Wednesday, November 07, 2007

I don't think I could handle an increased sex drive.



I'd probably end up in Sex Addicts Anonymous.

'Some scientists now wonder if a lot of other "walking, talking, normalish guys," as one urologist put it, are also experiencing a fading of the hormonal basis of masculinity, leaving them feeling less like the men they used to be, less than their fathers were in their time.

Most men can expect their testosterone levels to drop by about 1 percent a year beginning in their 50s. So a man in his 70s might have only half the testosterone he had when he was 25. But researchers behind the Massachusetts Male Aging Study—which has been tracking behavioral and physiological traits for 1,709 men born between 1916 and 1945—noticed something strange. Men born more recently had T levels that were surprisingly low. The 60-year-old in 2003 had about 15 percent less testosterone than the 60-year-old in 1988, according to Thomas G. Travison, Ph.D., lead author of the testosterone study. Sixty was looking like the new 70. Had something happened? Could we be in the middle of some broad biological or environmental change affecting all men simultaneously?

No one was suggesting that men rush out to get their testosterone levels checked (though, okay, I did), much less consider testosterone therapy (and, yes, I am considering it). As one endocrinologist put it, "You need to see more than one study from more than one laboratory before you start waving your arms and shouting alarm."

But the Massachusetts results marked a turning point: Testosterone is no longer just a hot topic for misguided weight lifters or baby boomers with delusions of eternal youth. It's something the average aging male will need to think about, starting with a few testosterone basics.

Testosterone is literally what makes us men. Delivery of the right amount at the critical moment shifts development of a fetus away from the basic human blueprint, which is female, and onto the path to masculinity. A surge in testosterone (from the testes—hence the name) in adolescence boosts us into manhood. And for the rest of our lives, testosterone, or the lack of it, seems to play a key role in muscle strength, lean body mass, bone density, mental sharpness, and sex drive—the things that often make us feel best about who we are.

Despite testosterone's explosive reputation, there's no solid evidence that it causes aggression or violence. On the contrary, heightened testosterone is often associated with self-confidence and social success. Testosterone levels typically increase to ready us for a challenge, whether it's a football game or a chess match. Testosterone also rises after a victory, causing an increase in confidence that often leads to even more victories, the so-called winner effect. Who would want less of a hormone like that?'

Full story: Testosterone Under Attack
P.S. - The movie Testosterone isn't bad actually.

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