Testosterone

 What is testosterone?

Testosterone is a hormone that belongs to the class of hormones known as androgens. It is responsible for the well functioning of the body, and for men it is extremely important because it is largely responsible for testicular and prostate development. Testosterone possesses performance-enhancing properties, and in exogenous form it is extremely popular among athletes. As it is the primary androgenic hormone, it is very powerful and it contributes to the development of the muscle tissue, strength and bone density. Testosterone is also indicated in males with low hormone levels because these might affect not only the muscle and bone strength, but also the general state of mind. Generally speaking, testosterone is responsible for the overall general health. When used in exogenous form, it is safe, well tolerated and helps to increase the hormone levels.

Besides all the facts already mentioned, it is also important to bring up into the discussion the fact that testosterone is highly anabolic. The testosterone production is highly related to the release by the pituitary gland of the follicle stimulating hormones and luteinizing hormones. By the release of these hormones it is achieved the testicular stimulation causing the natural production of the hormone. When the endogenous levels of hormone are low, the exogenous testosterone replaces them with no risk for health. This is why; the use of testosterone is often called "testosterone replacement therapy".

Testosterone forms

Testosterone comes in various forms, meant to increase the low hormone levels and contribute to the muscle and strength gain. The most efficient form of application is by injection because is by far the most popular and the effects prove to be far more efficient. Most of the times, testosterone has attached an ester, which differentiates it from the other forms. While they all provide almost the same benefits, they are different through the dosage, duration of action, time interval between doses and the period of time itself of administration. The most popular types of testosterone are considered the following:

·Testosterone enanthate;

·Testosterone propionate;

·Testosterone cypionate;

·Testosterone suspension.

Benefits of using exogenous testosterone

While some men use testosterone for the hormone replacement therapy, others use it for the oppose purpose, to increase the hormone levels far beyond normal in order to enhance physical performance. There are many benefits to the use of exogenous testosterone, some of them are the increase in the low levels of hormone, increase in the muscle strength and mass and development of bone density. Other benefits of using exogenous testosterone are considered the following:

·Increase red blood cell count. By increasing the red blood cell count it increases the endurance, that helps to work more, train and others.

·Increase recovery abilities. Athletes in the post cycle therapy use testosterone to recover from the steroid cycle and get back to normal hormone levels.

·Increase the protein efficiency. When supplementing the body with testosterone, the protein synthesis increases and this means that the build-up of muscle tissue is protected from the calorie-restricted diet.