We need testosterone because we are men and we need to do our manly things, so our hypothalamus (that’s a part of our brain, not the funny animal) releases a substance to the pituitary gland called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH from now on).
This hormone causes the gland to produce two other hormones: follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), also known as gonadotropins. The LH travels to our testicles to remember them that they have to do something more that hang in there, so it triggers the production of testosterone (about 95% of testosterone is made in the testes, the other 5% is made in our adrenal glands). Because our testicles can not make testosterone out of thin air, they need to create it using something. That something is cholesterol.
Am I implying that the “public enemy number one” is what we need to make testosterone? I’m not implying anything, I’m totally saying it.
And not only that, cholesterol is a substance so important that it’s needed for almost everything. If this process continues and testosterone levels become too high, the pituitary gland slows the release of LH, so production slows down. FSH (the other hormone released by the pituitary gland) is similarly involved in the increase and decrease of sperm production.
Kinds of testosterone If you get tested and you get a high number of total testosterone, don’t deliver high fives and show the paper to the ladies yet, that tends to be good, but it’s not the important number.
In our bodies we have something called Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) that binds to testosterone, leaving less “free testosterone”. The free testos- terone is what is available for “androgenic use” (i.e. our manly things). What this means is that high total testosterone is important, but not the main amount that interest us, free testosterone is, because it’s what we can really use for our purposes. Using another fancy word, that’s the bioavailable testosterone (free testosterone plus albumine-bound testosterone that can be easily reverted and freed).
Average levels of testosterone Ok, so how much testosterone is “normal”? As you age testosterone varies a lot, in fact, as the day goes by, testosterone varies a lot. In the morning the number is higher, so it’s important that, if you are going to get tested (basic recommendation if you are worried about your testos- terone), do it at similar times of the day. Testosterone tends to be measured in ng/dl.
That means “nanograms per decilitre”, a nanogram being 1/1,000,000,000 grams. Between 250 ng/dl and 850 ng/dl can be considered “normal”, but according Vermeulen², that made a study of the average testosterone and free testosterone in men, your average numbers can be like this: 25–34 years: 617 ng/dl total. 12.3 free. 35–44 years: 668 ng/dl total. 10.3 free. 45–54 years: 606 ng/dl total. 9.1 free.
55–64 years: 562 ng/dl total. 8.3 free. 55–74 years: 524 ng/dl total. 6.9 free. 75–84 years: 471 ng/dl total. 6.0 free. 85–100 years: 376 ng/dl total. 5.4 free. The deviation being between 170 and 213 more or less.
Recently I read a wonderful guide that talks from A to Z for testosterone. You can find that guide at the following URL : https://www.themanlyzone.com/testosterone-boosters/
