Testosterone is universally known as the dominant male hormone, but it’s also crucial for women. The hormone helps support a host of body functions, such as enhancing mood, managing libido and energy, and promoting muscle strength.
However, you should note that there exists a clear distinction between what’s referred to as free testosterone and total testosterone. For starters, total testosterone helps measure the overall testosterone levels in your blood.
It’s important to note that a small percentage of the populace, around 1-2% of females and 2-3% of males, have what’s known as free testosterone. These free testosterone levels are crucial for maintaining various bodily functions, including mood, libido, muscle strength, and bone density.
Table of Contents
Free Testosterone vs. Total Testosterone
Free testosterone refers to the active form of the testosterone hormone. This is the hormone tasked with regulating muscle mass, libido, and mood levels. You may not have realized before now that only 2-5% of your total testosterone exists in the free form.
When it comes to total testosterone, you’re encouraged by medics to think of it as the sum of all the testosterone present in your blood. Total testosterone encompasses “free testosterone” (the biologically active form) and “bound testosterone” (commonly attached to proteins).
Simply put, what you need to understand is that even if your total testosterone concentration test results are average, you may still have low free testosterone levels. Low free testosterone levels may lead to frustrating symptoms, including decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, lean muscle mass loss, weight gain or obesity, and more.
Health Issues
The T-hormone is produced by the testes in men and the ovaries in women. Its levels are generally higher in men than in women. If its levels become too low or too high, it can bring on certain symptoms.
The following is a look at the effects of free testosterone on health.
- Obesity: Low testosterone levels are predominantly found in obese men of varied age groups. The relationship between low T levels and obesity is complex and bidirectional. Low T and SHBG levels help in predicting the development of obesity and are often linked to a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. By contrast, obesity aids in predicting low free and total testosterone levels.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Testosterone deficiency is prevalent in men living with type 2 diabetes, in whom it may cause impaired libido, low mood levels, and poor overall performance. While a direct link between cardiovascular risk and testosterone deficiency remains controversial, there’s evidence to show that testosterone levels are inversely linked to insulin resistance. This is a high-risk factor for diabetes complications. To be more precise, low T levels have been linked to insulin resistance and a successive risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Chronic Stress: From a general perspective, chronic stress can easily lower your T levels. The body has an HPA axis and a hypothalamic-pituitary-gland-gonadal (HPG) axis that it relies on to help regulate the stress hormone. These two axes are controlled by the pituitary and hypothalamus gland at the body’s top end. Because of this, persistently high cortisol levels can inhibit the HPG axis, preventing the release of this hormone.
- Sleep Disorders: The relationship between sleep deprivation and testosterone levels goes both ways. For instance, low T levels can cause or worsen insomnia. Additionally, a lack of sleep can cause the production of the testosterone hormone to decrease. Researchers have established that as the T levels decline, the cortisol circulating in your body soon begins to increase. This causes you to become alert, resulting in shallower sleep and shorter sleep cycles.
- Aging: Testosterone plays a crucial role in helping maintain your body composition, including reducing body fat and generating skeletal muscle mass. Without enough testosterone, the body can no longer produce the number of proteins needed to maintain its skeletal mass. Along with poor nutrition and a lack of exercise, this typically leads to age-related sarcopenia. Simply put, your muscle mass will deteriorate fast if the body can’t produce enough testosterone.
- Liver and Kidney Disease: Testosterone deficiency is one of the most common findings among men undergoing dialysis. Often, this is an indication that the kidneys are failing. Low T has also been seen as a risk factor for reduced kidney function and fatty liver. Fortunately, it’s possible to improve liver and kidney function using testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
- Medications: Studies have demonstrated that certain medication classes can cause low T levels. Examples include antidepressants, statins, opioids, chemotherapeutics, certain hypertension medications, and antifungals. Many of these are prescription medications, but you should note that over-the-counter medications can also cause this problem.
Conclusion
Even though it’s important to understand the difference between total and free testosterone, what truly matters is how you feel. If you believe that low T levels are dragging you down, you shouldn’t wait for the situation to worsen. Instead, we recommend taking charge of your health and changing how you feel. Taking part in TRT can help you get started toward revitalizing your health. If you have any questions about this therapy, please contact us!