Testosterone replacement therapy can help men with low testosterone restore their levels of the androgen hormone to more appropriate levels. Testosterone replacement therapy can have a significant influence on a variety of biological and physiological processes necessary for health and longevity, producing positive effects and improvements in areas like:
- Libido
- Insulin sensitivity
- Energy
- Sleep
- Quality of life
- Body composition
- Mood and mental health
Low testosterone (Low T) or testosterone deficiency affects millions of men every year, exacerbating the gradual and already inevitable decline of naturally produced testosterone beginning at around age 20. In addition to being linked to conditions like cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes, low testosterone is increasingly associated with an array of symptoms normally attributed to stress or age, including:
- Mood changes and anxiety
- Reduced libido and sexual performance
- Poor wound healing, tissue repair, and muscle recovery
- Lack of energy
- Reduced muscle mass and bone density
- Increased fat mass
At Oklahoma Men’s Clinic, our licensed physicians and board-certified medical providers are experts in developing personalized, synergistic testosterone replacement therapies tailored to your unique body. We combine in-depth testing, comprehensive body composition analysis, and advanced diagnostics with the best in proven and effective modalities to help patients discover the difference optimal testosterone levels can make in their lives and in their health.
How Testosterone Replacement Therapy Works
For men suffering from low testosterone, their body is not producing the right level of this hormone necessary for optimal function, so it needs to be replaced via an exogenous source. This is where testosterone replacement therapy comes in. By slowly releasing testosterone into the bloodstream where it can bind to androgen receptors in bone and muscle tissue, testosterone replacement therapy helps restore healthy testosterone levels so your body can work as well as—or better than—it was meant to.
At Oklahoma Men’s Clinic, we augment our clinically proven testosterone replacement therapy with complementary therapies designed to optimize results and minimize any potential risks or side effects. This includes:
- Gonadorelin, to enhance testicular function and sperm production and prevent testicular shrinkage
- DHEA GOLD booster injections, to amplify the effects of TRT and slow the aging process
- Nandrolone Decanoate, to promote the anabolic effects of testosterone—including improvements in muscle growth, bone density, and recovery—while minimizing the androgenic effects, such as hair loss.
The Effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Though it is often considered the “male” hormone—since men have higher levels of it–testosterone is an anabolic hormone that both men and women naturally produce, and it plays an important role in a variety of bodily functions. Testosterone levels naturally decline with age, but this decline often leads to a decline in the body’s performance and function of physiological processes necessary for health and longevity.
By replacing testosterone and restoring the body’s level of the hormone to a “younger” level, testosterone replacement therapy can produce improvements in:
Inflammation.
Testosterone regulates the production and activity of immune cells, increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines and shifting the cytokine balance to a state of reduced inflammation. By inhibiting the formation of adipose tissue and the expression of adipocytokines (proteins that contribute to inflammation), testosterone acts as a “brake pedal” on your immune response. Begins around 3 weeks and maxes out at 12 weeks.
Glycemic control.
Testosterone helps tissues in the body absorb more blood sugar in response to insulin, reducing HbA1C (the measure of average blood sugar levels) and activating glucose metabolism in the skeletal muscle. This can also help improve your insulin sensitivity and appetite regulation. (Low insulin sensitivity can lead to both high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, so the more sensitive you are to insulin, the better your health is.)
Many patients begin to see an improvement in insulin sensitivity within a week of starting TRT, with more general improvements in glycemic control beginning around week 12 and peaking at the 12-month mark.
Body composition.
Testosterone has a direct impact on metabolic processes. It helps you maintain a basal metabolic rate while reducing fat deposits and decreasing fat mass. It also increases growth hormone levels, inhibits the creation of new fat cells, impacts where you store fat, and promotes your body burning lipids off as energy.
It is also anabolic in nature, which means it builds tissue by accelerating the synthesis of muscle proteins. Replacing declining levels of testosterone can produce an increase in muscle mass and bone density as well as a decrease in body fat. You’ll start to notice muscle gain after about 3 months, but the most significant increases tend to happen within the first 12 months.
Libido and sexual health.
Testosterone is commonly attributed to sexual desire, performance, and function, but the exact physiological mechanism is unclear. For starters, it acts as a vasodilator of the penis to facilitate erections. It also influences the neurotransmitters and pathways involved in ejaculation and serves as the “trigger” behind the entire process leading to orgasm, from sending the proper signals between the brain and nerve cells associated with stimulation to achieving and sustaining erections.
Testosterone replacement therapy can produce a range of improvements in sexual function, such as an increase in sex drive and in erection quality and frequency. Some patients notice improvements—such as the return of morning erections—as early as week 2 or 3 of TRT, but most longer-term changes in erections/ejaculations can take up to 6 months
Cognitive health and mood.
Testosterone plays several important roles in brain health and function, including strengthening nerves and artery muscles; delaying neuronal apoptosis (cell death); and accelerates nerve regeneration. It can also improve synaptic plasticity and prevent neuronal damage caused by oxidative stress.
Low testosterone has been linked to reduced cognitive ability and function, but by restoring testosterone levels, testosterone replacement therapy can reduce inflammation in the brain, improve red blood cell production, and balance other hormones, all of which have positive effects on mental health. Moreover, testosterone may play a role in serotonin reuptake in the brain, so replacing it may help improve your brain’s activity and overall mood.
There are often noticeable short-term improvements in energy levels and mood in the early stages of TRT, but the most significant changes tend to occur between 3 and 6 months, when concentration, memory, and emotional stability improve, as well as mental clarity and focus, enabling you to stay sharper throughout the day.
Recovery.
Because it is an anabolic hormone, testosterone enhances your body’s ability to build and repair tissue while increasing the number of satellite cells throughout your body—cells that are essentially precursors to muscle cells—and suppressing cortisol. Maintaining an appropriate level of testosterone via TRT can help ensure that the rate of muscle breakdown doesn’t exceed the rate of muscle growth and that your muscles repair and grow more quickly.
Additional Benefits of Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Although the effects of testosterone replacement therapy are gradual—most occurring over the course of weeks and months and peaking at around 12 months—they are powerful, and often make you feel like a “switch” that has been flipped.
Other positive effects of testosterone replacement therapy include:
Improved lipid profile, including lower triglycerides and total cholesterol. Triglyceride levels and total cholesterol levels begin to decline between 4 weeks and 3 months and continue to fall up to 12 months.
Increased energy, stamina, and exercise capacity. Within 3-6 months of TRT, you will start to notice better overall physical strength as well as more substantial increases in muscle mass
Increased red blood cell production. Red blood cells are responsible for oxygen transportation to the muscles. Higher red blood cell counts can help improve aerobic performance and endurance while improving recovery and reducing muscle soreness, accelerating the recovery process by increasing the synthesis rate of muscle proteins.
Better sleep. Many patients start to notice improvements in sleep within the first week and more energy in the morning. By month 4, you should no longer be experiencing sleep deprivation.
Experience Maximum Effects with Testosterone Replacement Therapy from Oklahoma Men’s Clinic
Unlike other clinics that treat only one area of hormone deficiency with singular solutions, the team of experienced medical professionals and hormone replacement experts at Oklahoma Men’s Clinic deliver comprehensive, synergistic testosterone replacement therapy plans that are tailored to your needs and designed to optimize every one of your body’s functions at the cellular level. Here, we address the complex and underlying factors associated with Low T, and we treat multiple areas of hormone deficiency and dysfunction simultaneously, relying on advanced testing, in-depth data analysis, routine monitoring, and medical supervision.
Testosterone replacement therapy can change your life, so don’t trust just anyone to deliver the results you deserve. Discover the difference experience and expertise make in your TRT journey and schedule a free, no-obligation with Oklahoma Men’s Clinic’s Wellness Coordinator today.