Effects of Testosterone
The effects of testosterone are quite numerous, as this is one of the most essential hormones to proper function, and this includes both men and women. A hormone of the androgen class, in-fact, it's the primary androgen; the effects of testosterone affect physical, mental and even sexual related functions of the body. Of course, these are things many of you already understand, but what many fail to understand are the effects of exogenous testosterone, and that's what we want to focus on today. For our purposes here, we are concerned with the effects of testosterone when the hormone is provided through synthetic means; not the naturally produced androgen. At any rate, some may be surprised to find there is remarkably little difference.
The Effects of Testosterone 101:
When we steroid with exogenous testosterone, essentially we are trying to increase the amount of this hormone our body naturally produces; in essence, this is really all there is to it. By doing so, we largely promote this hormone's basic function, and while many will perform this task for therapeutic needs, such as in the treatment of low testosterone or Andropause, the vast majority does so for performance enhancement purposes. Regardless of purpose, the effects of testosterone when provided exogenously will enhance each and every area listed below in a positive direction. The overall effects of testosterone for our purposes here include:
- Increased Rate of Protein Synthesis
- Increased Nitrogen Retention in the Muscles
- Increased Red Blood Cell Count
- Increased Production of IGF-1
- Decreased Glucocorticoid Hormone Release & Production
- Increased Overall Metabolic Activity
- Increased Overall Anabolic Activity
Real Life Effects of Testosterone:
While the above listed effects of testosterone are useful, in many ways they don't tell us a lot; at least not what you probably want to know. If you're like most, you want to know what the previously mentioned effects translate into for you. To answer this question, there's only one thing we really need to say; the effects of testosterone translate into almost everything you could ever want out of an Anabolic androgenic steroid. Don't worry, we'll get a little more specific, but that is the true essence of the matter at hand. Before we list the real life effects of testosterone, there are a few things you need to understand. You will see a large list of effects below, and while you will receive the majority of them there is an important note. It's no secret; the use of exogenous testosterone can promote muscle hypertrophy, but if you want to grow you must eat enough to grow. Further, testosterone can promote a leaner physique, but to reach this end you must consume fewer calories than you burn; you must be in a caloric deficit. The rules of nutrition do not go flying out the window just because you're steroiding with testosterone or any Anabolic steroid; the idea behind steroidation is to take what you're already doing and simply enhance the efficiency. At any rate, the real life effects of testosterone include:
- Increased Muscle Mass
- Increased Strength
- Decreased Body-fat
- Increased Rate of Recovery
- Increased Stamina & Endurance
- Enhanced Conditioning
- Enhanced Clarity of Thought
- Decreased Levels of Stress
- Enhanced Sexual Function (no libido suppression, no erectile dysfunction)
- Increased Sense of Well-Being (no depression)
The Effects of Testosterone – Exogenous vs. Naturally Produced:
Most everyone knows they need testosterone, and many will do all they can to promote the natural production of this powerful androgen. While this is true, many are absolutely petrified of exogenous testosterone, but guess what; the effects of testosterone provided in either form are the same. Once in the body, the body does not make a distinguishing difference; it does not reject testosterone because it derived from outside the body; it really doesn't know the difference.
Let's be clear, very clear; there are side-effects of testosterone use, but this is largely due to supraphysiological amounts. If you steroid with exogenous testosterone for the purpose of replacement therapy, the odds of incurring problems are almost non-existent; you're simply replacing what you no longer produce. Where adverse reactions become a problem is when doses get too high; of course, fortunately most can tolerate a very high level, and if side-effects do begin to mount, for the healthy adult male they can be combated; in-fact, with responsible use they can be altogether avoided.