Effect of testosterone on weight in women

What is testosterone and how does it work?

Testosterone? But it's a male hormone, isn't it? Not really, it's not just a male hormone. Before menopause, women's ovaries also produce testosterone, and in general our bodies produce even more testosterone than estrogen, if we compare them in the same units. As menopause approaches, as the body's production of hormones decreases, women lose more than 50 per cent of their normal testosterone on average. Testosterone belongs to a group of hormones called androgens, from the .Greek "andros", meaning "man-like". All androgens are synthesised in women from cholesterol by the ovaries, in men by the testes, and also, although to a lesser extent, by the adrenal glands of both men and women. Androgens are created from chemical "building blocks" (or "precursor" molecules) in the body's fatty tissue, muscles, liver, skin and brain. Therefore, overweight women have high levels of androgens, which can then have a negative impact on weight. However, in the ovaries and adrenal glands these "precursor" molecules are modified, hence it appears that the ovaries and adrenal glands together are both directly and indirectly responsible for the production of testosterone in the female body.

Women need testosterone: after all, it is the hormone that activates sex receptors in the brains of men and women and excites the normal sexual desire. Does this hormone play an important role in regulating the ratio of fat and muscle mass in the body? This interesting hormone has many positive effects on a woman's body, especially when it comes to reducing fat deposits and building muscle mass. This is why testosterone is called an anabolic hormone - it stimulates the building of muscle and bone tissue and uses fat to do so, turning it into energy. Remember, muscle is the best "machine" for burning fat, so if you are getting fat as you age, one way to stop this is to improve your muscle structure. And that means getting your hormone levels checked!

There is a myth created by the sellers of hormone creams, which you don't need a prescription to buy, that by applying these creams you can give your body "building blocks", it will create testosterone and estrogen, the base of which will be progesterone. This is not true!!! This process requires enzymes and reactions that only take place in a woman's functioning ovaries and a man's testicles. If you are menopausal, have had a hysterectomy or fallopian tube ligation, or have been exposed to other factors that have caused you to lose these functions, then you don't have the system that converts progesterone to testosterone and estradiol. So you have a lot of progesterone building up in your body that can't be converted to testosterone.

The cessation of testosterone production by the ovaries doesn't just come with menopause, although that's what most of us are aware of. Even before menopause, women's adrenal glands reduce androgen production by 50 per cent, and the atestosterone produced by the ovaries gradually stops entering the body. One of the reasons the active form of testosterone decreases after menopause is that the "block" molecule is reduced by 50% when the ovaries stop producing hormones. So you lose the "blocks" normally produced by the ovaries, as well as the ovarian enzymes that carry out the whole process. Many doctors don't realise that a decrease in estrogen production entails a decrease in testosterone production, as the 'blocks' and enzymes in the ovaries cease to exist.

These changes mean that you start to lose muscle mass and get inexorably obese a few years before your periods stop, not to mention that your sexual desire and ability to get aroused is greatly reduced! Women now live another 30-40 years after ovarian hormone production has ceased, meaning they have to live without these very necessary hormones for metabolism for a long time to come. Has anyone heard of a man who would like to live with only half of his normal testosterone?

If you have had a hysterectomy with ovarian removal before your body has transitioned to menopausal hormone levels, the change is even more devastating. The concentration of testosterone in the blood drops significantly as early as 24-48 hours after surgery. Since the ovaries are no longer there to produce testosterone or to more efficiently convert DHEA into testosterone, there is a dramatic shortage of this power-giving hormone. This is a huge shock to the body and is another reason why women gain excessive weight after hysterectomy.

Even if your ovaries are left in place and you don't have a hysterectomy until your thirties, 60-70% of women experience a decline in hormone levels to menopausal levels 3-4 years after surgery. A frightening statistic, especially if you were operated on at 34 and you think (or have been told) that your ovaries will function normally until you are 50! It is thought that this rapid hormonal decline after removal of the uterus is due to reduced blood flow to the ovaries as a result of the cutting and clamping of the uterine artery during surgery.

Plus, if you've just started using estrogen therapy, the amount of free, biologically active testosterone decreases even more, because estrogen increases the release of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), which binds most testosterone molecules. This is one of the reasons why after a hysterectomy women lose muscle mass, get fat, lose sexual desire and strength. They think that this is a consequence of the surgery, but usually the main reason is not the surgery at all. Optimally formulated supplements containing both estradiol and testosterone are required to replenish the hormone levels you had before surgery.

Doctors are used to thinking that testosterone is not important for women, and many are still unsure about whether to prescribe this hormone, hence the issue of using testosterone therapy to treat women is a relatively new issue. The amount of active androgens in a woman's body is certainly much lower than in a man's, but they are very important for maintaining a number of vital functions in women. Fortunately, women today are aware of the importance of androgens such as testosterone and DHEA and are asking their doctors for more information on how to measure them and remove what has accumulated in the body.

How does testosterone affect your weight?

Testosterone was first associated with sexual desire (libido) in men and women; however, it has a number of other effects on all body systems, including fat deposition sites. The change in hormonal balance at menopause can take many forms, but two of them are most important because they affect testosterone production: a decrease in estradiol and an increase in oestrone in relation to the amount of testosterone available. The consequence of this is that the effects of testosterone are very pronounced: you experience the "masculine" effects of this hormone in fat distribution, muscle mass, facial hair growth, effects on voice, sexual desire and activity levels.

A decrease in estradiol levels in adulthood causes a decrease in SHBG. Because this carrier protein binds sex hormones, the decrease means that there are now more androgens in the blood in free or biologically active form. As you reach forty and your testosterone and DHEA levels drop, most of it remains in its active (free) form, but less estradiol has its "feminine" effect: so your body changes from a "pear-shaped" (female) body to an "apple-shaped" (male) body, i.e. more fat around your waist, more hair on your face and hair loss on your head. This doesn't mean that you lack the willpower to get rid of the fat around your waist; it's just that the ratio of hormones is not in your favour.

When estradiol stops being produced, the dominance of androgens produced by the adrenal glands causes even more negative metabolic changes in a woman's body: an increase in blood pressure, cholesterol levels in general, a decrease in HDL ("good") cholesterol and an increase in LDL ("bad") cholesterol, insulin and cortisol. All of these changes contribute to an increased risk of heart disease, hypertension and diabetes in women after the age of 35 years.

At first, doctors believed that it was testosterone that had a negative effect on cholesterol levels. Newer studies have found, however, that testosterone helps to control the normal functioning of mechanisms such as dilation of blood vessels to lower blood pressure, but only if it is taken into the body together with the necessary levels of estradiol. If this condition is not met, testosterone and DHEA stimulate the formation of blood clots that narrow the vessel walls (atherosclerosis). If androgens enter the body with estrogen, they have the exact opposite effect on the vessel walls and prevent the formation of cholesterol blood clots.

Throughout a woman's life, testosterone plays an important role in keeping muscle mass working, that wonderful fat burning mechanism. Decreased testosterone levels mean a decreased ability to build muscle mass, even if you exercise several times a week. Testosterone is important for bone formation and preventing osteoporosis, even more so than estrogen, which has protective properties as women lose it as they age. Moreover, testosterone helps to maintain proper energy levels. A decrease in this hormone is one of the undiscovered causes of "chronic fatigue". Women have undergone numerous comprehensive medical examinations and spent hundreds or even thousands of dollars on tests and treatments to identify the causes and get rid of chronic fatigue syndrome, but have never had a blood test for testosterone levels.

Effects of testosterone on muscle tissue

During menopause, when women lose both estradiol and testosterone, they lose muscle and bone tissue faster than men because testosterone levels drop more dramatically and by a significant amount. Testosterone in men disappears more slowly, over many years, so they lose muscle and bone tissue later in life and gradually. Women's loss of testosterone affects the formation of fat in the chest area, because this hormone is responsible for the formation of new muscles and keeps them healthy and functioning properly. Loss of muscle tissue slows metabolism. You get fat. As you get older, you need the right level of testosterone in your body to maintain your metabolic rate and muscle health! However, there must be a balance of it with estradiol, otherwise you will start gaining belly pounds!

The effects of testosterone on the brain

There are some pretty significant reasons why I want to talk about this in relation to weight regulation in the mature years. Testosterone doesn't just activate sex receptors in the brains of men and women, it also has antidepressant effects and can affect mood swings, increasing feelings of satisfaction with life. Testosterone improves the ability to perform cognitive tasks. It is involved in the secretion of brain chemical compounds that are essential for maintaining a normal weight! In some women, depression is not depression at all, but simply a lack of testosterone in the body. But if testosterone levels become too high (due to excessive secretion by the body or due to excessive use of supplements containing it), women experience sleep disturbances, have too many dreams and even nightmares, some dreams include aggression and violence, and sometimes even unpleasant but strong sexual urges. Excess testosterone compared to estradiol causes increased appetite and fatty deposits around the waist. Excess testosterone use, such as in muscle building, in both men and women causes abnormal behavioural reactions such as: excessive irritability, mood swings and temper tantrums, aggressiveness. When the body has elevated levels of other androgenic steroids, such as DHEA and "andro" (androstenedione), the same abnormalities occur. Without a doubt, the clue lies in the hormone balance.

So how does this kind of brain action affect you if you're trying to lose weight? Think back to when your primary care physician prescribed you a tricyclic antidepressant to restore your energy and normalise your mood, believing that depression was to blame for your overeating. It turns out that testosterone is your natural antidepressant hormone. It has a significant activating effect on the brain, mainly by increasing norepinephrine levels in the brain. This is the same process as with tricyclic antidepressants such as desipramine (Norpramin) and imipramine (Tofranil). But the problem with using these drugs is that they increase appetite and fat deposits. Has anyone checked testosterone levels before prescribing an antidepressant? We seem to have forgotten the calming effect of the natural hormones testosterone and estradiol in our trust in medication! And that's in addition to their ability to burn fat!

The latest developments have revealed the following: in order for testosterone to work in a given direction, optimal levels of estradiol (estrogen) must be present. Testosterone receptors in the brain seem to be produced by the presence of estradiol. Without enough estrogen to "start the engine", even the testosterone that our bodies produce cannot function properly in the brain centres. This is why the presence of estradiol is important - because it conditions the successful action of testosterone.

The effect of testosterone on sleep

Sleep disorders can stimulate the formation of excess weight as normal cortisol production is disrupted and insulin release is increased. Excessive testosterone levels, especially with reduced estradiol, can further exacerbate sleep disorders, as testosterone is a very important stimulant hormone. If you give a man or woman testosterone before bedtime, the hormone will prevent sleep - sleep will be interrupted and you will have disturbing dreams that involve violence or aggression. Afterwards, you wake up feeling that you have been fighting with someone all night long. The brain-activating action of testosterone disrupts the 4th phase of sleep, especially in women. During this phase, muscle tissue is built and repaired and growth hormone is released, which affects muscle formation. If phase 4 is disturbed, your muscles will not recover despite all the testosterone that is present in your body. For people of both sexes, it is best to take testosterone in the morning to get the necessary energy supply for the whole day, and sleep is not disturbed..

What should you do if you suspect that you have too much testosterone in your body?

High levels of androgens in a woman's body can lead to serious health problems and an increase in waist fat. It is very important to measure the level of these hormones correctly if you suspect that you have an excess of them in your body. What should I pay attention to? The levels of testosterone, dehydrotestosterone, DHEA and DHEA-C should be checked for fat deposition in the chest area, excessive body hair growth, baldness, acne. If their levels are too high, further testing is needed to find out why. You may have polycystic ovarian syndrome or an androgen-producing tumor of the ovaries or adrenal glands.

We would like to remind you that you can undergo all hormonal examinations in any treatment room of OLYMP CDL. It should also be remembered that some tests are taken strictly at a certain period of the menstrual cycle.

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testosterone overweight hormones