Did you know as men age they lose 1% of their testosterone every year? Andropause, the male equivalent of menopause, is real although more subtle than menopause. It is the process of male aging that starts at around 30 years of age and remains until the end of our life. It is marked by the slowing down of all hormones in the male body and therefore a slowing of all global capacities. While estrogen levels in women decline after menopause just the opposite occurs in men who experience rising estrogen as well as SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin), Prolactin and DHT (Dihydrotestosterone). Increased abdominal fat and shrinking of muscle mass correlates with decreasing testosterone levels and rising estrogen levels, a hallmark of hormonal imbalance. These limit the amount and effectiveness of testosterone, a vital hormone.

The loss of testosterone as with HGH contributes to the familiar “pot belly” and declining muscle tone in middle-age men. Energy levels inevitably drop, as well as motivation, and fat mass increases. Cardiac output declines, lung capacity decreases, and other organ functions diminish. Also, loss of feeling of well-being sometimes manifests as depression and lack of motivation, which is a common psychological complication of hormonal imbalance. Many other diseases that middle-aged men begin experiencing attributed to decreasing hormone levels are abdominal weight gain, prostate and heart disease, elevated cholesterol, and angina.

The steady decline in hormone levels in male’s manifests as inhibition of physical, sexual and cognitive function, waning interest in sex, difficulty in having and maintaining an erection, decreased sexual satisfaction, as well as fatigue, irritability, aches and pains, and stiffness.