What is testosterone?
What is Testosterone?
How Testosterone affects muscle building and natural body function:
Testosterone is a naturally occurring hormone that plays a vital role in human physiology, including muscle growth, bone maintenance, and overall well-being. Join us as we delve into what testosterone is, how it functions in the body, and the connection between testosterone levels and muscle growth.
We’ll also be touching on and exploring some of the ingredients NPL uses to help elevate your testosterone levels naturally, and what improvements you can expect as a result.
What exactly is testosterone?
Testosterone is a hormone primarily produced in the testes for males and in smaller quantities in the ovaries for females. Both men and women produce testosterone and estrogen naturally, and it is only the amount of each hormone that differs.
It belongs to a class of hormones called androgens and is often called the "male hormone" due to its important role in male reproductive development and masculine characteristics developed during puberty. Testosterone is also responsible for a number of different bodily functions including
Muscle Growth:
Testosterone is incredibly important in promoting muscle growth and development, it does this by improving muscle protein synthesis which is essential for muscle fibres to repair themselves. This is why during puberty muscle development and growth will be very rapid versus later on in life. The older you get, the lower your natural testosterone levels become, this in turn affects how efficiently your muscles can repair themselves.
Libido and reproductive health:
Testosterone is essential in both men and women, this is because testosterone plays a key role in maintaining a healthy libido and sexual function. The naturally occurring levels of testosterone in women is lower than in men but it is still necessary for development and sexual health.
Mood regulation:
Testosterone also influences mood and cognition, but not in the way you think. Low levels of testosterone have been linked to mood swings and irritability, and in some cases depression.
Could you have low testosterone?
The short answer to this question is another question, how old are you? If the answer is below 40, your testosterone levels are most likely perfect, excluding individuals with health concerns that affect testosterone production. Everyone over the age of 40, however, may be at risk of lowered testosterone levels.
This is completely natural, as our testosterone levels peak in early adulthood and steadily decline as we age. This gradual decline has a host of effects on overall muscle growth, strength and energy levels, and your mood. To combat this, you could supplement with products that are designed to assist natural testosterone production and improve the overall action of testosterone in the body. So, what ingredients do this and how do each of them work?
Zinc and Magnesium:
Zinc and magnesium work hand-in-hand to promote natural testosterone production. Zinc is an important mineral in hormone synthesis, which stimulates the body to produce testosterone. Magnesium works in much the same way, by regulating biochemical reactions in the body including those related to testosterone production. Often Zinc and Magnesium are included together in test boosters, such as NPL’s Test Surge and Test Charge. Zinc and Magnesium can also have a positive effect on overall sleep quality, which is essential for hormone regulation, recovery and muscle development – take a look at NPL’s ZMA.
Tribulus Terrestris:
This plant extract has been used traditionally to support male reproductive health. Individuals have shown improvements in libido and total testosterone after supplementing with tribulus terrestris. Additional studies are in progress to demonstrate the potential benefits of tribulus terrestris and its role in testosterone production, but the results are promising. NPL Pro Test uses tribulus terrestris as a key ingredient alongside Zinc, Magnesium, Fenugreek and many others to aid natural testosterone production.
Turkesterone:
Turkesterone has gained recent popularity and has shown incredible potential for improving muscle strength and size.
Turkesterone does not bind to androgen receptors (as the hormone testosterone does) nor does it directly assist in boosting testosterone levels. Rather, Turkesterone has been shown to enhance muscle protein synthesis through alternative pathways and create an anabolic environment that is conducive to muscle growth. Turkesterone would work well stacked with testosterone boosters such as Pro Test, Test Charge, or Test Surge in which the primary mechanism of action is to assist the natural production of testosterone. Try NPL’s Anabolic Sterol and see the difference it can make!
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5870326/
https://www.menshealth.com/uk/health/a759233/testosterone-boosters-complete-guide/
C, Vedat; P, Yahya; B, Abdulkerim Kasim & M, Rasim. (2010) Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Testosterone Levels of Athletes and Sedentary Subjects at Rest and after Exhaustion. Biological trace element research
M, Zitzmann (2006) Testosterone and The Brain; The Aging Male, pg. 195 - 199
Product links:
https://www.npl.za.com/products/zma
https://www.npl.za.com/collections/test-boosters/products/pro-test
https://www.npl.za.com/collections/test-boosters/products/turkesterone-60-capsules
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