Testosterone
Testosterone
Testosterone is a hormone that supports sex drive, bone strength and muscle mass in both men and women, and plays a key role in male reproductive development.
Testosterone is a hormone that supports sex drive, bone strength and muscle mass in both men and women, and plays a key role in male reproductive development.
Testosterone
Normal range
Normal range
Male: 8.6-29 Female: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Male: 8.6-29 Female: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Normal range
Male: 8.6-29 Female: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Male: 8.6-29 Female: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Normal range
Testosterone
Testosterone
Testosterone is a hormone that supports sex drive, bone strength and muscle mass in both men and women, and plays a key role in male reproductive development.
Testosterone
Normal range
Male: 8.6-29 Female: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Normal range
Male: 8.6-29 Female: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Male: 8.6-29 Female: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Normal range
Testosterone
Testosterone
Testosterone is a hormone that supports sex drive, bone strength and muscle mass in both men and women, and plays a key role in male reproductive development.
Testosterone
Normal range
Male: 8.6-29 Female: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Normal range
Male: 8.6-29 Female: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Male: 8.6-29 Female: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Normal range
Testosterone
Dr. Thiviya Sivakanthan
MBBS
Your Body's Vitality Engine
Your Body's Vitality Engine
Every day, your body produces a hormone that acts like a powerful engine driving your energy, strength, libido, and overall vitality—testosterone. When this hormone isn't working properly, it can affect everything from your mood and muscle mass to your fertility and sexual health, often leaving you feeling like a shadow of your former self without understanding why.
Testosterone is like your body's vitality fuel, essential for both men and women, though in different amounts. When testosterone levels are balanced, you feel strong, confident, and energetic, but when they're disrupted, it can feel like someone has dimmed the lights on your entire life.
Every day, your body produces a hormone that acts like a powerful engine driving your energy, strength, libido, and overall vitality—testosterone. When this hormone isn't working properly, it can affect everything from your mood and muscle mass to your fertility and sexual health, often leaving you feeling like a shadow of your former self without understanding why.
Testosterone is like your body's vitality fuel, essential for both men and women, though in different amounts. When testosterone levels are balanced, you feel strong, confident, and energetic, but when they're disrupted, it can feel like someone has dimmed the lights on your entire life.
When Testosterone Levels Fall Short
When Testosterone Levels Fall Short
When Testosterone Levels Fall Short
Discover why fatigue, low libido, and mood changes might be your body's way of signalling that your vitality engine needs attention.
Read more
The Testosterone-Health Connection
The Testosterone-Health Connection
The Testosterone-Health Connection
Learn how this vital hormone affects everything from muscle mass to mental clarity and why balance is crucial for both men and women.
Read more
What Sabotages Your Testosterone Production
What Sabotages Your Testosterone Production
What Sabotages Your Testosterone Production
From age to lifestyle factors, understand what can dramatically reduce your body's ability to produce this essential hormone.
Read more
Understanding Your Results
Understanding Your Results
Understanding Your Results
Decode your hormone numbers and know exactly what your testosterone levels mean for your energy, health, and wellbeing.
Read more
When Testosterone Levels Fall Short
Low Testosterone in Men
Low testosterone in men is like having a high-performance car running on empty fuel—everything still works, but nothing operates at full capacity. You might notice your energy levels dropping, making even simple tasks feel exhausting. Your libido may diminish, affecting not just your sexual desire but also your confidence and sense of masculinity.
Beyond sexual health, low testosterone acts like a muscle-wasting disease, gradually reducing your strength and making it harder to maintain muscle mass even with exercise. It's your body's way of conserving energy, at the cost of your physical and mental performance.
Low testosterone can also affect your mood, causing irritability, depression, or a general sense of malaise that feels like a grey cloud hanging over your life. Some men describe feeling like they're living in slow motion, disconnected from their usual drive and ambition.
Low Testosterone in Women
Women also need testosterone, though in smaller amounts than men. Low testosterone in women is like having a dimmer switch gradually turned down on your energy and desire. You might experience decreased libido, fatigue, or difficulty building muscle despite regular exercise.
Women with low testosterone often report feeling less motivated, experiencing mood changes, or losing the competitive edge they once had. It's like your internal fire has been reduced to barely glowing embers, affecting your enthusiasm for life in ways that can be difficult to explain.
High Testosterone
High testosterone can cause problems too, particularly in women. It's like having an engine that's revving too high, causing symptoms like excessive hair growth, acne, irregular periods, and male-pattern baldness. In men, abnormally high testosterone can cause aggression, mood swings, and potentially serious health complications.
When Testosterone Levels Fall Short
Low Testosterone in Men
Low testosterone in men is like having a high-performance car running on empty fuel—everything still works, but nothing operates at full capacity. You might notice your energy levels dropping, making even simple tasks feel exhausting. Your libido may diminish, affecting not just your sexual desire but also your confidence and sense of masculinity.
Beyond sexual health, low testosterone acts like a muscle-wasting disease, gradually reducing your strength and making it harder to maintain muscle mass even with exercise. It's your body's way of conserving energy, at the cost of your physical and mental performance.
Low testosterone can also affect your mood, causing irritability, depression, or a general sense of malaise that feels like a grey cloud hanging over your life. Some men describe feeling like they're living in slow motion, disconnected from their usual drive and ambition.
Low Testosterone in Women
Women also need testosterone, though in smaller amounts than men. Low testosterone in women is like having a dimmer switch gradually turned down on your energy and desire. You might experience decreased libido, fatigue, or difficulty building muscle despite regular exercise.
Women with low testosterone often report feeling less motivated, experiencing mood changes, or losing the competitive edge they once had. It's like your internal fire has been reduced to barely glowing embers, affecting your enthusiasm for life in ways that can be difficult to explain.
High Testosterone
High testosterone can cause problems too, particularly in women. It's like having an engine that's revving too high, causing symptoms like excessive hair growth, acne, irregular periods, and male-pattern baldness. In men, abnormally high testosterone can cause aggression, mood swings, and potentially serious health complications.
When Testosterone Levels Fall Short
Low Testosterone in Men
Low testosterone in men is like having a high-performance car running on empty fuel—everything still works, but nothing operates at full capacity. You might notice your energy levels dropping, making even simple tasks feel exhausting. Your libido may diminish, affecting not just your sexual desire but also your confidence and sense of masculinity.
Beyond sexual health, low testosterone acts like a muscle-wasting disease, gradually reducing your strength and making it harder to maintain muscle mass even with exercise. It's your body's way of conserving energy, at the cost of your physical and mental performance.
Low testosterone can also affect your mood, causing irritability, depression, or a general sense of malaise that feels like a grey cloud hanging over your life. Some men describe feeling like they're living in slow motion, disconnected from their usual drive and ambition.
Low Testosterone in Women
Women also need testosterone, though in smaller amounts than men. Low testosterone in women is like having a dimmer switch gradually turned down on your energy and desire. You might experience decreased libido, fatigue, or difficulty building muscle despite regular exercise.
Women with low testosterone often report feeling less motivated, experiencing mood changes, or losing the competitive edge they once had. It's like your internal fire has been reduced to barely glowing embers, affecting your enthusiasm for life in ways that can be difficult to explain.
High Testosterone
High testosterone can cause problems too, particularly in women. It's like having an engine that's revving too high, causing symptoms like excessive hair growth, acne, irregular periods, and male-pattern baldness. In men, abnormally high testosterone can cause aggression, mood swings, and potentially serious health complications.
The Testosterone-Health Connection
Muscle and Bone Health: Testosterone acts like your body's personal trainer, constantly working to build and maintain muscle mass. It stimulates protein synthesis, helping your muscles grow stronger and recover faster from exercise. Without adequate testosterone, your muscles gradually shrink, like a garden that's no longer being tended.
Energy and Metabolism: Testosterone influences your energy levels like a master switch controlling your body's power output. It affects your red blood cell production, which carries oxygen to your muscles and organs, and influences your metabolism, determining how efficiently your body burns fuel for energy.
Mental Health and Cognitive Function: Testosterone plays a crucial role in mental health, acting like a mood stabiliser that helps maintain confidence, motivation, and emotional balance. It influences neurotransmitter production in your brain, affecting everything from your ability to concentrate to your sense of wellbeing.
Bone Density: Testosterone works like a bone-strengthening supplement, helping maintain bone density and preventing osteoporosis. It stimulates bone-building cells, keeping your skeleton strong and resilient as you age.
The Testosterone-Health Connection
Muscle and Bone Health: Testosterone acts like your body's personal trainer, constantly working to build and maintain muscle mass. It stimulates protein synthesis, helping your muscles grow stronger and recover faster from exercise. Without adequate testosterone, your muscles gradually shrink, like a garden that's no longer being tended.
Energy and Metabolism: Testosterone influences your energy levels like a master switch controlling your body's power output. It affects your red blood cell production, which carries oxygen to your muscles and organs, and influences your metabolism, determining how efficiently your body burns fuel for energy.
Mental Health and Cognitive Function: Testosterone plays a crucial role in mental health, acting like a mood stabiliser that helps maintain confidence, motivation, and emotional balance. It influences neurotransmitter production in your brain, affecting everything from your ability to concentrate to your sense of wellbeing.
Bone Density: Testosterone works like a bone-strengthening supplement, helping maintain bone density and preventing osteoporosis. It stimulates bone-building cells, keeping your skeleton strong and resilient as you age.
The Testosterone-Health Connection
Muscle and Bone Health: Testosterone acts like your body's personal trainer, constantly working to build and maintain muscle mass. It stimulates protein synthesis, helping your muscles grow stronger and recover faster from exercise. Without adequate testosterone, your muscles gradually shrink, like a garden that's no longer being tended.
Energy and Metabolism: Testosterone influences your energy levels like a master switch controlling your body's power output. It affects your red blood cell production, which carries oxygen to your muscles and organs, and influences your metabolism, determining how efficiently your body burns fuel for energy.
Mental Health and Cognitive Function: Testosterone plays a crucial role in mental health, acting like a mood stabiliser that helps maintain confidence, motivation, and emotional balance. It influences neurotransmitter production in your brain, affecting everything from your ability to concentrate to your sense of wellbeing.
Bone Density: Testosterone works like a bone-strengthening supplement, helping maintain bone density and preventing osteoporosis. It stimulates bone-building cells, keeping your skeleton strong and resilient as you age.
What Sabotages Your Testosterone Production
Age: Age affects testosterone production, slowly reducing as you age. In men, testosterone levels typically decline by about 1% per year after age 30, whilst in women, levels can drop dramatically during menopause. This natural decline is expected, but when it happens too quickly or severely, it can significantly impact your quality of life.
Lifestyle Factors: Chronic stress acts like a testosterone thief, diverting your body's resources toward stress hormone production instead. Poor sleep quality, excessive alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle can all suppress testosterone production like dimmer switches gradually reducing your body's vitality output.
Weight Issues: Excess body fat, particularly around the midsection, can reduce testosterone levels by converting testosterone to oestrogen. It's like having a converter that transforms your vitality fuel into something less useful. This creates a vicious circle where low testosterone makes it harder to lose weight, and excess weight further reduces testosterone levels.
Medical Conditions: Conditions like diabetes, sleep apnoea, or thyroid disorders can significantly impact testosterone production. These conditions act like interference signals, disrupting the normal processes that keep testosterone levels balanced. Certain medications, particularly opioids and some antidepressants, can also suppress testosterone production.
What Sabotages Your Testosterone Production
Age: Age affects testosterone production, slowly reducing as you age. In men, testosterone levels typically decline by about 1% per year after age 30, whilst in women, levels can drop dramatically during menopause. This natural decline is expected, but when it happens too quickly or severely, it can significantly impact your quality of life.
Lifestyle Factors: Chronic stress acts like a testosterone thief, diverting your body's resources toward stress hormone production instead. Poor sleep quality, excessive alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle can all suppress testosterone production like dimmer switches gradually reducing your body's vitality output.
Weight Issues: Excess body fat, particularly around the midsection, can reduce testosterone levels by converting testosterone to oestrogen. It's like having a converter that transforms your vitality fuel into something less useful. This creates a vicious circle where low testosterone makes it harder to lose weight, and excess weight further reduces testosterone levels.
Medical Conditions: Conditions like diabetes, sleep apnoea, or thyroid disorders can significantly impact testosterone production. These conditions act like interference signals, disrupting the normal processes that keep testosterone levels balanced. Certain medications, particularly opioids and some antidepressants, can also suppress testosterone production.
What Sabotages Your Testosterone Production
Age: Age affects testosterone production, slowly reducing as you age. In men, testosterone levels typically decline by about 1% per year after age 30, whilst in women, levels can drop dramatically during menopause. This natural decline is expected, but when it happens too quickly or severely, it can significantly impact your quality of life.
Lifestyle Factors: Chronic stress acts like a testosterone thief, diverting your body's resources toward stress hormone production instead. Poor sleep quality, excessive alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle can all suppress testosterone production like dimmer switches gradually reducing your body's vitality output.
Weight Issues: Excess body fat, particularly around the midsection, can reduce testosterone levels by converting testosterone to oestrogen. It's like having a converter that transforms your vitality fuel into something less useful. This creates a vicious circle where low testosterone makes it harder to lose weight, and excess weight further reduces testosterone levels.
Medical Conditions: Conditions like diabetes, sleep apnoea, or thyroid disorders can significantly impact testosterone production. These conditions act like interference signals, disrupting the normal processes that keep testosterone levels balanced. Certain medications, particularly opioids and some antidepressants, can also suppress testosterone production.
Understanding Your Results
Testosterone levels vary dramatically between men and women, reflecting the different roles this hormone plays in your body. Understanding these ranges helps you know whether your levels are supporting your health:
Men's normal ranges:
Ages 18-49: 8.64-29 nmol/L
Ages 50+: 6.68-25.7 nmol/L
Women's normal ranges:
Ages 18-49: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Ages 50+: 0.1-1.42 nmol/L
It's like comparing the fuel capacity of a lorry to a motorbike—both need fuel, but in very different amounts to function optimally. These age-related ranges acknowledge that your testosterone needs naturally change as you get older.
Free vs Total Testosterone: Your test results might include both total testosterone and free testosterone. Total testosterone is like measuring all the fuel in your tank, whilst free testosterone measures only the fuel that's actually available for use. Sometimes total testosterone appears normal, but free testosterone is low, explaining why you might still experience symptoms despite seemingly adequate hormone levels.
Age-Related Ranges: Normal testosterone ranges vary with age, like adjusting expectations for a car's performance based on its age. These ranges acknowledge that your body's requirements at 25 are different from what they'll be at 55. Your doctor will interpret your results based on your age, symptoms, and overall health rather than applying a one-size-fits-all standard.
When to Take Action: Levels outside your age-appropriate range, particularly when accompanied by symptoms, often warrant investigation and potential treatment. However, the decision to treat depends on your symptoms, not just your numbers—it's like deciding whether to service a car based on how it's running, not just the odometer reading. Your quality of life and how you feel matter more than hitting a specific number.
Understanding Your Results
Testosterone levels vary dramatically between men and women, reflecting the different roles this hormone plays in your body. Understanding these ranges helps you know whether your levels are supporting your health:
Men's normal ranges:
Ages 18-49: 8.64-29 nmol/L
Ages 50+: 6.68-25.7 nmol/L
Women's normal ranges:
Ages 18-49: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Ages 50+: 0.1-1.42 nmol/L
It's like comparing the fuel capacity of a lorry to a motorbike—both need fuel, but in very different amounts to function optimally. These age-related ranges acknowledge that your testosterone needs naturally change as you get older.
Free vs Total Testosterone: Your test results might include both total testosterone and free testosterone. Total testosterone is like measuring all the fuel in your tank, whilst free testosterone measures only the fuel that's actually available for use. Sometimes total testosterone appears normal, but free testosterone is low, explaining why you might still experience symptoms despite seemingly adequate hormone levels.
Age-Related Ranges: Normal testosterone ranges vary with age, like adjusting expectations for a car's performance based on its age. These ranges acknowledge that your body's requirements at 25 are different from what they'll be at 55. Your doctor will interpret your results based on your age, symptoms, and overall health rather than applying a one-size-fits-all standard.
When to Take Action: Levels outside your age-appropriate range, particularly when accompanied by symptoms, often warrant investigation and potential treatment. However, the decision to treat depends on your symptoms, not just your numbers—it's like deciding whether to service a car based on how it's running, not just the odometer reading. Your quality of life and how you feel matter more than hitting a specific number.
Understanding Your Results
Testosterone levels vary dramatically between men and women, reflecting the different roles this hormone plays in your body. Understanding these ranges helps you know whether your levels are supporting your health:
Men's normal ranges:
Ages 18-49: 8.64-29 nmol/L
Ages 50+: 6.68-25.7 nmol/L
Women's normal ranges:
Ages 18-49: 0.29-1.67 nmol/L
Ages 50+: 0.1-1.42 nmol/L
It's like comparing the fuel capacity of a lorry to a motorbike—both need fuel, but in very different amounts to function optimally. These age-related ranges acknowledge that your testosterone needs naturally change as you get older.
Free vs Total Testosterone: Your test results might include both total testosterone and free testosterone. Total testosterone is like measuring all the fuel in your tank, whilst free testosterone measures only the fuel that's actually available for use. Sometimes total testosterone appears normal, but free testosterone is low, explaining why you might still experience symptoms despite seemingly adequate hormone levels.
Age-Related Ranges: Normal testosterone ranges vary with age, like adjusting expectations for a car's performance based on its age. These ranges acknowledge that your body's requirements at 25 are different from what they'll be at 55. Your doctor will interpret your results based on your age, symptoms, and overall health rather than applying a one-size-fits-all standard.
When to Take Action: Levels outside your age-appropriate range, particularly when accompanied by symptoms, often warrant investigation and potential treatment. However, the decision to treat depends on your symptoms, not just your numbers—it's like deciding whether to service a car based on how it's running, not just the odometer reading. Your quality of life and how you feel matter more than hitting a specific number.
The Takeaway
Testosterone levels provide crucial insights into your energy, strength, sexual health, and overall vitality. Both men and women rely on this hormone for optimal health, and imbalances can significantly impact your quality of life, but most testosterone-related problems are treatable once properly identified.
If you're experiencing unexplained fatigue, decreased libido, mood changes, or difficulty maintaining muscle mass, your testosterone levels could be providing important clues about what's happening in your body. These aren't just signs of getting older—they're your body's way of signalling that your vitality engine needs attention.
A simple blood test can determine whether your testosterone levels are supporting your health goals or holding you back from feeling your best. Don't ignore persistent symptoms or assume they're just part of aging. One small test can give you the clarity you need to understand your body's vitality systems and take appropriate action to reclaim your energy and wellbeing.
The Takeaway
Testosterone levels provide crucial insights into your energy, strength, sexual health, and overall vitality. Both men and women rely on this hormone for optimal health, and imbalances can significantly impact your quality of life, but most testosterone-related problems are treatable once properly identified.
If you're experiencing unexplained fatigue, decreased libido, mood changes, or difficulty maintaining muscle mass, your testosterone levels could be providing important clues about what's happening in your body. These aren't just signs of getting older—they're your body's way of signalling that your vitality engine needs attention.
A simple blood test can determine whether your testosterone levels are supporting your health goals or holding you back from feeling your best. Don't ignore persistent symptoms or assume they're just part of aging. One small test can give you the clarity you need to understand your body's vitality systems and take appropriate action to reclaim your energy and wellbeing.
The Takeaway
Testosterone levels provide crucial insights into your energy, strength, sexual health, and overall vitality. Both men and women rely on this hormone for optimal health, and imbalances can significantly impact your quality of life, but most testosterone-related problems are treatable once properly identified.
If you're experiencing unexplained fatigue, decreased libido, mood changes, or difficulty maintaining muscle mass, your testosterone levels could be providing important clues about what's happening in your body. These aren't just signs of getting older—they're your body's way of signalling that your vitality engine needs attention.
A simple blood test can determine whether your testosterone levels are supporting your health goals or holding you back from feeling your best. Don't ignore persistent symptoms or assume they're just part of aging. One small test can give you the clarity you need to understand your body's vitality systems and take appropriate action to reclaim your energy and wellbeing.
References
British Society for Sexual Medicine. (2020). Testosterone deficiency in men: diagnosis and management. BSSM Guidelines.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2019). Testosterone replacement therapy in men. NICE Clinical Guideline.
Royal College of Physicians. (2021). Hormone testing in androgen deficiency. RCP Practice Guidelines.
References
British Society for Sexual Medicine. (2020). Testosterone deficiency in men: diagnosis and management. BSSM Guidelines.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2019). Testosterone replacement therapy in men. NICE Clinical Guideline.
Royal College of Physicians. (2021). Hormone testing in androgen deficiency. RCP Practice Guidelines.
References
British Society for Sexual Medicine. (2020). Testosterone deficiency in men: diagnosis and management. BSSM Guidelines.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2019). Testosterone replacement therapy in men. NICE Clinical Guideline.
Royal College of Physicians. (2021). Hormone testing in androgen deficiency. RCP Practice Guidelines.
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