14 Low Testosterone Symptoms (Women and Men)

Low Testosterone | Women | Men | Symptoms | Causes

Testosterone is usually wrongly reduced to the sex drive. Nevertheless, it plays an essential role in countless processes of our body.

In this article, I will explain why every person – regardless of sex – should be concerned if they experience apparent symptoms of low testosterone.

What Are Symptoms of Low Testosterone?

Testosterone is a hormone found in both men and women. The latter is a surprising fact for many people.

Although most people associate the chemical messenger exclusively with men, women also produce testosterone.

Low Testosterone Symptoms in Women

Many think estrogen and testosterone are arch enemies fighting an endless hormone war.

Some women even fear weightlifting and eating meat will cause too much testosterone and produce an overly masculine appearance.

The truth is that testosterone is also vital in the female body, where it has essential tasks to perform. Hence, women produce most of their testosterone in the ovaries.

The female body produces the rest in fat and skin tissue in response to steroid hormones:

• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) from the adrenal glands
• And androstenedione from the ovaries

Like testosterone, the female body also produces the most estrogen in the ovaries. And the production of the female sex hormone, in turn, requires testosterone.

For this reason, DHEA and androstenedione are precursors of these sex hormones. Therefore, they are known as prohormones.

Although testosterone is considered the male hormone, women would be guaranteed to notice if testosterone suddenly disappeared from their bodies.

Thus, when testosterone is too low in a woman, it can result in the following consequences (Tyagi et al. 2017¹):

• Decreased estrogen production
• Weakened libido
• Loss of muscle mass
• Decreased bone density
• Impaired body fat distribution
• Decreased cognitive health
• Mood swings

Accordingly, testosterone’s hormonal balance is essential for both men and women, although it does not occur to the same degree in different sexes.

Low Testosterone Symptoms in Men

On the other hand, men produce testosterone mainly in the testes and a small amount in the adrenal glands.

Testosterone is responsible for physical changes during puberty in boys, such as a deeper voice, hair-, and general growth.

Later, the male body needs testosterone for healthy sexual reproduction, among other roles.

But after puberty, testosterone’s work is far from done. Throughout life, testosterone plays a vital role in a man’s health.

However, testosterone levels begin to decline with age. Starting around age 30, it drops by about one percent each year.

With this in mind, researchers estimate that about 39% of all men over 45 who present to a primary care physician already have testosterone deficiency (Rivas et al. 2014²).

As our population continues to age, these low testosterone levels will continue to worsen and affect the following characteristics of the male body (Bain 2007³):

• Libido
• Erectile function
• Sperm production
• Muscle mass
• Bone density
• Bodyweight
• Memory
• Energy
• Mood

And this list is far from exhaustive. Before we take a closer look at the effects that can occur when testosterone is too low, let’s find out how you can recognize a testosterone deficiency.

While the symptoms of low testosterone may sometimes be obvious, they can also be tough to recognize.

Common Symptoms of Low Testosterone

As we have already explained, low testosterone symptoms manifest in more than one-third of middle-aged men.

Therefore, you are not alone if you recognize the following testosterone deficiency symptoms.

Nevertheless, it would help if you didn’t rush to self-diagnose. It would be best if you were professionally tested since these symptoms can also occur with other health conditions.

Ultimately, it’s far more purposeful to visit your trusted doctor and get a complete blood count than to try to raise testosterone levels on your own.

Your physician can treat low testosterone with synthetic or bioidentical testosterone therapy or help you improve the following symptoms naturally.

1. Low Sex Drive

Testosterone plays a crucial role in men’s and women’s libido, as we have already learned.

Besides the regular age-related decrease in libido, low testosterone can significantly reduce the desire for sex.

When low testosterone is the reason for a decrease in sex drive, it can manifest itself more obviously than when a decreased libido occurs with age.

With this in mind, researchers have found that as testosterone levels increase, sex drive in postmenopausal women improves significantly (Davis et al. 2008⁴).

Therefore, before you immediately reach for supplements, you should always talk to your trusted doctor if you notice a change in your sexual desire.

Ultimately, testosterone can be low at any age and for various reasons. Plus, it’s not the only possible reason for an impaired libido.

2. Erectile Dysfunction

Although testosterone levels are not the primary factor in erection, difficulty getting or maintaining an erection might indicate too little testosterone.

After the hormone stimulates receptors in the brain that produce nitric oxide, erectile dysfunction can result from low testosterone.

Nitric oxide is a chemical that triggers a chemical reaction to get or maintain an erection (Cartledge et al. 2001⁵).

The lower the testosterone level, the more difficult it becomes for a man to get an erection.

It is not only when free testosterone is too low that erectile dysfunction can occur. Additionally, several health reasons can make it challenging to get or maintain an erection.

These include alcohol consumption, smoking, psychological stress, depression, or diabetes.

Therefore, even in this context, it is essential to talk to the doctor first and find out the real cause instead of resorting to a dietary supplement.

3. Underdevelopment of Sexual Organs

Testosterone plays a key role in the growth of the male body.

In contrast to normal testosterone levels, low hormone levels can contribute to the underdevelopment of the testicles or even the penis.

Since there can be various reasons, insufficient growth of sexual organs does not always have to be a symptom of testosterone deficiency.

4. Low Sperm Volume

Testosterone also plays a role in the production of sperm. Therefore, men who experience low testosterone levels often notice a decrease in the volume of their semen during ejaculation.

Moreover, researchers studying infertile couples have found that low testosterone levels can lead to abnormal sperm morphology and lower live birth rates (Trussell et al. 2019⁶).

5. Decreased Energy Levels

Many men with low testosterone levels complain of fatigue and a regular decrease in energy levels.

With this in mind, researchers treated HIV-positive men suffering from hypogonadism – gonad dysfunction in the testes – with testosterone.

In this case, increasing testosterone levels also increased energy levels in about 80% of the participants (Wagner et al. 1998⁷).

For this reason, you could suffer from a testosterone deficiency if you continuously feel listless despite getting enough sleep.

6. Sleep Problems

Fatigue and lack of sleep can be due to low testosterone levels.

It’s no secret that millions of people have trouble getting the recommended amount of about eight hours of sleep every night.

When you add low testosterone levels to the mix, it makes the situation much more difficult. Taking testosterone, however, can help.

In contrast, external testosterone can also worsen sleep problems if taken incorrectly (Wittert 2014⁸).

Therefore, even if you experience sleep problems, you should first talk to your doctor and get tested for low testosterone before reaching for supplements.

7. Hair Loss in Females

Hair loss is another symptom of low testosterone associated with aging.

However, diagnosing low testosterone based on hair loss is difficult. Furthermore, hair loss is a complex issue.

In addition to testosterone deficiency, researchers associate increased testosterone conversion to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) with progressive hair loss (Ustuner 2013⁹).

Conversely, more DHT means less free testosterone. Nevertheless, your body can also produce DHT from dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), another hormone more abundant in women.

With this in mind, a study involving 285 women found low testosterone levels in those who had already suffered from hair loss.

The scientists treated the participants with testosterone directly on the scalp and hairline. Due to the testosterone treatment, not a single participant had to complain about hair loss anymore.

Against this background, scientists concluded that testosterone has an anabolic effect on hair growth (Glaser et al. 2012¹⁰).

8. Anemia

Doctors have linked testosterone deficiency to an increased risk of anemia and the reduction of red blood cells.

In addition to sleep problems, symptoms of anemia include dizziness and difficulty concentrating.

In men with low testosterone, treatment with a testosterone gel increased hemoglobin levels in the blood.

Based on the magnitude of the changes and the decrease in anemia, the researchers concluded that the result could be clinical-grade (Roy et al. 2017¹¹).

9. Decreased Bone Density

Osteoporosis is the thinning of bone mass – a condition primarily associated with women. Nevertheless, men can also be affected by bone loss.

Researchers studying osteoporosis in men have found that testosterone directly affects it.

Among other indirect effects, testosterone stimulates osteoblasts and protects against bone loss (Golds et al. 2017¹²).

10. Muscle Loss

If you suffer from low testosterone for an extended time, it can harm muscle mass.

According to studies, testosterone plays an essential role in building and maintaining lean mass but does not necessarily contribute to increased performance (Huo et al. 2016¹³).

11. Weight Gain

Men who suffer from low testosterone levels have trouble building muscle mass and gain body fat more efficiently.

If testosterone levels drop, the balance of estrogen is compromised. As a result, fatty tissue can grow on the chest. This condition is also known as gynecomastia (Swerdloff et al. 2019¹⁴).

Since low testosterone levels favor it, researchers conclude that an increase in men’s hormones precisely results in abdominal fat loss (Rebuffe-Scrive et al. 1991¹⁵).

12. Insulin Resistance

Another reason the decrease in testosterone levels may cause weight gain is the accompanying decrease in insulin sensitivity.

Accordingly, researchers found that insulin sensitivity increases with testosterone levels. As a result, the risk of developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes drops.

However, even in this case, it is not wise to reach for a supplement since these can negate the positive effect by worsening HDL cholesterol levels.

According to this study, metabolic issues are more likely to be favored by testosterone supplementation than the other way around (Emmelot-Vonk et al. 2008¹⁶).

13. Mood Swings

A recent study suggests that testosterone plays a more prominent role in the relationship between mood and mental health than previously believed. And this is true for both men and women.

Accordingly, researchers associated higher testosterone levels with more energy and well-being and less anger and irritability (Tyagi et al. 2017¹⁷).

14. Impaired Cognition

As we just noted, testosterone also plays a role in mental health—unfortunately, testosterone levels and memory function decline with age.

With this in mind, researchers reviewed the effects of testosterone therapy on memory function in older men. They concluded that the treatment could acutely improve the men’s cognitive function.

However, whether such treatment can positively affect memory function remains unclear in their opinion (Cherrier et al. 2001¹⁸).

Causes of Low Testosterone Symptoms

Not only does the passage of time cause a decrease in testosterone levels in the body. Lifestyle also plays a significant role in the natural balance of your hormone levels.

In this sense, four major lifestyle factors can lower your testosterone levels to dangerous levels:

1. Alcohol

Not just when it comes to testosterone, alcohol is a double-edged sword.

Contrary to popular belief, small amounts can have positive effects, while overconsumption harms your health.

That’s why, in the context of testosterone, doctors often advise to keep alcohol within moderate limits.

Accordingly, researchers have found that small amounts of alcohol can increase testosterone levels in women and men (Sarkola et al. 2003¹⁹).

Since no clear quantity guideline exists in this context, we must fall back on the general health effects.

Research has shown that 12.5 grams of alcohol daily poses the lowest risk to women’s health and 25 grams to men’s health (Corrao et al. 2000²⁰).

This optimum corresponds to approximately 90 milliliters of red wine for a woman and 180 milliliters of red wine for a man per day.

2. Medication

Also, other legal drugs can bring testosterone-lowering side effects.

So here’s a list of those drugs that can compromise your testosterone balance (Schooling et al. 2013²¹; Rosen 1988²²; Rubinstein et al. 2017²³):

• Cholesterol-lowering statins
• Beta-blockers and antihypertensives
• Analgesics with opioids
• Antidepressants and mood elevators
• Glucocorticosteroids such as cortisone (synthetic cortisol)

If you notice low testosterone symptoms and take one of these testosterone killers, you should immediately talk to your doctor.

In most cases, you can use alternatives that do not affect hormone balance.

3. Estrogen-Like Chemicals

Other agents that can harm healthy testosterone levels are xenoestrogens or estrogen-like chemicals.

These are the following industrial chemicals that disrupt the hormonal system and can cause adverse health effects at high doses (Roy et al. 2009²⁴):

• Bisphenol A (BPA)
• Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT).
• Dioxin
• Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs)
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
• Phthalate esters
• Endosulfan
• Atrazine
• Zeranol

Every time you use plastic products that contain BPA, such as plastic drinking bottles, you increase your exposure to xenoestrogens.

You can also find estrogen-like chemicals in canned foods, food packaging, dental fillings, or toiletries, such as shampoos, creams, and deodorants.

4. Stress

As I mentioned earlier, cortisol is a natural antagonist of testosterone. If cortisol increases, testosterone decreases, and vice versa.

Therefore, over-exercising can also be bad for testosterone levels in the long run since too much exercise can induce severe stress on the body.

As long as the hormones are balanced, they complement each other well. While cortisol can promote muscle loss and weight gain, testosterone counteracts it by improving muscle gain and fat loss.

However, it cannot be easy to maintain normal testosterone levels when cortisol takes over due to chronic stress.

That’s why meditation, a wellness weekend, or appropriate exercise can help you keep cortisol low and testosterone high.

Risks of Low Testosterone

Already, the symptoms of low testosterone levels make a variety of adverse health aspects transparent.

Moreover, many people wonder whether the following indirect effects and diseases can be caused by low testosterone.

Alzheimer’s Disease

As we have already heard, testosterone production is a factor in cognitive health. Unfortunately, however, both functions decline as we age.

However, as evidenced by one study, older men with low testosterone levels are at a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

According to researchers, high testosterone levels in older men significantly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (Chu et al. 2010²⁵).

Anxiety

Testosterone also plays a supporting role in men’s and women’s moods and overall mental health. Additionally, it’s a natural antagonist of cortisol, the stress hormone.

For this reason, testosterone deficiency is consistently associated with nervousness, depression, and anxiety (Tyagi et al. 2017²⁶).

With this in mind, researchers studied women who suffered from a social anxiety disorder. They found that a single dose of 0.5 milligrams of testosterone significantly improved anxiety disorder symptoms (Enter et al. 2016²⁷).

In this sense, there seems to be a negative correlation between testosterone and anxiety. Accordingly, low testosterone levels may promote anxiety, and higher levels may reduce it.

Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is responsible for an unprecedented proportion of deaths in the Western world.

Research has a clear opinion regarding low testosterone’s effect on cardiovascular disease risk. Accordingly, testosterone deficiency supports the following adverse health effects (Webb et al. 2017²⁸):

• Atherosclerosis
• Endothelial dysfunction
• Cardiac repolarisation
• Dyslipidaemia

In contrast, opinions divide when it comes to exogenous testosterone treatment.

While some studies view testosterone supplements as a remedy for heart disease, others suggest that testosterone therapy may exacerbate cardiovascular disease (Vigen et al. 2013²⁹).

Mortality

A study conducted on 858 men who were 40 or older shows that one cannot take testosterone deficiency lightly.

In this study, men with low testosterone mortality rates were significantly higher than those with normal levels.

Even adjusting for other significant factors, such as age and obesity, testosterone deficiency significantly increased the risk of overall mortality (Shores et al. 2006³⁰).

The Bottom Line

Many physical and psychological effects of testosterone deficiency for men and women are unknown and readily underestimated.

While low testosterone levels result in various adverse health effects, treatment with exogenous testosterone is not a panacea.

While a natural increase in testosterone levels can guarantee better health, testosterone treatments often show the opposite results.

For example, exogenous testosterone can worsen heart disease, while enhancing testosterone levels naturally brings improvements.

Therefore, addressing low testosterone where it originates – in an unhealthy lifestyle makes sense.

For this reason, I’ll be taking a closer look at how you can fight low testosterone through stress reduction, diet, and exercise in a future article.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is free testosterone?

Free es testosterone is not bound to other molecules. Testosterone in the blood is predominantly bound to proteins.

What are the causes of low testosterone?

Stress, medications, estrogen-like chemicals, and excessive alcohol consumption can lower testosterone levels.

What happens if a man is low on testosterone?

A man low on testosterone will witness symptoms like low sex drive, sleep problems, and mood swings.

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