8 Ways Low Testosterone Affects Your Body

8 Ways Low Testosterone Affects Your Body



Testosterone is crucial for building muscle and fueling your sex drive.

But receptors for the hormone actually exist throughout your body, from your brain to your bones to your blood vessels.

So if you’re low on T, the health consequences could extend far beyond the gym and the bedroom, says University of Washington endocrinologist Bradley Anawalt, M.D., a spokesperson for the Endocrine Society.

The eight symptoms that follow aren’t proof of low testosterone on their own. You’ll need two blood tests showing low levels—usually around 300 nanograms per declileter (ng/dL) or lower, depending on the lab—before your doctor makes an official low testosterone diagnosis, Dr. Anawalt says.

The good news is, if low T is truly to blame, many of the health side effects of low testosterone can be reversed, or at least improved, with testosterone therapy.