WHAT IS LOW TESTOSTERONE (LOW-T)
Just like your cholesterol or blood pressure, there is a numerical range of testosterone levels (also known as T levels) that are considered normal. The brain and the testicles work together to keep testosterone within this range. When levels of testosterone are below normal, the brain signals the testicles to make more. When testosterone levels reach a normal level, the brain signals the testicles to make less.
Lack of or underproduction of testosterone either directly due to decreased production in the testes or indirectly due to lack of stimulation of the testes to produce testosterone by the pituitary gland is called hypogonadism and is a medical condition requiring treatment.
In the normal developing male, testosterone peaks during early adulthood. Once you reach age 25, testosterone levels slowly decline by approximately 1% a year. This is a normal part of aging.
YEP, LOW T IS PRETTY COMMON
Low testosterone is pretty common and becomes more common as you increase in age. Sorry to break it to you. In fact, based only on blood levels of testosterone in men at least 45 years old, it is estimated that more than 22 million men visiting a primary care doctor in the US may have low testosterone. But that's an over simplification because there is huge variation in individual thresholds that trigger symptoms or signs of low testosterone.
A lot of factors go into understanding low-T, so make sure to see a physician who can best consider a combination of blood levels, symptoms and signs to figure out if you have low-T.
TESTING: TOTAL VS FREE TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
When you're tested for testosterone levels they basically measure Total testosterone and free testosterone levels.
Total testosterone is typically measured in nanograms per decilitre (ng/dl) and is a measure of the total amount of testosterone in your blood: free, SHBG-bound, and albumin-bound all together.
Free testosterone is measured in picograms per milliliter. It is the amount of free testosterone. Free testosterone makes up a minute percentage of the total testosterone in your body, which is we like to focus on total testosterone levels.
average t levels by age
Testosterone levels change with age, dropping as much as 10% per decade after the age of 25. The best approach when trying to understand the right levels is to look at age groups and see where you fit.
It is important to note that most labs have a reference range for hormonal testing, including tests for testosterone. The is one glaring and huge problem with this and it is the fact that they don't control for age, so you end up looking at a reference range that includes 80-year-old men and 20-year-old men; obese men and super fit men and so on.
Here is a chart from a great study done that focuses on age groups and t-levels:
NOBODY LIKES BEING AVERAGE...
Nobody wants to be average and it is no different for your testosterone levels. If your tests come back and your within range, congratulations, you have a decent amount of testosterone in your body for your age group. That's a great start, but you should be aiming for optimal testosterone levels, the benefits of optimal vs average cannot be overstressed.
Now, before you go out and start pumping yourself full of testosterone, don't forget that past a certain level, testosterone can actually cause a bunch of bad side effects, like sleep apnea and overly thick blood, balding and more.
Only your doctor can really tell you what is optimal for your body so make sure you work closely with them to find out and come up with a plan.
HOW TO MEASURE YOUR TESTOSTERONE LEVEL
There are three ways to test your testosterone levels: saliva sample, urine sample, and blood sample. Each method has its pros and cons, but our recommendation is pretty simple. See a physician and ask them to order you a blood test.