Let’s level up our understanding of testosterone.

It’s widely known that the hormone testosterone is present in both men and women. What’s perhaps less well known, though, is that testosterone is for more than just muscle growth…or for growing hair.

Producing proper levels of testosterone in the body is a lot more vitally important than we all might realize. 

Your body even leverages the testosterone it ongoingly produces (sometimes referred to as simply “test”) as part of its amazing battery of internal resources to maintain everyday functioning like sexual function and even bone health.

Test also plays an active part in controlling behavior and mood, and more. We’ll get more into that, shortly. First, we’ll discuss how healthy testosterone levels affect mental health and impact living.

What is the scope of testosterone’s roles in the human body? 

In men, testosterone helps: 

• Penis and testicles development
• Signal the start of puberty by deepening the voice
• Grow facial and pubic hair.
• Increase muscle strength and size
• Increase bone strength and improve bone growth
• Increase sex drive (libido)
• Regulate sperm production

In women, testosterone helps:

• Ovarian function
• Increase bone strength
• Maintain normal sexual behavior

What effects do testosterone level deficiencies create?

Producing too little testosterone can produce a variety of symptoms, including: 

• Loss of muscle mass
• Increased breast size
• Less body and facial hair
• Weight gain
• Less energy, continuing fatigue
• Poor concentration
• Memory problems
• Depression, low self-esteem
• Moodiness, irritability
• Thinner, brittle bones with an increased risk of fracture
• Low blood count
• Hot flashes
• Decreased sex drive (libido) and impotence
• Undersize testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility

A further potential problem is a condition called Hypogonadism, a genetic condition producing testosterone deficiency. Here are how the two forms of Hypogonadism differ:

Primary Hypogonadism 

Conditions include: undescended testicles, Klinefelter syndrome, and hemochromatosis (or when there’s too much iron in the blood). 

You can develop primary hypogonadism from a physical injury to the testicles, including infection, getting chemotherapy, or radiation. 

Secondary Hypogonadism

Secondary hypogonadism (sometimes called Central Hypogonadism) is often caused by damage to the pituitary gland, or to the hypothalamus region of the brain. That’s where hormone production in the testicles is controlled. Conditions can include pituitary disorders caused by drugs, or kidney failure. Or, by small tumors, Kallmann syndrome (which affects hypothalamus function), inflammatory diseases such as tuberculosis, and even kidney disease, or HIV/AIDS. It can also be produced by normal aging, obesity, medications, alcoholism, and physical and emotional illness. 

Why testosterone affects your mental health

We all need the correct amount of testosterone to develop and function normally. If we don’t have enough it could have devastating effects on our physical and mental health. 

The cells in our brains have testosterone receptors. If you have too little testosterone you may experience: 

• Mood swings
• Irritability
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression

To improve mental health, try these approaches:

Avoid adding too much testosterone to your regimen. 

You’re simply more likely to have aggressive and irritable behavior, more acne and oily skin, and worse sleep apnea (if you have it already), when you have too much testosterone present in the body. 

Avoid too much caffeine intake. 

Your body’s primal “fight or flight response” can be triggered unexpectedly by taking in too much caffeine. That level of “how much caffeine is too much?” can be different in everyone, and its onset can be extremely unpleasant. Increased anxiety and even an anxiety attack can come on quickly. If you’re already prone to anxiety or mental health issues, strongly consider lowering your caffeine intake, or just stop ingesting caffeine completely.

Avoid certain foods and additives. 

If you’re worried about your mental health and you have anxiety, consider avoiding processed foods like, sugary, fried, and refined foods. After all, certain foods and additives can affect your mental health. Instead, eat natural foods like fruits and vegetables. 

Avoid alcohol.

If you have anxiety, alcohol can actually make your anxiety worse. Alcohol directly affects serotonin levels and other neurotransmitters in the brain. 

And, there’s even more you can do. 

To help maintain and improve your mental health, take decisive action to help maintain and increase healthy testosterone levels. Exercise, eating healthy, getting more and proper sleep, and taking vitamins are all known to help. Plus, there are even more ways you can supplement your daily routine to maintain testosterone levels and mental health — with supplementation! Here are a few GAT Sport recommended options: 

ZMAG-T

GAT Sport ZMAG-T is a scientifically advanced vitamin and mineral-based nutraceutical that:

• Assists with raising testosterone levels and muscle performance.
• Improves recovery and by helping to provide a better night’s sleep.
• With Albion® Bororganic Glycine for musculoskeletal development and hormone support.

Magnesium is a key GAT Sport ZMAG -T ingredient involved in many bodily functions. Magnesium is being linked to possibly help boost exercise performance, fight off depression, migraines and type 2 diabetes — and reduce inflammation.

NITRAFLEX® HIGH-INTENSITY TRAINING FORMULA

This truly legendary, clinically-tested, high-intensity pre-training formula is packed with potent ingredients to help magnify energy, alertness, strength, stamina, pumps and free testosterone during workouts.

GAT Sport Nitraflex Pre-Workout delivers fast, explosive training results for a more powerful body. It delivers increased energy, stamina, Nitric Oxide (NO) and testosterone levels. Nitraflex contains the proven powerhouses of muscle-building L-Citrulline malate, L-Arginine, L-Arginine Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) amino acids. And, Calcium Fructoborate (CFB), a natural, high potency form of Boron which has been shown to support free testosterone.

Why Nitraflex?

An important reason is its high Citrulline:Arginine ratio.

Arginine is a proven precursor to nitric oxide (NO), which is a vasodilator. What most people don’t know is that arginine supplementation stimulates the activity of arginase, an enzyme that breaks down arginine. Over time, this may actually result in reduced arginine and NO levels, in turn causing your pre-workout formula to stop working. Research suggests that supplementing with a high ratio of citrulline to arginine may reduce this risk by avoiding overstimulation of arginase*.

CFB helps support testosterone. In a clinical study, calcium fructoborate (CFB) was shown to increase total and free testosterone within 3 hours of a single dose equivalent to just over 2 scoops of Nitraflex.* A longer-term study reported an increase in free testosterone by up to 29%.

Highly effective Beta-Alanine dosing*: The clinically-proven performance enhancer beta-alanine was not “fairy dusted” in this formula. Rather, we added a powerful dose that you will feel working following your very first serving. (It may promote slight, tingly-cerebral sensation).*

It’s Creatine-Free! Creatine causes water retention, which can make achieving a dry, hard muscular look even more difficult. GAT Sport Nitraflex contains no creatine, and that makes it ideal for pre-contest prep and lean muscle physique*.

A powerful array of cognitive enhancers*: Nitraflex contains unique ratios of scientifically-validated compounds that help you remain alert, intense and highly focused while you’re flying from set to set with veins fully dilated and muscles pumped to the extreme (DMAE). 

TESTROL ORIGINAL - DUAL-PURPOSE PERFORMANCE

Testrol Original is the ultimate dual-purpose performance product that contains natural male enhancers. Take Testrol if you want an effective way to build muscle and increase male performance.

Formula Advantages:

• Help build lean tissue and body mass
• May help stimulate the body’s own production of testosterone.

Other Ingredients:

Dicalcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose, stearic acid, film coat (hypromellose, propylene glycol, titanium dioxide, polyethylene glycol, FD&C blue # 1 lake, FD&C blue # 2 lake, hydroxypropyl cellulose), croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, silica. May contain wheat. Size: 30-servings (60 tablets)

Key Ingredients:

Solid performance ingredients to increase your performance including:

• Tribulus Terrestris extract (stem and fruit)(45% saponins; 40:1 extraction ratio). Tribulus has a history of traditional use in enhancing sexual and physical performance.
• L-Arginine HCl is an amino acid that drives nitric oxide (NO), a compound that helps relax blood vessels in the penis and other tissues. NO plays an important role in erectile function.
• Epimedium, a.k.a. Horny Goat Weed, has a history of traditional use in enhancing sexual performance.

Directions for Use:

Adult men take 2 tablets every day on a light to empty stomach.

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS

• Drink 2 full glasses of grape or fruit juice within 1 hour after every workout to optimize insulin activity.
• Consume 5 grams of BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) after every workout.
• Take 5-10 grams of Creatine daily.
• Take L-Glutamine after training and before bedtime.

MULTIVITAMIN WITH TESTOSTERONE SUPPORT

GAT Sport Mens Multi+Test is a complete vitamin, mineral and energy multivitamin with the added men’s virility ingredient Tribulus Terristis. Mens Multi+Test offers athletes solid support for nutrient deficiencies they may need with an added testosterone support.

Check out GATSport.com for these and all your training needs.