. Further, as a man ages, he loses strength in his lower body. This new research has now proved that high levels of testosterone in the body can reduce deterioration of lean muscle mass and keep up health.It has been found that loss of strength as a woman ages is not as high as a man’s loss. This has led to the conclusion that the sex hormones are responsible for the variation in strength between older men and women. The current study aims at establishing a link between better aging process and the level of testosterone in the body. Loss of muscle results in decrease of resistance and a man is more prone to fractures and other damages in his musculoskeletal structure.

The study was carried out for men who are 65 years of age or above. Erin LeBlanc, the lead author of the study said that in this age group, the level of testosterone in the body makes a lot of difference to the physical strength in arms and legs in particular and overall health in general. He also said that during the course of their experiments, it was found that men with higher level of testosterone in the body showed better ability to perform simple functions such as standing up from a chair when compared to men with lower testosterone levels.

1183 men were considered for the study. They were all aged 65 years or above. The study duration was four and a half years. Techniques such as dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, better known as DXA scans were used for the study. Tests were performed to evaluate physical strength factors such as lower extremity power, grip strength, ease of rising from a chair without using arms and speed of walking.

It was found that the level of testosterone in the body is directly proportional to the ease with which men are able to perform physical activities. LeBlanc said that testosterone in the body was a measure of general physical ability in the body. This hormone is chiefly responsible for better aging process in men.