Quick reminder today on why testosterone levels are so important for both men and women. It drops in men gradually over the years so it’s not such a massive hormone shift as it is for women with oestrogen and progesterone, which tends to fall off a cliff and cause all manner of problems!
Testosterone is a hormone mainly produced by the testes in men, or ovaries in women.
Functional Dx
Testosterone’s diverse range of effects on many different organs and tissues includes bone health building and maintaining muscle mass and strength; increasing lean body mass and fat loss; increasing red blood cell production; improving libido and sexual function, increasing sperm production, regulating mood, brain function and memory.
To test effectively, you should test for free testosterone and total testosterone to get the full picture of what’s going on. I think blood is best generally for testosterone checks, however I also like to test DUTCH for the metabolites to see how you are breaking testosterone down. Is it going down the more potent 5 alpha route more than beta and causing problems? See more on hormone testing generally here..